I took sertraline for about 7 years. 50mg daily.

The first analogy I used to describe it is that it put a floor under my mood. A baseline of satisfaction that I couldn't drop below. A safety net.

I think a better analogy is that it's like a rubber band. The further you move down, the harder it pulls you back.

I didn't feel the alienation that's described in this article. If anything it was easier to keep close to my friends because I wasn't crippled by the depression.

I got the side effect of suppressed libido, but I'm sufficiently terrible at romance that I just didn't notice that for a while. If it's a problem, a good psychiatrist can trial you on different drugs.

Now that I've come off sertraline, the main thing I miss is calmness in the face of aggravation. I notice this in particular when driving; I'm more aggressive and irritable than I used to be.