I am on another kind of drug, so I can't give a straight answer.

From what I can get Aripiprazole is usually used as an add-on, meaning you are most likely be prescribed something else as well.

In my case, I am taking escitalopram (Lexapro, but I use generic brand) as the main treatment drug and quetiapine (Seroquel) as an add-on.

Aripiprazole and Quetiapine are both antipsychotics (tranquilizers), but different category. In my experience taking Quetiapine continuously makes me feel sluggish, absent minded, like getting sedated. Reducing the dosage helps. As I don't take it for too long, and I use low doses, I don't experience any long term side effects.

Escitalopram is used much longer in my case. It's an antidepressant, so it is the main drug. Been taking it for almost 3 years now. Most common side effect is weight gain. While it didn't happen to me, I did catch myself craving sweet foods and drinks more than what I used to be. Must conciously make good dietary choices. Other than that I have no complaints.

That is a very good question. This all boils down to whether the side effects of lifelong medication is worth the benefits of treatment.

Personally I don't find lifelong medication ideal. Especially in my case (anxiety and depression) the medication works more like painkillers and they never help with the more deep seated issues I am facing, and I am choosing to depend less on medication and gradually switch to a more psychological route.

But I find is surprising that antidepressant is not prescribed here. My guess is that the disorder is not really clinical depression, but somewhere between bipolar disorder or schizophrenia. If this is the case, then the situation entirely different. The question should not longer be whether it is safe to take the medications long term, but whether it is safe to leave the patient unmedicated.

Unlike clinical depression, we still know next to nothing about bipolar disorder and schizophrenia despite all the advances in technology we have today. A curative drug doesn't exist yet. All we have are drugs for managing the symptops to stop the victims from being debilitated by the disease.

I would suggest you to find out more about the diagnosis. These disorders are not the same, and naturally options for treatment are also different. Do not agak-agak because mistaking one for the other can be dangerous, eg. giving antidepressant to someone with bipolar disorder can actually make the symptomps worse.