I have anxiety, depression, OCD and suffer from panic attacks. I took Paxil, then Celexa for a total of 5 years. The side effects while getting on them were horrible, but around the 6-8 wk mark, things settled down and I had virtually no anxiety or depression. I did, however, gain 50+lbs in that 5 year period. I did have withdrawal symptoms coming off. You must taper low and slow to minimize the withdrawals. Once off, I was fine and lost the 50+lbs.
You have to do what's best for you. SSRIs are very effective, once you find the right one and dose.