houghchrst,

I read your post with interest. I'd like to correct a couple of misconceptions you may have.

1.) Lexapro is not difficult to discontinue.
2.) Lexapro is not known to cause "huge weight gain" in fact it has the least weight gain of all SSRIs.
3.) Celexa is not "milder" than Lexapro.
4.) Lexapro is not "heavy" for someone suffering situational depression.
5.) There are very few "regular GPs" still around. There are Family Practitioners and General Internists but very few General Practitioners. I doubt the physician you saw was in fact a "GP." So I don't understand your disgust for primary care doctors.

While it is true that some people have difficulty stopping Lexapro, some do have a significant weight gain, some tolerate Celexa better than Lexapro, and a host of other adverse reactions most find Lexapro to be an overall better drug than Celexa.

This does not in any way mean that the side effects you experienced were not significant. However, to make sweeping generalizations that are factually incorrect is troubling. I'd like to know what "permanent damage" you are aware if Lexapro is not titrated slowly.

Kindly,
Dennis