Though this article concentrates on the SSRIs, other meds like the SNRIs can have a similar or even worse withdrawal effect. We didn't call it "Side Effexor" for nothing.

People legitimately need these drugs, including in the short term. The problem for acute stressors once they resolve is how to get them back off.

Best way to manage the withdrawal would be to dramatically reduce them being prescribed in the first place.

The linked article says they have "small to moderate effectiveness", but this is being far too generous. The correct way to measure drug effectiveness is if the treatment meets the standard of a minimal important difference. I.e. you measure depression on various rating scales, like the 17-point HAM-D, and research suggests a minimal important difference (i.e. one patients and clinicians can actually notice) needs to be about 3-5 points. But the average effects of almost all antidepressants do not meet these thresholds, i.e. the effect actually appears practically invisible. [1]

Then you'll get waffling like "oh, but it really has a big effect for some people", but, well, no, we've looked at that too, and the placebo groups get just as miraculous "big effects", i.e. evidence supporting the idea "they really help some people" is also largely lacking [2-3]. All the other attempted saves ("oh, but eventually you find one that works for you") are also not really well supported either [4].

Like, maybe they really help some people, but it is far, far less clear than most assume, and should be balanced with concerns like withdrawal and serious side effects like emotional blunting and sexual dysfunction.

[1] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33593736/

[2] https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7451660/

[3] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33175895/

[4] https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11844611/

To provide one additional anecdote: I came off escitalopram with no taper after taking it for about five years (10mg). I got brain zaps for a while, got very irritated at times, but largely was fine after a few weeks. Not downplaying the withdrawal effects for some people, but they’re not as catastrophic as this article suggests for many (perhaps most).

And overall I’m very glad I took it! It got me through a rough patch, and seems (in combination with therapy, and some life changes) to have rewired me a little. Symptoms I had for a decade prior have not returned.

Sadly my arachnophobia came back though. Oh well.