New Study Asks Doctors About Barriers to Deprescribing

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Researchers interviewed doctors about the barriers that prevent them from being able to decrease excess medications.

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.
Picture of distressed man facing pills

What Helps Long-Term Users of Benzodiazepines and Z-Drugs Discontinue?

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Current long-term users of benzodiazepines and Z-drugs identify barriers and facilitators for discontinuation.

New Study Explores Approaches to Discontinuing Antidepressants

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Psychiatrist and psychologist outline pharmacological and psychotherapeutic strategies for discontinuing antidepressants.

More Psychological Supports Needed to Manage Antidepressant Discontinuation

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Study reviews psychological interventions for antidepressant discontinuation.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.”

“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.

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...

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...