Stop and start meds

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I'd been on antidepressants for nearly 10 years. I stupidly decided to come off them because I wanted to know if I really needed them. I tapered slowly etc. It's been a few months since I stopped them and I cry mostly daily and everyday feels like hard and constant work to deal with depression. I want to go back on meds again. Anyone know if it's ok to stop and start them or if I'm ruining my brain?

You should talk to the doctor who prescribed them, or another doctor, to find out how to proceed. But I don't think it's "ruining your brain."

Lots of people on antidepressants & other psych meds have to switch their meds around a bit due to side-effects or the meds not helping enough; that's the case for me & my girlfriend. Getting back on your meds should be safe if you do it gradually. I personally would be worried about what the depression is doing to me & how it's f#ckin-up my life instead of thinking about how the meds might f#ck up my brain unless I experience some bad side-effects in which case I'd look into other psych meds.

Depression can have deleterious effects on the brain, as well as any possible side effects on the brain from antidepressants.

Generally I think it should be OK to go back on them, but check with your doctor.

Because you were on antidepressants for so long (nearly 10 years), your brain will have downregulated it's natural serotonin production, and it may not have fully adjusted back. So you might actually need to return a bit of antidepressant support for a while. Once your mood is restored, taper off as slowly as you can to give your brain a longer period to adjust.