Thanks for your questions. 

Mostly I'm surprised...surprised by symptoms of depression, which I don't really recognize as depression. 

I prefer to be a positive person, but do find that I can be negative.  I was divorced after 22 years and often wonder if I had been on Zoloft before the divorce if my marriage would have been saved. 

This was brought to my mind again when I went back on Zoloft after being off for almost a year. 

At the time I went on Zoloft, I had a very compassionate physician who gave me a prescription and told me that I would know if I needed to have it filled.  I didn't have it filled for three months, but then found that I was crying at work.  I wanted to spare my coworkers the agony of such uncontrollable feelings and I wanted to be able to give my best performance.  Zoloft helped me achieve those goals.  I made a pledge that I wouldn't let my personality hurt myself or my relationships again. 

So when all these new changes came into my life and all of them are positive, but I was feeling overwhelmed and negative, my new husband convinced me to go back on Zoloft.  In a week my 'glass is half full'  again, and I'm relieved to feel that I can manage the my challenges with a positive spirit rather than feeling overwhelmed. 

I wonder if I should have been on Zoloft for the past 10 years it has made such a difference. 

I'm surprised, because I didn't ever relate to the descriptions of depression until I was at rock bottom and couldn't control my crying.  But after being back on Zoloft for such a short time, I think I had depression for a long time and that it had very negative effects on my family and my career. 

It makes me hope that others like me might learn about these aspects of depression way before it damages their family and their relationships. 

Thanks for your response. 

I was on Zoloft manyyy years ago, as a young adult going through many issues, and it amazed me how this medication "saved me" At first I wanted to feel and deal, and not have a medication do it for me. Ah,, but I realized like an Asthmatic who needs their medication to breath, or a diabetic who needs insulin,, I needed something too, my brain was not offering the Serotonin I was not getting and ZOLOFT WAS THE BEST.. So,, here I am now almost 30 years later needing an antidepressant that will work with my pain meds for F.M., and I suggested Zoloft, as I had good luck with it before, however now I am on a lot of meds for my conditions, I feel confident that Zoloft will pull me through again.

  As far as "how long is too long"... only the person taking it will know. I dont think there should be a time stamp on it, anymore than a diabetic, or asthmatic. IF IT WORKS, IF IT MAKES YOU FEEL BETTER- you shouldnt need I time. If it is to help someone like myself years ago get through a situation that might work for some people in a short time situation.. But here I am again as I said,, going back on it, because it worked for me, I was not affraid to go back on it.. best of luck..Linda