Drug Free
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WARNING !!!!! Never abruptly stop taking psychiatric drugs. You are likely to experience dangerous withdrawal effects. This has happened to many others before you. The safe way to quit successfully is to taper off slowly and with caution, and with medical support if possible. |
The purpose of the following information is NOT to talk anyone into stopping taking their psychiatric drugs. However, every patient/consumer/survivor has the right to choose their own route to recovery, and not everyone is going to choose drugs. The following information is for people who have already decided that they do not want to take drugs, but do not know how to come off them safely.
The choice not to take psychiatric drugs is a valid choice, and should be respected.
The Icarus Project have created a very good resource for people who are coming off psychiatric drugs called Harm Reduction Guide Coming Off Psych Drugs.
Sadly, many psychiatrists do not tell their patients about the dangers of withdrawal. Simply stating that the medication has "Do not stop taking" on the box is insufficient information. Many psychiatrists leave patients who choose not to take drugs unsupported and do not tell them how to safely taper off these drugs. When their patient suffers withdrawal effects, they are told that this is because they stopped taking the medication. It is implied that this is proof that they need to keep taking the drugs, and information about the the true cause of the problem . withdrawal - is withheld. The drugs will then be re-prescribed, sometimes at a higher dose than last time. Don.t let it happen to you.
It is strongly suggested that if you taper off drugs, you do so with medical supervision. This may or may not be provided your psychiatrist - it does need to be someone who genuinely supports your decision.
DO NOT STOP SUDDENLY
Reduce drugs gradually to minimise the withdrawal. Start with a 10% reduction every two to three weeks, and later every two to three months is warranted.
Drug induced effects may last for several months after the last dose.
Tardive Dyskinesia can occur and be persistent in 30% of people for a prolonged time.
Recognise withdrawal symptoms, understand them and the fear will go.
Reduce 10% every fourteen days.
This could be ¼ tablet.
Cut the tablet in 4 pieces.
Reduce ¼ every fourteen days.
Later on when the effects of the withdrawal set in, reduce 1/8 of a tablet, that is only half of ¼ tablet.
If you experience severe withdrawal effects, stay at the same amount for one month, and start again with your reduction when you can handle it better.
- Slow withdrawal is favoured for less severe withdrawal symptoms.
- It takes longer to come off the drugs.
- People have successfully recovered.
- You need support, since body and mind are interconnected.
Drink carrot and celery juice.
Make a Calcium Magnesium drink, how to make it up is outlined in the Patients Rights Advocacy Resource Handbook and includes the recipe.
Charcoal powder is a useful substance to take when detoxing, and coming off drugs. You can get it from a health shop. Now get some charcoal powder. Put one spoonful in a glass, add a little sugar and some water. Let it swell. And take it two times a day.
We have many success stories and literature.
We can show you how to recover.
Know the road to recovery by sharing information.
Join Patient.s Rights Advocacy for support while coming off drugs, and learn how to cope with withdrawal symptoms.
Helpful tips: Use a large ball, bounce it on the floor, do this when you have a panic attack. Go under a hot and cold shower to stop a panic attack and listen to soft music.
More on Tapering off Medications
A method commonly recommended for tapering off psychiatric medications is the ten percent method. Using this method, you would reduce your drug intake by ten percent at first by taking smaller dose sizes of pills and/or using pill-cutters. If you were still feeling reasonably stable, you would go on to reduce your intake by another ten per cent after a fortnight or month. If you were not feeling so good, it would be wise to wait before reducing the medication again. In this way, you can become med free slowly and safely. Sometimes it takes many months or even a year or two. Be patient and you will get there. It is considered better to reduce one drug at a time, rather than all of them at once. In reality, some of us will probably end up reducing our medications in eighths because of the limitations of pill-cutters (which you can obtain from any pharmacy).
It is recommended to come off drugs under medical supervision, which is great if you can find a doctor or nurse who is really prepared to help you stop taking the drugs. Perhaps you can find a homeopath who will support you, or you have the genuine support of a friend, a family member, or someone who has been through withdrawal in the past. It is extemely helpful to have support as long as it is genuine.
Please, be patient and taper off slowly, because that is the key to success. Be careful of doctors who want you to come off more quickly. They will probably see your withdrawal effects as justification to put you back on the medication, quite likely on a higher dose than last time.
At the same time you are tapering off your medication, remember to eat a healthy diet with plenty of fruit and vegetables. Try to drink plenty of water, and get some regular exercise. It will make a difference to the way you feel.
Whenever you are giving up something, it is a good idea to replace it with something positive. You may decide to modify your diet, take up some exercise or try meditation, vitamin supplements, natural healing methods e.g. reiki, positive visualisation, or something else that is good for you. Treat yourself in this way by being good to your body and mind. And remember to be kind to yourself right now, tapering off medication is not always an easy thing to do. Remember to do things that are fun.
You may not want to tell everyone you are in the process of giving up medication. Some people, usually with good intentions, will tell you that you will not be successful and give all sorts of other negative comments. They are doing this because they care about you, but they may drag you down and their comments can become self-fulfilling prophecies. Enlist the support of others, but be selective.Two key words are "hope" and "belief".
Choose a good time to begin tapering off, a time when you are not stressed, and are not likely to be in the near future.
Remember that many people who give up taking psychiatric drugs will still have their original problems to face when they stop taking the drugs. For example if you were depressed, the thing that made you depressed is probably still in your life, or else pressing in your mind. We need to find creative ways to deal with these problems maybe psychotherapy or some other talking therapy will help. Doing nothing about it could mean that you end up where you started.
Please NEVER EVER EVER stop cold turkey!!!!! That would be more dangerous than taking psychiatric drugs.
Web pages with more information about giving up psychiatric drugs:
http://www.metzelf.info/information/Stopping.html
http://www.alternativementalhealth.com/articles/quittingdrugs.htm
http://www.shropsych.org/comingoffmedicationpaper.htm
http://www.necwest.org/OffMeds.htm
http://tinyurl.com/ruytf
http://www.jungcircle.com/schiznatural.htm
Peter Lehmann, the author of the book "Coming Off Psychiatric drugs" (see the recommended books page) has created a discussion group for those wanting to get off psychiatric drugs: http://www.topica.com/lists/coming-off
Purpose: "Coming off psychiatric drugs" - an e-mail discussion list for people who want to come off all kinds of psychiatric drugs (neuroleptics, antidepressants, lithium, carbamazepine, psychostimulants and tranquilizers) on their own decision, and want to end addiction, recover from withdrawal syndromes and prevent once again ending up in the doctor office. And for psychotherapists, physicians, social workers, psychiatrists, natural healers and other professionals as well as friends and relatives helping withdraw.
Another book you may find helpful is Your Drug May Be Your Problem - How and Why to Stop Taking Psychiatric Medication - by Dr Peter Breggin. (See the recommended books page).