Was on buprenorphine for 3 years (other opioids for 3 years prior to that). Decided enough is enough and tapered for 6 months down to 0.5mg of buprenorphine. As my situation at that dosage did not stabilize I jumped off. It was very miserable 6 weeks, and I felt better progressively after 3-4 months. Now it is almost a year (10 months) and I feel much better. I would rather deal with my pain and other issues than go back to dependence on opioids.
Regarding depression - I was not really depressed as I was really determined to put my opioid dependence behind me. I had all of the other horrible withdrawal issues, which I will not list here, but my determination and changed habits (like eating healthy, going to walks, exercising) helped a great deal. I would recommend exercise and eating healthy as main things to speed up your recovery.
I will add that life does not get all roses and sunshine because one stops buprenorphine, but a person at least gets a chance to make it much more meaningful and worthwhile. It is a struggle and it all depends on ones underlying issues that brought him to the buprenorphine crutch (not judging). If those issues are being addressed than the effort is really worthwhile.
I wish you all the best!