These drugs are among the most commonly prescribed medications for long-term use. But is it safe to use antidepressants for years on end?

While this class of medications is named after a single condition, the drugs are used to treat a wide variety of illnesses other than major depressive disorder, including:

• Binge eating disorder
• Bipolar disorders
• Bulimia
• Bedwetting
• Fibromyalgia
• Generalized anxiety disorder and social anxiety disorder
• Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS)
• Neuropathy (pain from damaged nerves, including diabetic neuropathy)
• Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
• Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)

Many of these conditions are chronic or can return if you go off the medication. That means a lot of people take them for years, and that leads to concerns about the long-term side effects.

The main side effects include:

• Sexual problems, including the inability to reach orgasm
• Weight gain
• Feeling emotionally numb
• Not feeling like themselves
• Reduced positive feelings
• Feeling as if they're addicted
• Caring less about other people
• Feeling suicidal

Before taking an antidepressant, make sure you're familiar with the possible side effects as well as the proper method of going off of them. 

While you're on the medication, stay vigilant for side effects, and weigh how significant they are versus how much the drug helps you.

You should involve your doctor in any decisions you make regarding antidepressant use. That said, you're the only one who can decide whether the benefits of taking a medication outweigh the drawbacks.