A new study published in Psychology and Psychotherapy: Theory, Research and Practice finds that psychiatrists and other doctors are the most unhelpful factor for service users attempting to withdraw from antipsychotics. In the current work, authored by John Read of the University of East London, participants cited lack of knowledge around withdrawal, refusal to support withdrawal, and threats/use of coercion as the main reasons they considered psychiatrists and other doctors unhelpful in their attempts to quit using antipsychotics.
Additionally, none of the participants in the current research were warned about the addictive nature of antipsychotic drugs, the possibility of withdrawal psychosis, or the need to reduce antipsychotic use gradually. According to the author, this is a clear breach of informed consent. He writes:
“Perhaps the most important new finding is that many patients find their psychiatrists, and other doctors, unhelpful. Some were described as uniformed; others as actively obstructive, trying to persuade or compel, patients to stay on the medication. The failure to be informed, and to inform, may be understand able if psychiatrists are relying on inaccurate guidelines, drug company information or cultural norms within psychiatry. Ignorance about withdrawal effects could lead to telling patients withdrawal symp toms do not exist, and/or misdiagnosing them as a relapse of the condition for which the drugs were prescribed. “
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This is very common especially with psychiatrists because prescribing medications is their whole job now. Most of them don’t do therapy. I think it’s denial or they downplay the severity of the withdrawal symptoms or try to keep you on them so that they don’t lose patients. Loss of patients means loss of income. People are mislead into believing that they need medication for any and all of their emotional and psychological struggles which is not true but again it’s for profit for the drug companies and doctors to make the average person believe this. On the other hand, quite a few people are looking for a quick fix rather than work on changing their way of thinking or behaving or making other changes in their lives.
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I don’t think it’s malice-intent or money-driven for Private Practices (not working in the ‘Psych Ward’.) I’m pretty sure they just want people working and moving through life with Post-Secondary/career training, jobs, hobbies, kids if they want, etc.
I agree that informed consent is imperative and mandatory. And to go see a proper Trauma Therapist before trying an Rx they saw on TV or try OTC-supplements that mimmick the anti-depressant Rx. If they have zero side-effects and can stay on the same dosage for life, stay employed/etc, that’s really great! But we’re talking about the exact opposite: decreased quality of life, iatrogenic injuries, the exact opposite of Psychotropic Pharmaceuticals’s intention/”do no harm”/research studies not done past 12 weeks/ghost writers/etc.
I’m really glad these topics are receiving attention with internet algorithms (Mad In America, etc), because nobody deserves to be iatrogenically harmed by Psychotropic Pharmaceuticals or experience acute withdrawal and protracted withdrawal.
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Lol I experienced this. A pharmacist took me aside and said this anti depressant will ruin your heart. I went back and told the psychiatrist and she said the pharmacist lying. I finally got to the point I’m not taking it anymore. The withdrawal was horrible. It took me five years to completely stop.
I read a book from Canada by a doctor who described several cases of individuals with all kinds of different withdrawal symptoms. None were exactly alike symptom presentation with anti depressants.
I imagine some heavy anti psychotic drugs would be difficult in withdrawal .
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Like it
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There really is no such thing as remaining on these drugs for life. These drugs are not recommended for people over 65. I am currently 70 and have begun Having side effects from being on these drugs. The other side of the coin is very problematical because of the withdrawal we can go through to stop them. There is no good choice here. The longer you are on them the more problematic the withdrawal can be.
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Agree. I texted a gentleman in Spain and he stated my grand ma could not stop an anti depressant. They hand it out like candy.
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I was told years ago every drug I took was safe.
What a lie.
I was misdiagnosed . I had PTSD and told bi polar. Lol I never experienced the symptoms of this . I answered a question wrong. Do you only take cat naps. That was how I diagnosed.
I called a psychiatrist in Miami and he stated this happens a lot,misdiagnosis where PTSD is involved.
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I’m not sure we can talk about “misdiagnosis” when there is no actual way to determine objectively who does or doesn’t have a given “diagnosis.” How would anyone know they were “misdiagnosed?” More proper to say you were misunderstood and mistreated!
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I am a pharmacist and scientist with a dissociative disorder. I was prescribed haloperidol and olanzapine for over 10 years at relatively high doses.
In 2022 I stopped the haloperidol abruptly and experienced relatively few withdrawal effect which passed in about 4 weeks.
In October 2023 I stopped the olanzapine completely after a 4 month process of gradual reduction (10mg to 5mg to 2.5 mg to stop). What followed was a severe withdrawal syndrome with total insomnia (lasted 9 months), far worse anxiety than I’d ever experienced, an intolerance to carbohydrates which is still ongoing, weight loss (6 stone lost in 12 months without trying). It took 10 months to receive any acknowledgement from my psychiatrist that what i experienced was link to the withdrawal.
On the positive side my sleep is slowly getting better, my total cholesterol has dramatically decreased to the bottom end of the normal range, HbA1c is now 32 (down from 45).
As expected my dissociative symptoms are no worse (or better) since stopping both antipsychotics.
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I’m glad that it’s getting better for you. Most medications have side effects and withdrawal symptoms, but psychiatric medications are the worst for sure. Good for you!!
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Bullying patients into taking and staying on these drugs is common practice. I was once an advocate for a friend who didn’t want to increase his clozapine. The psychiatrist acted like a gift pressure drug salesman
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