Those who have experience with tapering...
Been on Lexapro 10mg for almost 9 years (I originally thought 7 years), but felt ready to come off after learning cognitive skills from CBT, REBT, and ACT.
Did an accelerated taper over the span of two months:
10mg > 7.5mg > 6.66mg > 5mg > 3.33mg > 2.5mg > 1.3mg > 0mg
Today was day 27 of being off Lexapro, and I had to pitch my ego out of the window. I ended up needing a crumb of it; around 1mg or so. Instant relief from the perpetual tightness in my throat and unsolicited feelings of hopelessness and anxiety that I couldn't successfully defuse.
My problem is that I've always been an over-optimizer, thinking I can get results faster than what's actually reasonable if I check enough boxes that seem to make sense. The 2-months I had to wait before dropping Lexapro was not fast enough for my impatient self, but now I understand that the process of tapering MUST NOT be rushed.. and that's okay. I'm here for it now, however long.
I already have a 5mg/5mL escitalopram liquid suspension being filled so I can be very precise; I'll probably hold at 1mg for the week and see how things balance out. If things go well, I'll likely hold the dose for 6 months before tapering down a pinch.
A couple questions for anybody who has successfully tapered off, or is currently tapering:
How long did you hold your dose before progressing your taper?
What helped/is helping you have an easier time with your taper?