Do antidepressants cause permanent brain damage?

[MattMVS7]

I am afraid of taking the antidepressants I'm on now and wish to get off of them because I heard that cause brain damage.  Many people think that they instead grow new brain cells and such.  But here in this article, he says that this is flawed evidence.  Also, there are reports of people who have had their lives destroyed by antidepressants who have had permanent anhedonia and many other things as well from these medications.

Here is the article that talks about antidepressants causing brain damage:

http://www.madinamerica.com/2012/09/things-your-doctor-should-tell-you-about-antidepressants/

[Bubulous]

It is each person's decision whether or not to be on antidepressants and it is such a common thing for people to be on them these days that I do not think people really look into the side effects of them.
That being said, the truth is if you truly need to be on antidepressants than the side effects may not be as risky as they seem.  Depression can cause worse brain damage than antidepressants.
I only encourage anyone to question whether the risk is worse the reward.  If you have tried everything else and feel that you are not just in a slump but rather are in depression than discuss with your doctor the best choice of treatment for you which may include antidepressants.

[4Maddie44]

Oh golly I have not heard of this.  I was on anti depressants for over 20 years, but no evidence of brain damage.  Perhaps it has happened to some people.  We can read articles and get really scared by them.  It is up to the individual of course whether they take anti depressants or not.

I found, in my case, I could not function without them, or my life would not have been worth living.  They have helped me and lots of other people, but in the end it is your choice.  

If you really are worried, then you have to decide what is best for you.  Do you think the medication is helping with your depression?  Do you think because of your fear of brain damage, you would be better off stopping them?  Does it say what percentage of people who take anti depressants get brain damage?  We would all like to be free of anti depressants.  If you can cope without, then do so.  Talk to your doctor first and tell them about your fears.

Keep us updated.

[Paxiled]

They don't cause brain damage per se, but they can permanently alter the way the brain operates because it can't adapt back to working normally without the aid of antidepressants.  There are many articles on this now, though it's not always easy for non-professionals to find them.  How many people this happens to is unknown.