[striking]

Antidepressants take a while to take effect and take a while to go away. The people talking about dependencies are almost certainly horribly wrong.

That being said, if you feel that decreasing your dose makes you more alert and energetic, take it up with your psychiatrist. You may end up being advised to try a lower dose. (IANA psychiatrist, etc. etc.)

[ajarmst]

Withdrawal symptoms with SSRIs/SNRIs (often called a "Discontinuation Syndrome" to avoid a semantic argument about what "withdrawal" means) are quite well documented. The symptoms are exacerbated by long term use and especially by sudden discontinuation. Medical professionals will invariably recommend a slow tapering of dosage before attempting to discontinue treatment.