I never tried Abilify so I can’t compare. I was on Lexapro for a year. It improved my symptoms, didn’t make everything magically better. It did make things a bit easier. I stopped taking it because it stopped working for me. The dosage kept upping with no positive results but with increased side effects. I ended up going a different route. Taking Lexapro was worth it though. Not the improvement I wanted or expected, but there was an improvement nonetheless. I know people who have had great experiences with it. You will probably hear about a range of experiences with it. I believe there is a subreddit dedicated to people who take Lexapro, I suggest you look there.