From Yahoo Lifestyle: “WhileĀ there are no official numbers on how many people, like Wojciechowski, are attempting to wean themselves off their drugs, aĀ recent studyĀ of 1,829 users of antidepressants found that about 75 percent had tried, just over 30 percent of them quitting successfully; the others found the withdrawal symptoms too hard to bear.
This much is clear: Thousands, if not millions, of people who are on antidepressantsĀ want to get off them ā for reasons that range from unwanted side effects (including sexual dysfunction, emotional numbing and weight gain) to a nagging desire to know who they are without them.
Still others,Ā told they had a serotonin deficiency, feel they were needlessly diagnosed and prescribed from the get-go, and now want to put that belief to the test.
Whatever the motivation, they are finding that withdrawing is no easy feat ā especially considering this startling fact: There is absolutely no psychiatric protocol to guide them.
‘To my knowledge, there is no “official,” professionally endorsed,Ā week-by-weekĀ protocol for safely tapering patients off antidepressants,’ Pies tells Yahoo Lifestyle. ‘This is a serious gap in our knowledge base and practice guidelines.’
And itās why many, likeĀ Wojciechowski, are taking matters into their own hands, through a collective effort that represents a burgeoning international movement.”
