Serotonin is a chemical that has a wide variety of functions in the human body. It is sometimes called the happy chemical, because it contributes to wellbeing and happiness. Studies suggest that the popular drugs are no more effective than a placebo. In fact, they may be worse. Update! I stopped taking Lexapro in the summer of 2008. Please see below. From the middle of March, 2004, to the summer of 2008, I took daily 10mg doses of the prescription anti-depressant Lexapro. One of the greatest deficits in psychiatry besides accountability is common sense. Alcohol use precedes hypo-manic behavior in some people and it is generally recognized as the cause. Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a type of anxiety disorder, can happen after a deeply threatening or scary event. Even if you weren't directly involved, the shock of what happened can be so. Continued Stopping Treatment. Even though SSRIs aren’t habit-forming, it can be dangerous to stop them suddenly or miss several doses in a row. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are usually the first choice of medication for treating social anxiety disorder (SAD). SSRIs affect your brain chemistry by slowing re-absorption of the neurotransmitter serotonin, a chemical that we think helps to regulate mood and anxiety. by Alexander Cockburn and Fred Gardner. In January 1995 Eli Lilly, the Indianapolis-based drug company that derives more than 25% of its profits from the sale of Prozac, suffered a minor p.r. setback. SSRIs — Learn how this popular type of antidepressant works and about its side effects. Prozac was so popular after its debut in 1988 that it inspired not one but two best-selling books: Listening to Prozac and Prozac Nation (which was turned into a movie starring Christina Ricci).