Existential Therapy Assists Patients Withdrawing From Psychiatric Drugs

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Confronting existential anxiety through “Basal Exposure Therapy” shows promising results in people withdrawing from psychotropic drugs.

More Psychological Supports Needed to Manage Antidepressant Discontinuation

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Study reviews psychological interventions for antidepressant discontinuation.
Vector-style illustration depicting men and women chained to a giant pill bottle

Researchers Identify Factors to Predict Risk of Antidepressant Withdrawal

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Paroxetine, SNRIs, and MAOIs were associated with the highest risk of withdrawal, as was long duration of use and whether the person experienced withdrawal in the past.

Antidepressant Use Climbs as Patients Find it Difficult to Discontinue

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Findings point to the role of withdrawal symptoms and prescriber practices in long-term antidepressant use.

Psychological Interventions Can Help When Tapering Off Antidepressants

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Meta-analysis of antidepressant tapering finds CBT and MBCT can aid in tapering, but limited studies met inclusion criteria.

Strategies for Tapering and Discontinuing Antidepressants

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A new review of strategies to support both patients and practitioners through the process of discontinuing antidepressants.

Service-User Knowledge Helps Researchers Develop Psychiatric Drug Tapering Approaches

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New strategies for tapering psychiatric drugs achieved by acknowledging withdrawal symptoms and valuing service-users’ first-hand knowledge.

When Switching Antipsychotics, No Difference Between Immediate and Gradual Discontinuation

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Review study compares outcomes of gradual vs. immediate antipsychotic discontinuation when switching from one drug to another.

New Research on Patient-Centered Deprescribing for Antipsychotics

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Researchers review the risks and benefits of deprescribing from antipsychotic drugs and advocate for a patient-centered approach to tapering.

Common Statistical Method Conflates Withdrawal with Relapse

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Researchers argue that common study methods for psychiatric drugs may inadvertently minimize withdrawal effects and inflate drug efficacy.

Prescribers Often Fail to Support Patients Discontinuing Antidepressants, Study Finds

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Study reveals most patients are dissatisfied with prescribers' support when discontinuing antidepressants.

Psychotherapy Can Prevent Relapse When Discontinuing Antidepressants

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“Short and simple psychological programs can prevent people from relapsing when they stop their antidepressants.”

New Study Examines Successful Discontinuation of Antipsychotics

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A new study to be published in the next issue of Schizophrenia Research examines patients suffering from a first-episode of psychosis who stop taking any antipsychotic drugs. The researchers attempt to identify variables that can serve as predictors of the successful discontinuation of antipsychotics. They find, for example, that those who discontinue the drugs have, on average, the same outcomes as those who stay on them, and that those who have better social integration are more likely to discontinue without relapse.
A box of Zyprexa pills.

Lack of Clear Guidelines Prevent Clinicians from Reducing Antipsychotics

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A recently published study from noted critical psychiatry expert Joanna Moncrieff explored the barriers that prevent clinicians from helping service users in discontinuing or...

“Relapse” in Antidepressant Trials Likely Caused by Sudden Withdrawal

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A new study investigates how antidepressant withdrawal effects often get confounded with depression relapse in clinical trials.

Social Support Improves Antipsychotic Discontinuation, Study Finds

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A new study explores how people manage to discontinue antipsychotic medication and examines how social supports may improve outcomes.

FDA Safety Warning For Citalopram Did Not Improve Outcomes for Vets

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Instead of reducing risk, the dose reduction recommendation made by the FDA in their safety message was associated with an increase in hospitalizations.

Antipsychotic Drugs and Relapse

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Researchers from Germany, Greece and the U.S. reviewed the literature on relapse at 7 to 12 months following initiation of antipsychotic treatment. They conclude...

5 Steps to Personalize Deprescribing Practices

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Researchers identify simple ways for clinicians to begin deprescribing conversations.

Alarming Report on Antidepressant Side Effects

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Drawing on analysis of data from websites such as Paxilprogress.org, ehealthforum.com, depression forums.org, about.com, medhelp.org, drugLib.com, topic.com and survivingantidepressants.org, researchers from the University of...

Report Calls For Policy Changes In Response To Dependence and Withdrawal From Prescribed Drugs

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Statistics from the UK reveal that prescriptions for painkillers and antidepressants continue to rise despite concerns over dependence and debilitating withdrawal effects. The British Medical Association (BMA) Board of Science has released a report that acknowledges changes to medical practice, research and policy necessary for addressing the dependence and withdrawal effects of benzodiazepines, opioids, and antidepressants.

Biological Explanations for Antidepressant Withdrawal

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Two South African researchers review scientific understanding of the brain changes that lead to antidepressant discontinuation syndrome (ADS) in Human Psycho-pharmacology: Clinical and Experimental....

Differentiation of SSRI and Benzo Dependence/Withdrawal “Not Rational”

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Researchers from the Cochrane Center and University of Copenhagen in Denmark, publishing in the May issue of Addiction, "explore the rationale for claiming that...

Thoughtful Insight, Not Lack of It, Drives Some Patients to Quit Psychiatric Medications

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Rather than a "lack of insight," it is actually a thoughtful weighing of complex risks and benefits that ultimately drives some people diagnosed with bipolar disorder to eschew psychiatric medications, according to a qualitative study in the Journal of Affective Disorders. And these people often develop sophisticated strategies in their efforts to manage without medications.

Activity-Based Therapies Reduce Antipsychotic Use

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Researchers from the University of North Carolina found that activity-based therapy and care reduced the use of antipsychotics in a study of 107 people...