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weve learned at The Icarus Project and Freedom Center. It is not intended to
persuade anyone to stop taking psychiatric medications, but instead aims to
educate people about their options if they decide to explore going off.
www.theicarusproject.net www.freedom-center.org
52
Health Professional Advisors
While not co-authors, the following 61 health care professionals are experienced with
helping people come off psychiatric drugs. They reviewed this guide for its usefulness,
and we thank them for their involvement:
Ed Altwies PsyD Mark Foster, MD
50 3
Factors Involved in Outcome and Recovery in MIND Coping With Coming Off Study
Schizophrenia Patients Not on Antipsychotic Medi- www.mind.org.uk/NR/rdonlyres/BF6D3FC0-4866-43B5-
cations: A 15-Year Multifollow-Up Study Martin 8BCA-B3EE10202326/3331/CWCOreportweb.pdf
Harrow and Thomas H. Jobe, Journal of Nervous & Mental or http://snipurl.com/MINDComingOffStudy
Disease. 195(5):406-414 May 2007 http://bit.ly/1pTIYVs
Rethinking Models of Psychotropic Drug Action
Empirical correction of seven myths about schizo- J. Moncreiff and D.Cohen, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics
phrenia with implications for treatment. C. Harding 74:145-153, 2005
Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica 384, suppl., 14-16, 1994
http://psychrights.org/research/Digest/Chronicity/myths.pdf The Myth of the Chemical Cure
Joanna Moncrieff, Palgrave Macmillan, 2008.
The Vermont longitudinal study of persons with
severe mental illness, I. Methodology, study sample, Needed: Critical Thinking About Psychiatric
and overall status 32 years later. C.M. Harding, et al. Medications David Cohen, Ph.D www.ahrp.org/about/
American Journal of Psychiatry. 144: 718-28., 1987 CohenPsychMed0504.pdf
Illness Risk Following Rapid Versus Gradual Gradual, 10% Dose Reductions Dramatically
Discontinuation of Antidepressants RJ Baldessarini, Reduce Antidepressant Discontinuation Symptoms:
American Journal of Psychiatry, 167:934941, 2010 Presentation at the Canadian Psychiatric
AssociationAlison Palkhivala, Nov. 2007 http://www.
Initiation and Adaptation: a Paradigm for Under- docguide.com/gradual-10-dose-reductions-dramatically-
standing Psychotropic Drug Action SE Hyman and EJ reduce-antidepressant-discontinuation-symptoms-presented-
Nestler Am J Psychiatry,153:151-162, 1996 cpa
Is Active Psychosis Neurotoxic? T. H. McGlashan Paper In New Psychosis Journal Shows Many
Schizophrenia Bulletin vol. 32 no. 2006 Patients Do Better Without Psychiatric Drugs
Medical News Today Mar 2009
Is it Prozac, Or Placebo? by Gary Greenberg
Mother Jones. 2003; http://bit.ly/MDUbQl Physical Illness Manifesting as Psychiatric Disease.
Analysis of a State Hospital Inpatient Population
The Latest Mania: Selling Bipolar Disorder David Hall RC, et. al. Arch Gen Psychiatry. Sep;37(9):989-95. 1980
Healy PLoS Medicine. Vol. 3, No. 4, e185
Predictors of Antipsychotic Withdrawal or Dose
Long-term Antipsychotic Treatment and Brain Reduction in a Randomized Controlled Trial
Volumes Beng-Choon Ho, et al. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 68, of Provider Education Meador KG, J Am Geriatr
2011 Soc. Feb;45(2):207-10. 1997
Long-Term Follow-Up Studies of Schizophrenia Prevalence of Celiac Disease and Gluten Sensitivi-
by Brian Koehler ty in the United States Clinical Antipsychotic Trials
http://isps-us.org/koehler/longterm_followup.htm of Intervention Effectiveness Study Population
Cascella., N et al. Schiz. Bull doi: 10.1093/schbul/sbp055 2009
4 49
Authors Note
Universal Declaration of Mental Rights and SCIENTIFIC STUDIES
Freedoms This is a guide I wish I had when I was taking
www.adbusters.org Are Bad Sleeping Habits Driving Us Mad? Emma psychiatric drugs. Prozac helped me for a while, then
Young, New Scientist, 18 February 2009 made me manic and suicidal. I was sick for days after
Venus Rising Association for Transformation coming off Zoloft, with counselors telling me I was
www.shamanicbreathwork.org Are Schizophrenia Drugs Always Needed? Benedict
Carey, The New York Times, March 21, 2006
faking it. Nurses who drew blood samples for my
Healing Schizophrenia: Using Medication Wisely www.freedom-center.org/pdf/ lithium levels never explained it was to check for
by John Watkins, Michelle Anderson Publishing 2006. NYT3-21-06AreSchizophreniaDrugsAlwaysNeeded.pdf drug toxicity, and I was told the Navane and other
anti-psychotics I took to calm my wild mental states
Wellness Recovery Action Plan Atypical Antipsychotics in the Treatment of were necessary because of faulty brain chemistry.
by Mary Ellen Copeland Schizophrenia: Systematic Overview and Meta-
www.mentalhealthrecovery.com regression Analysis John Geddes, et al.,British Medical
I used many different psychiatric drugs over several
Journal. 2000; 321:1371-1376 (2 December). Cited in
Leading Drugs for Psychosis Come Under New Scrutiny years, but the medical professionals who prescribed
Will Hall Counseling and Consulting Through the Freedom Center I discovered
www.willhall.net Erica Goode, The New York Times, May 20, 2003 them never made me feel empowered or informed.
that I was denied a basic medical right: informed
They didnt explain how the drugs work, honestly
Brain Volume Changes After Withdrawal of
consent, having accurate information about my
discuss the risks involved, offer alternatives, or help
Atypical Antipsychotics in Patients with First-epi- diagnosis and medication. I learned that mistreat-
me withdraw when I wanted to stop taking them.
sode Schizophrenia G. Boonstra, et al., J Clin Psychophar- ment like I went through is often business as
macol. Apr;31(2):146-53 2011 Information I needed was missing, incomplete, or
usual in the mental health profession. I came
inaccurate. When I finally began to learn ways to
across research ignored by the mainstream media,
The Case Against Antipsychotic Drugs: a 50 Year get better without medication, it wasnt because of
Record of Doing More Harm Than Good Robert
including studies by the UK charity MIND and the
the mental heath system, it was despite it.
Whitaker, Med Hypotheses. 62: 5-13 2004 British Psychological Society, which confirmed my
Part of me didnt really want to be on psychiatric experience: most professionals are uninformed
Childhood trauma, psychosis and schizophrenia: about coming off drugs, and even frequently stand in
a literature review with theoretical and clinical
drugs, but another part of me desperately needed
help. My suffering was very serious multiple suicide patients way, sometimes ending up harming them.
implications. J. Read, et al., Acta Psychiatr Scand 2005
attempts, hearing persecutory voices, extreme
The Freedom Center led me to work with the
Diagnosis and Management of Benzodiazepine mistrust, bizarre experiences, hiding alone in my
Dependence Heather Ashton, Current Opinion in Psychiatry Icarus Project, and together these communities
apartment, unable to take care of myself. Therapy
18(3):249-255, May 2005 of mutual support have helped many people make
hadnt worked, and no one offered me other options.
wiser decisions -- whether it is to stay on medica-
Does treatment of schizophrenia with antipsy- I was under pressure to see my problems as biologi-
tions when they are useful or explore the possibil-
chotic medications eliminate or reduce psychosis? cally based and needing medication, instead of
ity of coming off when they are not. Many of us are
A 20-year multi-follow-up study Harrow, M. et al. looking at medication as one option among many.
Psychological Medicine 2014 .http://bit.ly/1Us0MDz living without psychiatric drugs that doctors told
For a time medication seemed like my only way out.
us we would need our whole lives, and despite a
It took years to learn that the answers, and my hope
Drug-Induced Dementia: A Perfect Crime diagnosis of schizoaffective disorder schizophrenia I
Grace E. Jackson MD, AuthorHouse 2009 for getting better, were really within myself.
have been medication-free for more than 15 years.
The Emperors New Drugs: An Analysis of Anti- When I finally left the hospitals, residential facilities,
This guide brings together the best
depressant Medication Data Submitted to the U.S. and homeless shelters I lived in for nearly a year, I
Food and Drug Administration by Irving Kirsch, et. al.. information weve come across and the
began to do my own investigating. I started judging
Prevention & Treatment. July; 5(1) 2002 most important lessons weve learned
my options more carefully, based not on mis
at the Freedom Center and the Icarus
informed authorities telling me what to do, but on
Effects of the Rate of Discontinuing Lithium Project. Its not perfect, and I invite you to con-
Maintenance Treatment in Bipolar Disorders RJ my own research and learning. That process led me
tribute your experiences and research for future
Baldessarini, Journal of Clinical Psychiatry 57:441-8, 1996 to co-found Freedom Center, a support community
editions, but its a guide that I hope can be helpful.
in Western Massachusetts that brings together
people asking similar questions. Will Hall
48 5
Introduction: GENERAL RESOURCES Mad In America
www.madinamerica.com
Alliance for Human Research Protection
We live in a world that, http://ahrp.blogspot.com/ Madness Radio: Voices and Visions From
Outside Mental Health
8 45
People do need help, but help should also do no many world religions; and manic states can be an
harm, and should be based on what the person escape from impossible circumstances to find deep
defines help to be, not what others define for spiritual truths. Even falling in love often feels like
them. From the outside, cutting, suicidal thoughts, going crazy.
or recreational drug use might seem like the most These experiences are unusual and mysterious
important issue, but the person themselves may - and can make it impossible to work or go to
decide they need help with housing, an abusive school - but rather than just suppressing them
boyfriend, or access to health care. We need a with powerful drugs, can they be included as part
mental health system based on voluntary services, of humanitys mental diversity? Might they be
compassion, and patience, not force, control, and worth exploring to discover their meaning and
paternalism. We also need communities taking purpose? Could madness be like other human
more responsibility to care for each other. challenges in life, offering us opportunities to grow
If people have a hard time communicating, they and transform who we are?
have a right to supportive helper advocates Many cultures have better rates of recovery when
who can bridge the gap between madness and they welcome people in extreme states rather than
ordinary reality. When people need help, excluding them; all societies should find a place for
gentleness, flexibility, patience and acceptance anyone going through madness. To redefine normal,
usually work best. Because forced drugging our communities need to talk more openly about Key Resources For Further Learning
claims to act in the patients best interest, emotional suffering and the limits of psychiatric
advance directives can help people define treatments. Coming out with our mental MIND Making Sense of Coming Off Psychiatric Drugs
for themselves what they want and dont want. difference could lead the way to social change. http://bit.ly/yPjusy
Advance directives are like a living will for
crisis, where you give instructions on what to Understanding Psychosis and Schizophrenia British Psychological Society
do, who to contact, and treatment preferences http://bit.ly/1RtRS1T
(including leaving you alone) in case you are in
crisis and having a hard time communicating. Critique: Race and the Understanding Psychosis Study http://bit.ly/1RrXzDO
Advance directives are not legally binding (which
Psychiatric Drug Withdrawal: A Guide for Prescribers, Therapists, Patients and their
may change through movement advocacy), but
Families by Peter Breggin, Springer Publishing, 2012.
do sometimes carry weight in how people are
treated.
Coming Off Psychiatric Drugs
edited by Peter Lehmann, www.peter-lehmann-publishing.com
Redefining Normal
Anatomy of an Epidemic: Magic Bullets, Psychiatric Drugs, and the Astonishing
What is the definition of normal? New research
Rise of Mental Illness in America by Robert Whitaker, Crown Books 2010.
supports the harm reduction principle that its not
always best to just get rid of everything considered
Beyond Meds: Alternatives To Psychiatry website
a symptom. Madness shouldnt be indulged or
www.beyondmeds.com
romanticized, but consider this: many people learn
how to live with hearing voices; suicidal feelings are Addressing Non-Adherence to Antipsychotic Medication: a Harm-Reduction Approach
more common than we realize, and can be part
by Matthew Aldridge, Journal of Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing, Feb, 2012 http://bit.ly/wbUA6A
of a need for change; and depression might be a
part of the creative process. Sometimes paranoia Coming Off Psychiatric Drugs: A Harm Reduction Approach - video with Will Hall
is a message about abuse, or reflects sensitivity
http://bit.ly/zAMTRF
to nonverbal communication; self-injury is often
a useful way to cope with overwhelming trauma; Coming Off Psych Drugs: A Meeting of Minds - film by Daniel Mackler
believing the universe is talking to you is shared by
http://bit.ly/1UcVqNh
44 9
Looking Critically at Mental Disorders and Psychiatry Insight and Forced Drugging
Forcing people into treatment and to take
Doctors put people on psychiatric medications for has to include psychiatric drugs. Once people have The mental health system sometimes forces people drugs often traumatizes them and makes things
experiences labeled mental disorders: extreme a diagnosis and start taking medication, it is easy to to take psychiatric drugs against their will, with the worse, creating fear and avoidance of help.
emotional distress, overwhelming suffering, wild think of the medications as physically necessary for justification that they lack insight and risk harming It undermines a healing relationship, and violates
mood swings, unusual beliefs, disruptive behaviors, survival. themselves, harming others, or cant take care of the human right to integrity of mind and sense of
and mysterious states of madness. Currently themselves. In practice, the definition of words self. Drugging and locking someone up because of
millions of people world-wide, including infants Not only is there is no solid science behind viewing like insight and risk of harm to self or others risk is a double standard that can deny someones
and elders, take psychiatric drugs when they are mental disorders as simple malfunctions of biology is very blurry and subjective. It can depend on freedom just because professionals are afraid of
diagnosed with bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, corrected by drugs, but many people with even the doctor you get, the facility you are in, or even something they cant predict. While some people
psychosis, depression, anxiety, attention deficit, the most severe diagnosis of schizophrenia or what your parents think is best, rather than any do feel helped by an involuntary hospitalization or
obsessive-compulsive, or post-traumatic stress. The bipolar go on to recover completely without objective standard. Being in conflict, or acting in forced drugging, the rights infringement and dangers
numbers are climbing every day. medication. The experiences that get labeled mental ways others dont know how to control, can lead of trauma are too great, especially when other,
disorders are not incurable or always lifelong: to forced drugging, and force is often a convenience voluntary approaches can be tried but arent. We
For many people, psychiatric drugs are very they are more mysterious and unpredictable. For need alternatives to the either-force-or-nothing trap.
useful. Putting the brakes on a life out of control,
for overworked staff untrained how to help in other
some people psychiatric drugs are helpful tools ways. Sometimes people are forced onto drugs just
being able to function at work, school, and in that change consciousness in useful ways, but they Sometimes people seem to lack insight or be
relationships, getting to sleep, and keeping a lid on for yelling, or for cutting (which is usually not a unable to acknowledge their problems, but this
are not medically necessary treatments for illness. suicide attempt). Biological theories that say people
emotional extremes can all feel lifesaving. The sense is one persons opinion about someone, and not
Once you acknowledge this, more options become need their medication are used to support forced
of relief is sometimes dramatic, and the medications grounds to label others with a medical disorder and
thinkable. And the potential risks of psychiatric drugging, and in many court settings, lacking insight
can stir very powerful emotions, and even feelings take away their basic rights. Trying and then learning
drugs come under greater scrutiny, because amounts to disagreeing when a psychiatrist thinks from mistakes is how people grow. Even people who
of salvation. At the same time, the help psychiatric they are very serious -- including chronic illness,
drugs offer many people can leave little room to see you are sick and should be medicated. are in trouble and making bad choices need the same
mental impairment, dependency, worse psychiatric opportunity as everyone else to discover and learn.
more to the picture: others experience these drugs symptoms, and even risk of early death. The legacy of psychiatric treatment is violent and What someone else considers self-destructive
as negative, harmful, and even life-threatening. As a
abusive. Today, thanks to patients rights activism may be the best way a person knows how to learn
result, it is rare in society to find a clear understand-
and the psychiatric survivor movement, laws often and cope, given other things they are struggling
ing of how and why these drugs work, or an honest
do recognize the harm that can be done by forced with: forced treatment may be more damaging than
discussion of risks, alternatives, and how to come off
drugging, and there are protections that mandate the someones self-destructive behavior. Sometimes
them if people want to.
least intrusive, and least harmful, treatments be used. spiritual states of consciousness, nonconformist
Many doctors and TV ads tell people that psychiat- These protections, however, are rarely fully followed, beliefs, conflicts with family members, or trauma
ric medication is necessary for a biological illness, and few alternatives receive funding. are called lack of insight, but they deserve to be
listened to, not made into illnesses.
just like insulin for diabetes. They promote the idea
that the drugs correct chemical imbalances and
treat brain abnormalities. The truth is different,
however. Biology and chemical imbalances have
become simplistic sound-bites to persuade people
to put their faith in doctors and quick fixes. These
words are in fact much more complicated and
unclear. Biological factors (such as nutrition, rest,
and food allergies) affect everything we experi-
ence: biological cause or basis plants the belief
that medication is the key to solving our problems.
To say something has a biological cause, basis, or
underpinning can give a message that the solution
must always be a medical one and that treatment
10 43
Psychiatric medications have become a multi-billion
dollar industry like big oil and military spending, Universal Declaration of Mental
and companies have incentive and means to cover
up facts about their products. If you look more Rights and Freedoms
carefully into the research and examine closely
the claims of the mental health system, you will That all human beings are created different.
discover a very different picture than what pill
companies and many doctors lead us to believe.
1 That every human being has the right to
be mentally free and independent.
Companies actively suppress accurate assessments
That every human being has the right to
2
of drug risks, mislead patients about how contro-
versial mental disorder theories are, promote a feel, see, hear, sense, imagine, believe or
false understanding of how psychiatric drugs really experience anything at all, in any way, at
work, keep research into alternative approaches any time.
unfunded and unpublicized, and obscure the role That every human being has the right to
of trauma and oppression in mental suffering. For
much of the mental health system, its one size
3 behave in any way that does not harm
others or break fair and just laws.
fits all, regardless of the human cost: scandals are
growing, and the fraud and corruption surround- That no human being shall be subjected
ing some psychiatric drugs are reaching tobacco-
industry proportions.
4 without consent to incarceration, restraint,
punishment, or psychological or medical
intervention in an attempt to control,
In this complicated cultural environment, people repress or alter the individuals thoughts,
are looking for accurate information about possible feelings or experiences.
risks and benefits so they can make their own
decisions. Too often, people who need help reducing
and getting off these drugs are left without support about your options if you decide to explore going
or guidance. Sometimes they are even treated as off psychiatric drugs.
if the desire to go off the drugs is itself a sign of
mental illness and a need for more drugs. Because of pro-drug bias, there has been very little
research on psychiatric drug withdrawal. We based
In discussing risks and dangers, it is important this guide on the best available information, including
to understand that all life involves risk: each of us excellent sources from the UK, and worked with a
makes decisions every day to take acceptable risks, group of health professional advisors (see page 51)
such as driving a car, working in a stressful job, or including psychiatric doctors, nurses, and alternative
drinking alcohol. It may not be possible to predict practitioners, all of whom have clinical experience
exactly how the risks will affect us, or to avoid the helping people come off drugs. We also draw on
risks entirely, but it is important to know as much the collective wisdom of an international network
as we can about what the risks are. Looking at the of peer counselors, allies, colleagues, activists, and
risks of drug treatment also means looking at the healers who are connected with the Freedom
risks of emotional distress/ psychosis itself, and Center and the Icarus Project, as well as websites
making the best decision for you. Maybe psychiatric such as Beyond Meds. We encourage you to use
drugs are the best option given your circumstances this guide not as the definitive resource
and situation, or maybe you want to try to reduce but as a reference point to start your own
or come off. This guide is not intended to persuade research and learning. And we hope that you
you one way or the other, but to help educate you will share what you have learned with others and
contribute to future editions.
42 11
How Dicult Is Coming O Psychiatric Drugs?
In working with hundreds of people over many have the opportunity to explore this. The study by
years, we have found there is no way to predict how MIND, the leading mental health charity in the UK,
the coming off process will go. There is really no confirms our experience. MIND found that Length
way to know in advance who can and who cannot of time on the drug emerged as the factor that most
do well without psychiatric drugs, who can do well clearly influenced success in coming off. Four out of five
with fewer drugs or lower doses, or how hard it will people (81%) who were on their drug for less than six
be. Weve seen people withdraw successfully after months succeeded in coming off. In contrast, less than
more than 20 years, people who decide to continue half (44%) of people who were on their drug for more
to take them after being on for just a year or less, than five years succeeded. (Just over half of people who
and people who struggle with long term withdrawal. were on their drug for between six months and five
Because coming off is potentially possible years succeeded.) Facing these unknowns means
for anyone, the only way to really know is to remaining flexible and learning as you go: coming
try slowly and carefully, and see how it goes, off completely may, or may not, be right for you, but many pressures on families are economic and psychotics are a clear example.
remaining open to staying on. Everyone should everyone can become more empowered. circumstantial, parenting skills classes and family
therapy have proven effective and helpful, as are Medications lose their profitability when their
many other alternatives including diet, exercise, patents expire after a few years. It is in companies
sleep, homeopathy, and being in nature. interest to pit new, expensive drugs against older,
The Politics Of Withdrawal cheaper ones available generically, even when they
Lawsuits have to deceive the public to do so.
In some ways the issue of coming off psychiatric Instead of viewing the experiences of madness only
drugs is deeply political. People of all economic and as a dis-ability, which can be a stigmatizing put If you have taken a psychiatric drug and Marketing new drugs amounts to social experi-
educational backgrounds successfully reduce or go down, it is helpful to also view those of us who go experienced any negative effects, including difficulty mentation. There is huge potential for dangerous
off their psychiatric medication. However, sometimes through emotional extremes as having diverse- withdrawing, you may be eligible to file suit against negative effects and abuse. Like past drugs,
economic privilege can determine who has access to ability. Society must include the needs of sensitive, the drug manufacturer if they acted improperly. miraculous claims are likely to give way to scandal.
information and education, who can afford alternative creative, emotionally wounded, and unusual people This is especially true about newer drugs. Over
treatments, and who has the opportunity to make who make contributions to the community beyond the years thousands of people on psychiatric Choice and Do No Harm
life changes. People without resources are often the standards of competition, materialism, and
drugs have received settlements totaling billions of
the most vulnerable to psychiatric abuse and injury individualism. To truly help people who are labelled Medication prescribers have a responsibility to
from drugs. Health is a human right for all people: we mentally ill, we need to rethink what is normal, dollars. Contact a reputable lawyer for information.
work collaboratively with clients and respect
need a complete overhaul of our failed in the same way we are rethinking what
mental health system in favor of truly it means to be unable to hear, without Future Drugs their choices about treatments. At the same
time, prescribers are bound by the principle of
effective and compassionate alternatives sight, or with limited physical mobility.
Pharmaceutical companies plan to introduce a do no harm. This means that when there are
available to everyone regardless of Universal design and accommodating
income. Pushing risky, expensive drugs those of us who are different ultimately wide range of new drugs in the future. Many of signs of overmedication, adverse effects that arent
as the first and only line of treatment benefit everyone. We need to challenge these drugs will be marketed as improvements justified by usefulness, or if a client wants to take
should end; priority should be on able-ism in all forms, and question the over past drugs. medications that are dangerous or only contribute
prevention, providing safe places of wisdom of adapting to an oppressive to addiction, the prescriber cannot just go along.
refuge, and treatments that do no harm. and unhealthy society, a society that The industrys record should make us skeptical They should inform patients about why they
Numerous studies, such as Soteria is in many ways itself quite crazy. A about these innovations. Repeatedly drugs are disagree, on grounds of medical ethics, and work
House in California and Open Dialogue in Finland, social model of disability means accepting human brought to market as new and improved. Then to find viable alternatives. Otherwise respect for
show that non- and low-drug treatments can be very differences, and no longer treating the impacts of serious problems and toxic effects are revealed, choice can become an excuse for neglecting clients
effective and cost less than the current system. And poverty and oppression as medical problems. Our corruption is exposed, and lawsuits are filed. The
a medical product regulatory establishment that was needs are intertwined with the broader needs for real needs.
the next cycle begins, with new and improved
honest about drug risks, effectiveness, and alternatives social justice and ecological sustainability.
drugs introduced once again. The atypical anti-
would likely have never put most psychiatric drugs on
the market to begin with.
12 41
Afterward: Special Considerations
The exact extent of drug risks to children is
Drugs in Liquid Form, unknown, and companies have not been honest.
Half-Life, and Compound For example, it took years of pressure before
Pharmacies anti-depressant packaging carried the black box
warning that they could cause suicide, or warnings
Switching to the liquid form of a drug gives you
on ADHD drugs that they can cause addiction and
greater control over reducing the dosage slowly;
psychosis.
ask your pharmacist, as some brands may have
different potencies.You can also go to a compound Child behavioral problems are very real, and
pharmacy (found on the internet) that will mix families do need help in dealing with them.
your drug into doses of your specification. Some However, trying to solve these problems with
pills can be dissolved in water, and a pill cutter can drugs raises serious issues. Unlike adults, children
also be useful (time released and other pills should do not have the legal right to refuse drugs. The
not be cut or dissolved, so ask a pharmacist). brains and bodies of children are still forming and
exceptionally vulnerable. Child personalities are
Half-life means how abruptly the drug washes out
very influenced by their surroundings and the
of your system when you stop taking it. Shorter
half-lives means the drug leaves your body faster.
support they receive, making it even more difficult Principles of This Guide:
to assess the nature of behavioral problems.
Withdrawal effects will likely be more difficult
Some families are under growing pressure to
on drugs with shorter half-lives, so you may want
to switch drugs of equivalent dosage with longer
compete and perform at school, including getting Choice: Psychiatric medications affect the most intimate aspects of mind and
the additional help that medication and a special consciousness. We have the right to self-determination: to define our experiences as we
half-lives before reducing. That way you are taking
needs status can provide. Labeling can bring want, seek out practitioners we trust, and discontinue treatments that arent working for
the same dosage but on a drug that will leave your
lifelong stigma and create an expectation that a us. We dont judge others for taking or not taking psychiatric drugs: we respect individual
system more gradually.
child cannot change. autonomy. When people have difficulty expressing themselves or being understood by
Children and Psychiatric Confusing matters more is that sometimes
others, they deserve accommodation, supported decision-making, and patience from caring
Drugs advocates, according to the principle of first do no harm and the least intrusion possible.
children with behavioral problems get attention No one should be forced to take psychiatric drugs against their will.
More and more young adults and children, and punishment or different treatment when they
even infants, are being given psychiatric diagnoses do the very behaviors that are a problem, which
and put on psychiatric drugs. Most prescriptions can end up inadvertently reinforcing the behavior. Information: Pharmaceutical companies, medical practitioners, and the media need
Children also sometimes become the identified to provide accurate information about drug risks, the nature of psychiatric diagnosis, how
are stimulants for ADHD, but the number of anti-
patient of a family system that itself need help to drugs work, alternative treatments, and how to go off psychiatric drugs. Medical ethics
psychotic neuroleptics and other drugs is growing.
require practitioners to understand the treatments they prescribe, protect patients from
This is a trend that reflects aggressive marketing by change. Child problems can reflect family problems.
harm, and promote safer alternatives.
pharmaceutical companies.
Because of their youth, the relatively short time
No long term studies exist on the impact of they are usually on drugs, their physical resilience, Access: When we choose alternatives to psychiatric drugs and mainstream
psychiatric drugs for children. Some prescribed and the way their lives are supervised, children treatments, there should be programs, affordable options, and insurance coverage available.
drugs are not even FDA approved for child use. are often very suited for reducing and going off Choice without access to options is not real choice. Community controlled services
Only recently has psychiatry accepted diagnosing psychiatric drugs. Creating alternatives often should be available to everyone who needs help going off psychiatric drugs or struggling
children with mental illnesses: in the past they means trial and error: addressing the needs of with extreme states of consciousness. We urge all health care practitioners to offer free
were considered still developing with changing parents, working on family conflicts, and changing and low-cost services to some of their clients, and for everyone with economic and social
personalities, and not subject to the same criteria the circumstances the children are living in. While privilege to work to extend alternative treatment access to all.
as adults.
40 13
Looking to the Future
Suffering can put diagnosis and medications at the Whether its coming off completely, reducing
center of our identity.While attention to mental your medications to a better level, or just gaining
health may be lifesaving for a time, we reach a point a greater sense of control, celebrate your new
where we need to rejoin the larger community, and empowerment. Being human isnt about living
focus more on our gifts, talents, and positive contri- without hardship or scars: it is about following and
butions. As you improve your relationship to your expressing your deepest truth. Even if you have a
medications, ask yourself: How did crisis interrupt diagnosis, take medications, or have lived through
my life, and what do I want to regain? What are my crisis, you are still a full and equal human being.Your
future plans? Where do my dreams lead me? What suffering made you who you are today, and it might
can I offer others? The lessons you learned are very have even made you wiser.
valuable, so consider sharing your experience.You
may want to write or video your story, and close
one life chapter to begin a new one.
14 39
agitation, vomiting, muscle twitching, and psychotic take longer to resolve, and may need to be worked Do Psychiatric Drugs Correct Your
symptoms that persist when you withdraw from
neuroleptic anti-psychotics.These symptoms usually
through with active engagement and understanding.
There is no definitive way to distinguish between
Chemistry Or Treat Illness?
diminish when the dose is increased again. Once you them, especially with the role of the placebo effect People are told that mental disorders mean brain
feel better, start again with a more gradual reduction. and expectation. If the symptoms are unbearable or chemistry is abnormal, that illness is caused by genetic
too disruptive, you may be going too fast. Consider predispositions, and that psychiatric drugs are needed
Identifying Withdrawal, increasing the dosage and trying again more slowly. to interrupt a disease process and correct imbalances.
Returning Emotions, If the withdrawal symptoms remain intolerable, you However, this is not how medications work, and brain
And new challenges may decide to remain on the medication longer disease theories have not been proven by studies to
term.Your body may have developed a dependency, be true. Believing these claims can reinforce a sense
Not all painful symptoms when coming off medi- of being a helpless victim of biology, and leave people
cations are part of withdrawal: you may experience and the risk of this dependence increases the
longer you have been taking the drugs. Long term feeling there are no options other than medications.
a return of difficult emotions or extreme states
which the drug has been helping to suppress, or dependency tends to be more likely with Paxil, the
benzodiazepines, and neuroleptic anti-psychotics. Despite decades of costly research, no chemical
new emotions. Withdrawal symptoms tend to
begin right after a dosage reduction, and may ease Stay at the same dosage for a while, and keep imbalances, genetic predispositions, or brain
over time as your brain adjusts: you may need to focused on the bigger goal of improving your life. abnormalities have ever been found to consistently
just wait it out. Returning or new emotions could cause a bipolar, depression, or schizophrenia diagnosis.
The media report promising research that needs
further study, but nothing conclusive has resulted. Even
the fine print of drug company ads now typically says
I Think Someone is Overmedicated, What Should I Do? that conditions are believed to be caused by chemical
imbalances, rather than making definitive statements.
Sometimes people dont realize they are over-
medicated, or they have a hard time speaking up or Physical tests, such brain scan or blood draw, arent used
having hope for change. And psychiatric drugs can for a diagnosis like bipolar, schizophrenia, or depression,
be very intoxicating, like someone who is so drunk and cant reveal that your brain is abnormal. (Altered
they dont realize they are drunk. If you notice
states with clear physical causes, such as, for example,
tremors, excessive sleeping, body stiffness, blunted
emotions, agitation, severe weight gain, slowness, concussion, dementia or alcohol delirium, are instead
cognitive impairment, or other possible signs of called organic psychosis.) A baseline has never even
overmedication, dont just assume the doctor is been established for what constitutes a psychologi-
taking care of it. Be an active bystander. Affirm your cally normal brain for all people. Three people with
respect for the persons decisions, but raise the the same diagnosis might have very different brain
issue gently. Dont judge or jump to conclusions, chemistry, and someone with similar brain chemistry
just stick to what you notice and ask the person if might have no diagnosis at all. While many people face
they notice it too. Ask whether they told their pre- physical problems like vitamin deficiency that a doctor
scriber and what the response was. Start a dialogue or holistic practitioner can address, this might help
about the risks and benefits of their medication emotional problems -- or it might not. Medicine has not
choices, and if the person is especially withdrawn
discovered the biology of mental illness the same way
or passive, consider approaching friends, family, or
any professionals who work with them. Dont let as tuberculosis, Down Syndrome, or diabetes. Emotional
your own bias and fears get in the way -- you dont distress and madness remain open to interpretation.
know what it is like to be them -- but do become
involved, and make sure what you observe is com- What about genetics? Mental diagnoses can seem to
municated clearly. It can take people time to make run in families, but so do child abuse and poverty.
real changes, but choice shouldnt become an Because of shared environment, expectations, and
excuse for neglect. Help the person get support to intergenerational trauma, family history can mean many
speak up, and remind them they have options. things other than inescapable heredity. Studies claim
38 15
that twins tend have a slightly higher chance of the solved the mystery of the mind-body relationship The most common withdrawal effects are anxiety
same diagnosis, but this research is often flawed behind madness. What Will It Feel Like? and trouble sleeping. Other effects cover a wide
and results exaggerated. Parents know that children Everyone is different, and it is important to keep your range, and can include but are not limited to: feeling
have different temperaments even at birth, but Without clear answers from science, psychiatric generally ill, panic attacks, racing thoughts/obsessions,
diagnosis is ultimately not a statement of fact but a mind open towards what you will experience.You
prenatal experience has an influence. Individual may not feel any withdrawal at all or withdrawal headaches, flu-like symptoms, depression, dizziness,
traits like sensitivity and creativity only become doctors subjective opinion of a patient. The doctor fatigue, tremors, difficulty breathing, memory
may hit you like a ton of bricks.You might go through
madness after very complicated social factors, such inevitably relies on their own bias, assumptions, problems, extreme emotions, involuntary movements,
several rough weeks then even out, or you might
as trauma and oppression, have played a role. Even fears, and preconceptions. Doctors often disagree muscle spasms and twitching, and nausea.Withdrawal
notice withdrawal effects long-term.
sequencing the human genome has not revealed with each other, people sometimes have many can also trigger crisis, personality changes, mania,
any keys to mental illness, and the idea of genetic different diagnoses over time, and discrimination Forty percent of people in the MIND coming psychosis, delusions, agitation, and other psychiatric
predisposition remains speculative and unproven. based on class, race, and gender is common. off drugs study reported no significant problems symptoms. Symptoms associated with anti-depres-
withdrawing. Sometimes, however, withdrawal can sants can include severe agitation, electrical jolts,
In fact, the more neuroscience discovers about The decision to take psychiatric drugs should be so severe you may need to try to go back on the suicidality, self-harm such as cutting, and aggression.
genes, behavior, and the brain, the more compli- be based on the usefulness of the drugs effects drug or raise your dosage. It appears that the longer Often people report the worst withdrawal effects at
cated the picture becomes. Epigenetics shows that relative to the risks involved, not any false you have been on them, the more likely you will have the end of the coming off process, when they have
instead of a genetic blueprint, the environment belief that the person must be on the drug significant withdrawal. General health, good support, reduced their dosage to nearly zero. Be creative and
interacts to turn genes on and off. Using genetic because of biology or genes. coping tools, and a positive loving attitude can flexible.
science to oversimplify the diversity of human make you more able to tolerate withdrawal effects.
behavior is a throwback to the discredited concepts The chemical changes in your brain can be still be Withdrawal from lithium and anti-seizure mood
dramatic, and everyone is vulnerable. Support your stabilizer drugs does not appear to act on
of social Darwinism and eugenics. It portrays some
bodys natural healing ability, and remember that time neurotransmitters, but on electrical and blood flow
people as destined to be inferior, defective, and less
is on your side in any detoxification process. Its key to the brain, which can lead to withdrawal effects
than fully human.
to prepare for possible problems, including how to similar to other drugs. Lithium can create much
Every feeling and thought exists somehow in the deal with crisis. Dont just expect the worst though: greater susceptibility to mania during withdrawal, and
brain as an expression of biology, but society, mind, be open to what is happening. sudden withdrawal from anti-convulsant or anti-
and learning intervene to make any causal relation- seizure medications can trigger seizures. Be especially
ship impossible to establish. Stress, for example, is cautious with reducing these drugs.
associated with brain chemistry, but one person All of these effects may subside in a few days,
can thrive under stressful circumstances that are weeks,or more, so it is important to be as patient
debilitating to another. The new science of neu- as you can. Detoxing and emotional adjustment can
roplasticity shows the brain is constantly growing last months or even a year or more, as you learn to
and that learning can itself change the brain: for deal with feelings and experiences that have been
example, psychotherapy can reorganize brain suppressed by the drugs and as your brain and body
structure, and researchers found the brain regions recover. For many people the most difficult part
associated with memorizing maps were enlarged in is after you are off the drugs and struggling
London cab drivers. If learning can affect the brain with your emotions and experiences, including
in such a profound way, then we are not as limited long-term detoxification and healing.
by biology as was once believed.
Neuroleptic malignant syndrome is a very serious
Philosophers and scientists have debated for condition which can develop as an adverse effect and
centuries over the hard problem of how con- sometimes during withdrawal. It can be life-threaten-
sciousness arises from the brain and body. Is what ing and involves changes in consciousness, abnormal
gets called mental illness a social and spiritual movements and fever. If you have been on neuroleptic
question more than a medical one? Is being called anti-psychotics and have any of these symptoms, it is
disordered a political and cultural judgement? important to discontinue the drug and seek medical
Psychiatry can make no credible claim to have treatment.Tardive psychosis is a condition of extreme
16 37
While gradual is usually best, some side
effects are so serious, such as neuroleptic
Benzodiazepines are highly addictive and Whos to Blame? Yourself? Your Biology? Neither?
sometimes the most difficult to come off of,
malignant syndrome or lamictal rash, that abrupt especially towards the end. Abrupt withdrawal is
withdrawal is considered medically necessary. If biology and brain chemistry arent to blame way that makes most sense to them. The resources
dangerous.You may want to leave these to last.
Keep up with lab tests and communicate about for anxiety, voices, suicidal feelings, mania, or other in this guide can open new possibilities. For example,
It is very common for people to start the distress, does that mean the blame is on you? Is it the British Psychological Society suggests some
whats happening.
reduction process and then realize they are either your brains fault or your fault? people might have greater stress vulnerability than
After your first reduction, monitor any going a bit too fast. If withdrawal is unbear- others. The Hearing Voices Movement encourages us
A psychiatric diagnosis can be a huge relief if the to accept and learn from unusual experiences, rather
effects carefully. Stay in close contact with able, too difficult, or continues for too long, only other option is blaming yourself as lazy, weak, than just see them as meaningless symptoms to get
your prescriber, a friend, support group, or increase the dose again. Give yourself two weeks or faking it. When you feel powerless and people
counselor. Consider keeping a journal of your rid of. Many views of madness and altered states are
or more and try again. If you still have difficulty, havent been taking your pain seriously, a doctor possible, such as trauma/abuse, spiritual awakening,
experience, maybe with someones help. Remind raise the dose and then reduce more slowly, or saying you have a mental disorder can be validating. sensitivity, environmental illness, family dynamics,
yourself that if things got worse directly after you just stay at the dosage where you are. Choosing to reduce or come off medication might holistic health problems, cultural differences, or the
reduced the drug, they may be withdrawal effects seem like the wrong message, as if your suffering is
If you do end up in crisis, see it as one
impact of oppression. Some societies even accept as
and may pass. not that bad and you dont really need help. And not normal the same experiences that other societies
step in a larger process of learning and being able to come off can also feel shameful, like call abnormal - such as hearing voices.
Especially with anti-depressants and discovery, not a failure. If you can, resume you should just try harder and its all up to you.
benzodiazepines, you can sometimes ease the minimum medication needed to regain your And if people ask, its your decision what to say or
withdrawal by switching to an equivalent dose stability, rather than starting all over again. Keep This is unfair, either-or thinking that leaves people not say, such as Im a trauma survivor, I go though
of a similar drug with a longer half-life more in mind that your obstacle might be the drug helpless and trapped in the mental health system. extreme states, or Im different than most people,
gradual time leaving your system. Allow yourself withdrawal itself, not underlying emotions or Pharmaceutical advertising preys on this dilemma: and Im still figuring it out -- or saying nothing
time, at least 2 weeks or more, to adjust to your extreme states -- or a combination of both. if pain is really serious, it needs medication, if not, at all. Connecting with others who share your
new drug, or longer if there is difficulty switching. youre on your own. Empowerment means thinking experiences, such as peer support groups or the
Remember, you may find it difficult to go beyond a narrow view, and embracing broader ways internet, can be crucial as you explore who you are.
If you need very small or irregular doses, off completely, so accept this as a possibility of looking at things.
use compound pharmacies, or change to and be flexible with your goals. Include other Your suffering is real, whether you decide to take
liquid form and a measuring cup or syringe to ways to improve your life and well-being, and Everyone needs support sometime: each of us medications or not. Feeling powerless and needing
control dosage. Ask your pharmacist, and some wait to try again when the time is right. has parts of our lives where we feel powerless. help doesnt mean you are a broken person or that
brands may have different liquid potencies. We all need to learn how to balance personal youre a passive victim of biology. Explanations like
responsibility with asking for help. You dont have trauma, sensitivity, or spirituality are as valid as any.
If you are taking anti-Parkinsons or other to blame your brain to give yourself some You still deserve help, even if you dont believe your
drugs for side effects, remain on them until you compassion. brain is abnormal and even if you think outside
substantially reduce the anti-psychotic, then start the language of psychiatric illness and mental
Because medical science doesnt have answers, it is disorders.
to gradually reduce the side-effect medication.
up to each person to understand their lives in the
If you are taking medical drugs along with
your psychiatric drugs, dosages and effects might
be interacting. Research the drugs, be especially
careful and slow, and get good medical advice.
36 17
How Do Psychiatric Drugs Aect The Brain?
Like any mind altering substance, psychiatric drugs
are psychoactive and alter mind and behavior by
affecting brain chemistry. Their usefulness, and risks,
come from changing the brain/body and altering
consciousness, including expectation and placebo.
34 19
Facts You May Not Know About Psychiatric Drugs What are the Alternatives to Using Psychiatric Drugs?
Despite the medical principle of informed consent, People are often told that adverse drug effects Friendships -- with people who believe used sparingly, but start first with exercise; herbs
doctors leave out important information about the drugs are due to an allergic reaction or drug in your capacity for empowerment -- can such as valerian (occasionally), hops, and skullcap;
they prescribe.The following is an attempt to include less sensitivity. This is misleading: psychiatric be crucial. Ideally these should be people who homeopathy and acupuncture; supplements
known facts and provide a more balanced picture. drug effects do not function the way food or have seen you on your bad days, who you can including melatonin, calcium, and magnesium; or
pollen allergies do. Calling drug effects allergic be honest with, are there for you when youre over-the-counter products. Address any stress
reactions or telling people youre sensitive in trouble, and are prepared for the difficulties or conflict contributing to sleeplessness, and
Higher doses and longer use of psychiatric drugs treats the problem like it is in the person taking that can come from withdrawal. At the same consider eliminating caffeine such as coffee and
often mean brain changes can be deeper and the drug, not the drugs adverse effect itself, time, they should be friends who know the limits sodas. Even if you get enough hours, being asleep
longer lasting. The drugs are then often harder which could affect anyone. of what they can offer and how to say no to earlier than 11pm is most restful. Make your bed
to come off and can have more serious adverse protect themselves from burnout. area peaceful, and give yourself wind-down time
effects. However, the human brain is much more Benzodiazepine addiction Valium, Xanax, Ativan before sleep, free of computers and stimulation.
and Klonopin is a huge public health problem. Consider going off recreational drugs and
resilient than was once believed, and can heal Take short naps if they dont interfere with your
Withdrawal can be very difficult: benzodiazepines alcohol. Many people are more sensitive than
and repair itself in remarkable ways. night schedule, and if you cant sleep at all, resting
are more addictive than heroin. Use for more others, so what affects your friends one way may
quietly while awake can still be of benefit.
than 4-5 days dramatically increases risks. affect you more strongly. Abstaining from drugs
Neuroleptic or major tranquilizer drugs are
and alcohol can improve your mental health, and Wait it out. Sometimes time is on your side,
claimed to be anti-psychotic, but in fact do People are sometimes told they are on a low even milder drugs like caffeine can undermine especially for withdrawal, and your natural healing
not target psychosis or any specific symptom dose even though it can still have powerful health, stability, and sleep for some people. process just needs patience.
or mental disorder. They are tranquilizers that adverse effects. Sugar (including sweet juices) and chocolate can
diminish brain functioning in general for anyone Nutrition can play a huge role in mental
also affect mood, and some people even have
who takes them. They are even used in veteri- Psychiatric drugs are widely used in prisons to stability and overall health. Explore what
reactions to blood sugar levels or caffeine that
nary science to calm down animals. Many people control inmates, foster care to control children, foods you might be allergic to, such as gluten,
get mistaken for psychosis. Be cautious about
on these drugs report that their psychotic and in nursing homes to control the elderly. caffeine, and milk. Consider taking supplements
marijuana: for some it might ease withdrawal
symptoms continue, but the emotional reaction that many have found to nourish the brain and
Sleep medication like Ambien and Halcyon, symptoms (especially CBD), while for others it
to them is lessened. help the body heal, such as vitamin C, fish oil,
while sometimes useful in the short term, can contribute to depression or psychotic crisis.
essential fatty acids, vitamins D and B, amino
The earliest drugs such as Thorazine and lithium can be addictive, worsen sleep over time, and Rest. Find ways to ensure a healthy sleep acids (such as GABA, 5-HTP, tyrosine, and
came onto the market before theories of cause dangerous blackouts and altered states of routine. Prescriptions might be a good backup if theanine), and pro-biotics to restore digestive
chemical imbalance were suggested, not as a consciousness.
result of those theories. Doctors were looking
for magic bullets comparable to antibiotics, and Because they work like recreational drugs, some
saw the sedating effects of chemicals on labora- psychiatric medications are even sold on the
street to get high. Stimulants like Ritalin and
tory animals.
sedatives like Valium are widely abused. Because
Newer anti-psychotic drugs called atypicals of their easy availability, illegal use of psychiatric
drugs, including by children, is widespread.
target a broader range of neurotransmitters, but
they work in basically the same ways as older The War on Drugs obscures the similarities
drugs. Manufacturers marketed these drugs between legal psychiatric drugs and illegal
(which are more expensive than older ones) as recreational drugs. Anti-depressant SSRIs
better and more effective with fewer side effects, and SNRIs work chemically similar to slow-
and they were hailed as miracles. But this has administered oral cocaine. Cocaine was in fact
been exposed as untrue, with some companies the first prescription drug marketed for feel
covering up the extent of adverse effects like good anti-depression effects, before being made
diabetes and metabolic syndrome, leading to illegal. Coca, the basis of cocaine, was even once
multi-billion dollar lawsuits. an ingredient in Coca-Cola.
20 33
Working With Fear Health Risks of Psychiatric Drugs
Making a decision about coming off psychiatric drugs means evaluating as best you can the risks and benefits
Many people who have come off psychiatric past stressors may no longer be present, and life involved, including important information often missing from mainstream accounts. Some risks may be worth
drugs report that fear is the greatest obstacle to circumstances may have changed. And whatever taking, other risks may not be worth taking, but all risks should be taken into consideration. Because each person is
beginning the process.You may worry about going difficulties you do have arent necessarily symptoms different and drug effects can vary widely, address the uncertainty involved with your own best judgment and with
into the hospital again, losing a job, conflicting with of a disorder or signs you need medication. observations of how your body and mind are responding.This list cannot be comprehensive, as new risks are still
friends and family, stirring powerful altered states of being uncovered.
consciousness, facing difficult withdrawal, triggering It may be helpful to list your fears and get a friend Psychiatric drugs are toxic and can damage extensively corrupted and fraud is widespread.
suicidal feelings, or losing a tool you use to cope to help you examine what is real and what might the body. Neuroleptic anti-psychotics can There are few long-term studies, or studies of
with underlying emotions and problems. And since be exaggerated, as well as anything you may not cause the life-threatening toxic reaction called how drugs combine together. The real extent
there may be real risks, some fear makes sense. have thought about. Can you be realistic about your neuroleptic malignant syndrome, as well as of psychiatric drug dangers may never be
fears and honest about the different possibilities? Parkinsons disease-like symptoms and cognitive accurately known. Taking psychiatric drugs is in
Beginning a medication reduction is like embarking What kind of preparations can you make? What impairment. Regular blood level tests are many ways society-wide experimentation, with
on a trip or journey: the unknown can be an resources, tools, and supports do you have? Can required of some drugs such as lithium and patients as guinea pigs.
exciting possibility or an intimidating threat. It is you find room for hope and transformation? Clozaril to protect against physical harm. Many
important to acknowledge that you may be Mixing with alcohol or other drugs can dramati-
The future doesnt necessarily have to be the same drugs can lead to obesity, diabetes, sudden heart
a very different person now than when you cally increase dangers.
as the past: dont let a label of disorder or a dire attack, kidney failure, serious blood disorder, and
first started taking psychiatric drugs. You may Drug effects can lower the quality of life,
prediction from a doctor convince you that change general physical breakdown. Other toxic effects
have grown, developed new skills, and gained new are numerous, and include interfering with the including impaired sexuality, depression,
understanding. You are handling things differently is impossible.
menstrual cycle, threats during pregnancy and agitation, and overall health problems.
than when you were first put on medication: breastfeeding, and life-threatening serotonin
Drug-induced body changes such as restless-
syndrome from anti-depressants alone or
ness, obesity, or stiffness can alienate you from
mixed with other drugs.
others and increase isolation.
Psychiatric drugs can injure the brain. The rate
Lithium interacts with salt and water in the
of tardive dyskinesia, a serious neurological
Intermittent Use: Taking Drugs From Time to Time disease that can disfigure a person with facial
body, and when these levels change, such
as from exercise, heat, or diet, potency can
tics and twitching, is very high for long-term
fluctuate. Even with regular blood tests and
Some drugs take time to build up effect in patients on neuroleptic anti-psychotic drugs,
dosage adjustments, this means people taking
the body, but others especially to help with and even short-term use carries some risk.
lithium are sometimes at risk of exposure to
sleep and episodes of distress work right Anti-psychotics have been shown to cause
damaging levels.
away. It might be wise to occasionally use brain shrinkage. Anti-depressants can also cause
them to get rest, prevent crisis, or protect memory problems and increased susceptibility ADHD drugs such as Adderall and Ritalin
you when you start going into overwhelming to depression. Other effects can include brain can stunt growth in children, and present
emotional extremes. Be flexible but cautious injury and cognitive impairment. other unknown dangers to brain and physical
in considering the middle ground between development. Like any amphetamines, they are
Pharmaceutical company effectiveness and
daily use and intermittent, as-needed use. addictive and can cause psychosis and heart
safety studies, as well as FDA regulation, are
Many people who go off drugs do take them problems, including sudden death.
again after some time, for example briefly
using an anti-psychotic or a benzodiazepine
when they feel the need. There is, however,
little research on the possible risks of going
off and then back on lithium, anti-depressants,
or anti-convulsant medications.
32 21
Mental Health Risks Pay extra attention to your health
while withdrawing. This is a stressful
experiences. You may become more sensitive
and vulnerable for a time. Be patient with
detoxification process. Strengthen your immune yourself and do the best you can, with support.
Mental health risks are some of the least understood aspects of psychiatric medications, and can make drug
system with plenty of rest, fresh water, healthy Remember that life constantly presents us with
decisions and the withdrawal process very complicated. Here are some things that your doctor may not have told you:
food, exercise, sunlight, visits to nature and challenges: strong emotions are not necessarily
Psychiatric drugs can sometimes make Once you are on the drug, your personality connections with your community. Get wellness signs of crisis or symptoms in need of more
psychotic symptoms worse and increase the and critical thinking abilities may be very practices in place before you begin. medication. It is okay to have negative feelings
likelihood of having a crisis. Drugs can change changed. It might be difficult to properly or altered states of consciousness sometimes:
receptors for such neurotransmitters as evaluate the drugs usefulness.You may
dopamine, making a person supersensitive need to get off the drug, but not realize explore your Attitude they may be part of the richness and depth of
to psychosis rebound, as well as increas- it because of how the drug is affecting who you are. Talk with others about what you
Believe that you can improve your life. With the are going through, try to stay connected with
ing sensitivity to emotions and experiences your thinking. Overmedication, especially
in general. Some people report their first with anti-psychotics, amounts to chemical right attitude you will be able to make positive sensations in your body, and gradually build up
psychotic symptoms or suicidal feelings straitjacketing. changes, whether it is coming off, reducing your your skills. Tell people close to you what to say
occurred only after starting to take psychiatric medications, or increasing your well-being. Many and do that helps.
drugs. Doctors sometimes respond by giving a Psychiatric drugs can interrupt and impair people, even if theyve been on high doses of
the minds natural ability to regulate and heal
more severe diagnosis and adding more drugs.
emotional problems. Many people report
psychiatric drugs for decades, have gotten off, and Plan Alternative Coping
others have reduced drugs or improved their lives
Some drugs now carry warnings about the having to re-learn how to cope with difficult in other ways. Affirm that you can take greater
Strategies
increased risk of suicide, self-injury and emotions when they come off psychiatric control of your health and life. Make sure people
violent behavior. drugs. Being too medicated can make it more Its not always possible, but if you can, create
around you believe in your capacity to make
difficult to work through the feelings behind alternatives before you start reducing.You have
Many people experience negative personality change.
your distress. been relying on the drug to cope, and you may
changes, including not feeling themselves, need new coping mechanisms. There are many
Remember that just lowering your dosage
feeling drugged, emotional blunting, Some people, even in the worst depths of alternatives, such as peer support groups, nutrition,
can be a big step, and might be enough, so be
diminished creativity, and reduced psychic/ madness, say that by going through their holistic health, exercise, therapy, spirituality, and
spiritual openness. experiences rather than suppressing them, flexible! The important thing is believing you can
improve your life and take charge of your medica- being in nature. Everyone is different, so it will take
they emerge stronger in the end. Sometimes
People who take psychiatric drugs, especially tion choices. some time to discover the personal medicine
going crazy can be the doorway to trans-
anti-psychotics, are sometimes more likely to formation. Artists, philosophers, poets, writers that works for you.You may want to gain some
develop long-term problems and get stuck as confidence in your new tools before undertaking
mental patients. Some countries that use less
and healers are often thankful for the insights Prepare to Feel Strong drug withdrawal. Make sure your helpers know
gained from negative emotions and extreme
medication have higher recovery rates than states. Drugs can be helpful for some, but for Emotions about your alternatives, and can remind you to use
countries that use a lot of medication; and others they may obscure the possible value them. If you can, give yourself enough time to put
the Soteria and Open Dialogue projects show When you go off psychiatric drugs you may have
and meaning of madness. alternatives in place first.
lower medication can prevent chronicity. to learn new ways to work with feelings and
22 31
cultivate Support treatment and medication preferences. Hospitals Other Drug Risks and Considerations
and professionals look to your advance directive
Get help if you can. Develop a collaborative for guidance, and eventually they may be legally Understanding the coming off drugs process means taking into account many different factors you may not
relationship with a prescriber if possible, enforceable like a living will. Remember, the have considered before:
discuss with friends and family, and get support hospital is just a step in a larger learning process, While not publicized widely, peer support, alter- Psychiatric drugs can convey the false view that
developing your plan. Explain that strong not a sign of failure. Check the National Resource native treatments, talk therapy, waiting, and even normal experience is productive, happy, and
emotions might come up for you. Make sure Center on Psychiatric Advance Directives at www. the placebo effect can often be more effective well adjusted all the time, without mood shifts,
they know that withdrawal might be rough, but nrc-pad.org. than psychiatric drugs, without the risks. bad days, or strong emotions. This encourages a
that withdrawal symptoms do not necessarily false standard of what it is to be human.
mean relapse or that you need to go back on Get a comprehensive health evaluation Keeping up with taking pills every day is difficult
the drug. Make a list of people to call and stay by a practitioner who can thoroughly assess your for anyone. Missing doses of psychiatric drugs Medication can lead to viewing normal feelings
with if things get difficult. Lacking support is not well-being and offer restorative and preventive can be sometimes dangerous because of the as symptoms of illness to be stopped, which
necessarily an obstacle to coming off drugs ways to improve your health. Many people withdrawal effects, which leave you vulnerable if denies people the process of working through
some people have done it on their own but in with psychiatric diagnoses have unaddressed the drug is interrupted. and learning from difficult emotions.
general a supportive community is a crucial part physical health problems. Chronic medical/
of everyones wellness. dental issues, toxic exposure, pain, hormone Doctors typically see patients infrequently for Taking psychiatric drugs can put a passive hope in
imbalance, and adrenal fatigue can all undermine short visits, making it difficult to spot potentially a magic bullet cure rather than taking personal
List your triggers and warning signs. your health and make it harder to reduce or go serious adverse drug reactions. and community responsibility for change.
How do you know you might be heading towards off your medications. Thyroidism, heavy metal
crisis, and what will you do? Sleep, isolation, toxicity, carbon monoxide poisoning, anemia, People with a mental disorder diagnosis often
strong emotions, or altered states might show lupus, Celiac disease, allergies, glycemia, Addisons have difficulty getting insurance, and their
you need extra care and wellness support. and Cushings diseases, TBI, seizure disorders physical health problems may not be taken
and other conditions all can mimic mental illness. seriously.
Create a Mad Map or advance Take the time to work on your physical health
directive, which tells people what to do if first, including searching for affordable options. Using psychiatric drugs often means giving up
you have trouble communicating or taking care Consider seeing a holistic practitioner: many control to the judgments of a doctor, who may
of yourself. Include instructions on what to say to have sliding scale or barter arrangements. not make the best decisions for you.
you, who to contact, and how to help, as well as
Medications can be expensive, keeping you stuck
in work and insurance plans.
30 23
Before You Start Coming O
Everyone is different, and there is no cookie-cutter or
standard way to withdraw from any psychiatric drug.
The following is a general step-by-step approach
that many people have found helpful. It is intended
to be shaped to suit your needs. Be observant:
follow what your body and heart are saying, and
look to the advice of people who care about you.
Finally, keep a record of how you reduced your
medications and what happened, so that you can
study the changes you are going through and teach
others about your experience.
If you want to reduce medication, timing is very Do you have hard anniversaries this time of year?
important. It is usually better to wait until you have Are you sensitive to the weather or darkness?
what you need in place first, instead of starting to Anticipate months where you might have the
come off unprepared (though sometimes the drugs most difficulty.
themselves make this difficult). Remember, coming
Do you notice worsening of drug effects, or have
off might be a long-term process, so you may want
you been on the drugs for a long time and feel
to prepare just like you were making any major life
stuck? Have you been feeling more stable and
change. Reducing and coming off drugs will likely
capable of facing difficult emotions? These might
not be a solution in itself, but the beginning of new
be good times to prepare to reduce and come off.
learning and challenges.
Make a list of the stressors that led to crisis in
Do you have stability in your housing,
the past. How many are present today? Do you
relationships, and schedule? Would it be better
anticipate any in the future? Give yourself time to
to focus on these first?
address these before starting a reduction.
24 29
How Withdrawal Aects Your Brain and Body
In addition to placebo, all psychiatric drugs work shows you need to drink alcohol. It just means your
I Want to Come O My Psychiatric Drugs, by causing organic brain changes. This is why going brain has become dependent on the drug, and has
off leads to withdrawal: your brain gets used to difficulty adjusting to a lower dosage off it. Psychiat-
But My Doctor Wont Let Me. What Should I Do? having the drug, and has a hard time adjusting ric drugs are not like insulin for a diabetic: they are
when the drug is removed. It takes time to bring a tool or coping mechanism.
Som
So mee presc
reessccri
ribe
ribe
bers
bers
r hav avee a co
contnnttro
roll
ollllin
llining aatttiitu
tude
de and nd wililll nno
ot ssuupp
ppor
ppor o tad deeci
cisi
isiio
on
n to exexpl
xppllorre the activity of receptors and chemicals back to
ggo oinng o
offfff ps
p yc
ychi
hiat
hi attri
rcd drruggs.
s.TTheey maay hho old
oldd the fea ear of
of hos ospi
pita
piita
taliza
tal
lilizzaattiion
o anndd suiuici
ciidee ove
veerr the original state before the drug was introduced. However, when you have been on psych drugs for
pati
pa atien
ents
ents
ts as a dang
daang
nger err. So
Some
me seeee the hems msel
ms elve
el veses aass cus
u to
todi
dian
di iaanns,
s, and feel eeel liike whahate
ate
teve
ver hahapp
ppen
ppe ens While doctors sometimes use confusing terms like years, it can sometimes take years to reduce or go
iss theeirr resspoponssibibil
bili itty.
y. Oth
ther
ther
ers
rs nenevveer m
neve meet ppeeop
eoopplele whhoove
vve suucc
c esessf sfful
sful
ullyy rec
ecov
overered
ered
ed,d, o
orr the
hey dependence, rebound, and discontinuation off them, or you may have long term physical or
enco
en nco
coun
oun
u tetere
ere
red so
red so muc uch cris
crisis aftter
cr e abr brup
uptpt wi
with
itthhdrraw
awal
a theey as
al asssuuumem no one ca
me can co ome
me offff.. syndrome (and there may not be dosage psychological dependency. Sometimes people on
tolerance), the psychiatric drug action that causes these drugs develop ongoing withdrawal symptoms,
Iff you
ourr pr
presscrcrib
riber
ibber
er doe oesn ntt suupppo
pport
poorrtt you ur goal
gooalls,
s, ask
sk the
hem to to exppla l inn thheeirr reeaaso
aso onsns in withdrawal symptoms is basically the same as chemical brain injury, and damage. This may not
detaaili. Consid
de deerr whhaat th theyy sayay car
areefful
u lyy if th
they
ey are
ey re mak akin
kin
ing
ng se
sens nsse,
nsee, you u mayy wan ant tto
o addiction. Tapering off slowly is usually best: it allows be permanent, or sometimes people live the rest
reevvaallua
re
reev uate you ouurr pl
plaannn.. Youu may ay als
l ow waant
nt to getget a fr
ge frie
i nd
ie d or al allly
lyy to he
helplpp you ou exxppreessss your brain and mind time to get accustomed to of their lives with these brain changes. Scientists
youurrseelff, es
yo espep ci
c ally
ally som
al meo
eone
ne in a po p siitition
on of au auththor
th oritty lilike
or likeke a fam mily memb
memb
me mber er, tthher
erap
apis
pisst,
t, being without the drugs. Going off fast does not used to believe that the brain couldnt grow new
orr hea ealt
alt
lth prprac
a tiiti
ac tion
onner
o ner.
er. Pr
er Pres
esenent
nt yo
y ur
u perrsp peeccti
tivee cle
lear
arly
ly. ExExpl
p ain
pl ain tthhat
ai hat
at youou und n ererst
rst
stan
stan
andd usually allow enough time to adjust, and you may cells or heal itself, but today this is known to be
thhe riisk
skss,, and
nd des escr
c ibbe ho
cr h w you you ar
yo are
re pr
p epepar
arin
rin
ing toto makake
ke ch hange
annge
g s ca careefu
care fulllllly wi
withh a goo ood experience worse withdrawal symptoms.
ppllaan
n. Gi
Givee the hem a co opyy of thhis i Guuiidede,, an
and ed ducucatte ththem
e abo boutut the he reseseaarc r h bbeehi
ehi
h nd
nd
yyo
ouurr decis
ecisio
ec isio
is ion
on anand tthhe m
and maanyy peo opl
ple wh
who su
who succee
cceeeed in
cc in reduc
edduc ucin
i g an and gogoininng offf th
ing thei
hei erd drrug
ugs.
gs.
Remi
Re mind
nd the he preessccrir bbeer
er th
thei
e r jo
jobb iss to hehelpp you u heellp
lp yyo
our
ursseelff, no ot run
ruun yoyourr lifife fo
your forr yo
youu,, Important: the signs of psychiatric drug
and th
an thaatt the
he rissksks are re you
ourrss to tat ke
ke.
e. withdrawal can sometimes look exactly
like the mental illness symptoms that
In allll are
In reas
as of memedidici
di ici
cinenee today
oddayy pat atiie
ient
nts
ts ar
aree be
beco
beco omimingn emp
ng po ow wer
e edd co on nsu
ume
mersrs, so don
rs, ont tt medications were prescribed for in the
give
gi ve up!! You u mayay nee eed tto
eed o inf
nfor
for
orm
rm yo y urr docto
occtoor yo
youu araree go
goin
goin ing
ng aha eeaad wi
with you ourr plpla
lan
an first place.
anyw
annyw y ay ay:: so
sommeetim
tim
ti mees th heyy wililll co
coop
coopo er erat
atee evveenn if tthheyy don
at ontt app ppro
pro
roveve. Iff you
o r prp es e cr
crib
iber is
iber
sttililll un
unsu
suupp
ppor
o ti
or tivee, co
tive cons n id
ns ider
er swi
er witc
ttcchi
chi
hinng to a nenew
ew on o ee..Youu can an alslso
o reelyy on a heeal altth
th carre
p aaccti
pr t ti
tion
tionner
er such
ucch as
a a nur urse
se,, na
se n tuuro ropa
paath
t , or acucuppu
punctu
pun nctu
turi
riisstt.
t. So
Someettiime
m s pe peop
oplelee eveven When someone goes off a psychiatric drug they
begi
be
begi ginin a mmeeddiic
ica
cati
cati
tion
onn red educ ucti
uc t on
ti on wit ithout
hout inf
ho nfor
ormi
mingn theeir doc octo tor
or orr coou uuns
nssel
nsel
elor
o . Th
or This
hiss isn
sntt
snt might have anxiety, mania, panic, insomnia, depres-
b stt, bu
be butt ma
mayy be unde nndder erst
erststanndadabl
blle inn man ny ci
circ
irc
rcum mssttan
tan
ance
nce
c s,, sucuch aass if yyoou haave
ou v bennefifit fits sion and other painful effects. They can become
that
h might ht be in jeoeopa pard
pa rdyy iff you are con
rd onsi
siddereed n
de non
o co
compplilian ant.
ant. We
t. W ig igh
gh th
thee ri
risk
isk
sks
ks ofo such
uch
uc psychotic or have other symptoms from the
an app ppro
roac
ro achh ca
ac carerefu
refulllllyy..
fu psychiatric drug withdrawal itself, not because of
a disorder or condition. This may be the same,
The
Th he le
lead
lead
adin
din
ing UK cha haririty
ri ty MIN ND, in th thei
eiir stud
sttud
udy
dy on com o inng of offff ps
p ycy hhiiat
atri
r c dr
ri druugugs,
gs, found
ound n or even worse, than what got called psychosis or
that
th hat P Peo opplle wh ho ca am me e offf the heiri drurugsg aga
gs ainnsstt the
heir
irr dooc ctoor
r s ad d vi
v cee we erre as mental disorder before the drug was taken. Typically
lliike
kely
ly
y to susucc
ccee
cc eeed ass tho ossee whohose
hos se do occto
torsrs agr
g ree
eeed th
they
e shoul
ey ulld co
u come
comem off . As
ff. As a people are then told this shows their illness has
resu
re su
ultt of thhis fifinnd
diing
ng, MI
M ND D reae lilizze
zed do octtor
o s ar
aree so ome
meti time
ti m s to
me too co c ntntroolll in
ing,
g, and d so come back, and that they therefore need the drug.
they
th e chhaangged d the heir
irr offificcia
iall poolicy
liicy:: M
MIINND D no longger er reccomo meends ndds tthhaatt peo
e pl ple atatte
ttteemp
mptt However, it may be the withdrawal effect from the drug
too go of off ps
p yc
ychi h at
hi atri
ricc drug
drug
dr ugs
gs ononlyl wit ithh th
t ei
eirr do
doct
ctor
orss app
ors ppro
ppro rova
ova
val. Sup ppo
porrtt is us usua
ualll ly bes
ua est that is causing these symptoms.
howe
ho weve ver, so tr
tryy to colla laaboorar tee wit ith
th prres
escrrib
escr iber
erss when
whhen posssi siblble.
bl e
e.
These withdrawal symptoms do not necessarily
prove you need a psychiatric drug any more than
headaches after you stop drinking coffee prove you
need caffeine, or delirium after stopping alcohol
28 25
untrue. Everyone can heal: new research into
Staying on Psychiatric Drugs and Harm Reduction
neurogenesis and neuroplasticity means
You may decide that, given the degree of crisis you are facing and the obstacles to workable alternatives,
the brain is always growing and changing.
you want to continue psychiatric medication. Dont feel judged for making the best decision you can.
Friendships and love, along with good
You have the right to do what works best for you, and other people dont know what its like to live
lifestyle, nutrition, and positive outlook, will
your life. It may still be a good idea to take a harm reduction approach. Make changes to improve the
help nurture your brain and body to recover.
quality of your life and to minimize the risks associated with the medications you are taking:
You may find that the goal of going
Dont leave it all to the drug. Take an active interest in your overall health, alternative
off completely is not right for you
treatments, and wellness tools. Finding new sources of self-care can ease adverse effects,
at this time. You may feel better staying
and may eventually reduce your need for medication.
on your medication, and decide instead to
just reduce or continue at the same dosage, Get regular healthcare, and stay in communication about your medications. Get support
and focus on new ways to improve your life. from trusted friends and family.
Follow your own needs without judgment or
blame: get support for your decisions in the Make sure you have the prescriptions and refills you need, because missing doses can
face of any feelings of shame or powerless- add stress to your body and brain. If you do miss a dose, dont double up.
ness. Watch out for drug interactions. Learn the risks of combining with other medications, and
beware mixing with recreational drugs or alcohol. Grapefruit, St. Johns Wort, some herbs
Why Do People Want to Stop Using Psychiatric Drugs? and other supplements can have adverse reactions. Research your medications.
Dont rely just on your doctor for guidance. Learn for yourself, and connect with
People are often told that no matter what are key in helping many people, others have others who have taken the same medications as you.
the side effects, psychiatric drugs are always found ways to recover without psychiatric drugs.
better than suffering from untreated mental Many report their lives are better without them. Discover what you can from a variety of sources about your medications. Use nutrition,
disorders. Some doctors claim mental disorders Everyone is different, but sometimes people do herbs and supplements to reduce adverse effects.
have a kindling effect, that early medication is deal with psychotic states successfully without
Consider exploring lowering drug dosage, even if you dont intend to go off completely.
best, or that madness is toxic and medications medication. Diverse, non-western cultures often
Remember that even small dosage reduction can cause withdrawal effects.
are neuroprotective. These theories remain respond to and understand these experiences
unproven -- though ongoing crisis and a life out differently, even seeing them as positive and If you are starting a medication for the first time, some people report that an extremely
of control can certainly be cumulative stresses. spiritual. It remains a personal decision how to small dose, much lower than recommended, can sometimes be effective, with fewer risks.
Doctors spread fears unfairly: while medications relate to madness.
Try to reduce the number of different drugs you take to just the essentials, understanding
which ones carry the greatest risks. Stick to temporary use if you can.
Its not an either-or choice Test regularly to monitor drug reactions, and have baselines done for new medication.
between taking psychiatric Tests may include: thyroid, electrolytes, glucose, lithium level, bone density, blood pressure,
drugs or doing nothing. There liver, ECG, kidney, cognition, prolactin, and screening for other adverse effects. Use
the best, most sensitive tests available to reveal problems early.
are many alternatives you can
Anti-psychotics remain in the body, and some research suggests
try. In fact, some problems drug holidays of a day or two off can ease toxicity.
that are called symptoms of Remember that everyone is different.
mental disorders might turn Explore the emotional relationship with your
out to be caused by the drugs medications. Draw a picture, create a role play, give the
medications a voice and message and have a dialogue.
people are taking. Do you know the energy or state the drug gives you?
Can you find other ways to achieve this energy state?
26 27