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People can and do stay on antidepressants for many years. There are a lot of ignorant people out there who say that antidepressants are useless or actually harmful, but frankly, if you have a serious mental health problem it's actually more harmful to NOT take medication.
Medication is not, however, the only solution. I personally think that therapy is just as important.
Some people can get their mental health issues under control if they only take medications for a few months, or if they don't take them at all but do counseling/exercise/etc. regularly. It all varies from person to person, and nobody has the right to judge anyone else for taking medication.
My brother is a severely anti psych-meds guy, too. I've gotten him to accept the fact that I take an antidepressant by telling him that my experience shows that I would be pretty much non-functional without it. I also told him I understand that antidepressants and other medications are often overprescribed, and that they're not meant to be "happy pills," but to restore the natural balance of chemicals in the brain.
In any case, if your boyfriend is demanding that you choose between the meds and him, only you know what those medications do for you and what your life is like if you don't take them. It's not his place to tell you what to do. It's your body and your life, and there are plenty of guys out there who would accept--and respect--the fact that you are taking medications in order to be a more healthy and functional person.
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