From Los Angeles Times: “A doctor put me on antidepressants about a decade ago. I’ve spent the last year and a half trying to get off of them.
It’s one of the hardest things I’ve ever done . . .
My experience with antidepressants mirrors the struggle many people face in trying to wean themselves from powerful prescription drugs — drugs that can play a positive role in your life until you realize you’re trapped.
‘One thing we’ve learned from the opioid epidemic is that many patients believe if a drug has been prescribed by a doctor, it can’t harm you,’ said Keith Humphreys, a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Stanford University.
‘These are strong drugs,’ he told me. ‘They can do a lot of good. They can also do a lot of harm.’
Painkillers, antidepressants, anti-anxiety medications, tranquilizers, stimulants — each can affect users’ bodies so intensely that severe withdrawal symptoms are possible, even likely, if you stop taking them . . .
Adam Bisaga, a professor of psychiatry at Columbia University Medical Center, said that ‘most people aren’t prepared for the changes these drugs can cause to the body.'”