Does depression ever go away? Is it a lifetime diagnosis? Can I stop taking my meds at any point?

I don't think there is a clear-cut answer to this. Most people experience situational depression (which is acute and short-term) at some point in their life. Other people have major depressive disorder which is chronic and with them for life. If you have found a med that helps you I would consider yourself very lucky as I have tried several and nothing has worked. If you want to see how you feel off meds, definitely only taper off under a doctor's supervision. Some people have very bad reactions, even become suicidal, when they quit their meds. Overall I would say that it's worth it to take meds, even if it means for life, if they help you to function and lift the depression and all of it's many symptoms. But, you are still very young and need to explore how serious your depression is and whether it needs lifetime maintenance.

/r/depression Thread