David has taken antidepressant drugs on and off over the last few years and talks about his experiences of the mental healthcare system, how he has been supported by his medications and how and why he went about stopping his drugs.
In this episode we discuss:
How David feels that it is important to be open minded about antidepressant medications
How David initially resisted help for depression partly because of the stigma of being labelled but also because of not wanting to be reliant on medications
How David feels that he has done well during antidepressant treatment
Davidâs records of his mood and his medications that show how many times he has withdrawn
How David has a general feeling that he does not want to rely on antidepressant medication for life
That David didn’t suffer major side effects, but did experience electric shock sensations when withdrawing
How David feels that people who are sensitive may be more prone to depression or anxiety and that medication can desensitise you
How David felt that his depression was a creeping thing rather than relating to a specific trauma.
How trying to stop cold turkey did cause David to have time off work
That David has tried mindfulness and meditation but found that yoga particularly was particularly helpful
How lots of exercise and being outdoors has also been of great help to David
That people shouldn’t feel that there is stigma around taking medication for their mental health
That people should be aware that there are really no plans to help get people off their psychiatric medications
How David would love some advice to be available when it comes to withdrawing from these medications
