Has anybody on this thread ever taken Paroxetine? I was prescribed it for major depression and anxiety (heart beating fast too often). It got me through a couple of months of particular hard work recently (my mum is schizophrenic and I was having a hard time caring for her, applying to UCAS and keeping myself afloat financially) then after 2 or 3 months I wittled them down to half pills and came off. They got me through but I just became really numb emotionally and I didn't want it to last forever! Now I still get down days, the worst thing is when I feel physically like I can't do anything because I have a mental barrier. I hope anybody else with depression is finding ways through it. I study art so I try and use it as an outlet to vent my troubles. And I just really personally dislike counselling, I've tried it a couple of times in the past but I've never had any good experiences, it's all very well having a sympathetic ear and somebody telling you your situation has been really unfair but it doesn't change anything for me. I prefer practical things to alleviate the depression, that said counseling can be extremely good for some and very much depends on the counsellor you get.