I, too, have been prescribed psychotropic drugs far too long - over 27 years, to manage depression & bipolar disorder. About 5 years ago, my psychologist who used to teach psychopharmacology at med. school, shared his discovery that I had already intuited that depending on psychotropic is a mistake after a few years. We worked with the m.d. in the office to be weaned off Buspar - easiest to be weaned off, Depakote, 2nd easiest, & Effexor, which I'm down to 37.5 mg. ER every other day. Instead of relying on those drugs, at age 75, I rely on my Al-Anon 12-Step support group meetings, cardioboxing & fitness training 4 days a week, prayer & meditation (Step 11), along with a sound high-protein, fiber, fruits & veggies type of diet with 1 cheat day a week. Despite the challenges of aging & marriage to an 85-year-old curmudgeon from whom I need to take a vacation every 6 months, I'm much more relaxed & content at this age than 30 years, when I was hospitalized for suicidal depression. If you work at physical, emotional, & spiritual fitness, you can definitely do the same without drugs. Also, I happen to be a 51-year survivor of thyroid cancer. A noted cancer surgeon confirmed what I've discovered in my own life journey: His cancer patients with alcoholics & addicts in their families far surpassed the survival rates of all other patients. Why? They worked the 12 Steps in their lives every day to heal physically, emotionally, & spiritually!