Can you get addicted to antidepressants?
Reviewed by Dr. Akinwande Akintola, MD - Sun Jul 19 2026
No. Antidepressants don't cause cravings, you don't need escalating doses, and nobody takes them to get high: the three things that define addiction. What they can cause is discontinuation symptoms if you stop abruptly, like dizziness, irritability, and flu-ish feelings.
That's a physical adjustment, the same way suddenly stopping blood-pressure medication causes trouble, and NIMH draws the same distinction. The fix is boring and reliable: taper gradually, with your prescriber, never cold.
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