A Mother’s Journey Through Psychiatric Drug Harm and Healing
Chelsea McVeigh joins us to discuss her journey through antidepressant withdrawal. At 31, during a new pregnancy, she suffered a severe adverse reaction that turned her world upside down.
Using Lived Experience to Challenge Systemic Prescriber Inexperience of Antidepressant Withdrawal
Carla Delgado joins us to discuss her experience of antidepressant withdrawal and the hurdles created by dealing with a system that is largely ignorant of withdrawal and tapering.
Anthropology, Arctic Iceland and Antidepressant Withdrawal: A Conversation With Fiona Frenzen
Fiona Frenzen joins us to talk of her experiences of healing from antidepressant withdrawal and how moving to Iceland had a powerful effect on her health and wellbeing.
Easier to Refill Than Review: Antidepressant Prescribing in Primary Care
Researchers found that for many doctors, renewing antidepressant prescriptions feels safer and faster than helping people taper, and that most current interventions fail to address the pressures driving that choice.
“The Stuff of Demonic Nightmares”: People Describe Withdrawal from Psychiatric Drugs
A new study in Health Expectations led by Trinity College Dublin researchers finds that people withdrawing from psychiatric medications often endure severe symptoms, limited clinical support, and widespread uncertainty about how to taper safely.
German GPs Say They Need More Support to Help Patients Stop Antidepressants
New research from Germany shows how guidelines, system pressures, and lack of collaboration limit deprescribing.
A Therapist Navigating Antidepressant Withdrawal: Nelson Lee on the Power of the Present Moment
Therapist and coach Nelson Lee joins us on the podcast to discuss how he approaches helping clients while navigating the complexities of antidepressant withdrawal.
From EMPOWER to Exercise: What Actually Helps Older Adults Quit Benzos?
Despite clear risks, benzos and z-drugs remain widely prescribed to the elderly. New research explores what helps—and what doesn’t—when trying to stop.
Post-Acute Withdrawal Syndrome (PAWS): Why Don’t We Know More About It?
Persistent antidepressant withdrawal is a debilitating experience, but little research exists about its prevalence and treatment.
Akathisia After a Five-Year Taper: Chained to an Antidepressant Forever
I have been on Cymbalta for 17 years now and am gutted that my five-year taper did not free me of the drug.
Psychiatric Drugs “A Crude Form of Chemical Restraint”
Mental health nursing has a key role to play in helping people discontinue the drugs, writes Timothy Wand.
Antidepressant Withdrawal Symptoms Linked to Life-Altering Consequences, New Study Shows
A new study reveals that withdrawal symptoms from antidepressants can last years, disrupting lives and relationships.
Reframing Antipsychotic Discontinuation: A Psychiatrist’s Personal and Professional Call for Epistemic Justice
A psychiatrist with lived experience advocates for a more humane, collaborative approach to antipsychotic discontinuation that respects diverse ways of knowing.
Antidepressant Withdrawal: A Psychiatrist’s 30-Year Challenge to Conventional Wisdom
For thirty years, Dr. Giovanni Fava has sounded the alarm on the long-term effects of antidepressants and the risks of withdrawal, pushing back against pharmaceutical narratives.
Antidepressant Withdrawal Commonly Misdiagnosed as “Mental Illness”
A new study reveals that more than two-thirds of patients experiencing antidepressant withdrawal were misdiagnosed with psychiatric disorders.
The Maudsley Deprescribing Guidelines: An Interview with David Taylor and Mark Horowitz
Tapering should be tailored and adjusted to the patient, slowed and more hyperbolic in people who have severe and longstanding reactions.
The Ethics of Antipsychotic Dose Reduction and Patient Rights
New research highlights the ethical responsibilities of clinicians in supporting patients who choose to reduce or discontinue antipsychotic medication.
Wunderink: Antipsychotics Can Be Tapered Safely Without Increasing Relapse Risk
Tapering antipsychotics slowly and with supported decision-making may improve care for patients with psychosis.
Case Studies Reveal Patient Empowerment Through Tapering Antipsychotics
A new study shows how different patients respond to tapering antipsychotic medication under expert guidance, highlighting personal empowerment and the complexities of withdrawal.
Study Highlights Difficulty of Antipsychotic Withdrawal
New research finds insomnia, anxiety, and depression are common symptoms of antipsychotic withdrawal, highlighting difficulties of discontinuation.
Common Side Effects Leading to Antidepressant Discontinuation
New research finds the negative drug effects most commonly associated with initiating antidepressant discontinuation are anxiety, suicidal thoughts, vomiting, and rashes.
SSRI Withdrawal has Social, Cognitive, and Emotional Consequences
New research finds that the non-physical aspects of withdrawal from SSRIs are often overlooked.
May Cause Side Effects–Radical Acceptance and Psychiatric Drug Withdrawal: An Interview with Brooke Siem
Brooke Siem discusses her experiences of being medicated with antidepressants as a teenager, her withdrawal from a cocktail of psychiatric drugs and her debut memoir, May Cause Side Effects.
Mental Health Staff Reluctant to Support Service Users in Tapering Antipsychotics, Study Finds
Study reveals schizophrenia patients find little support from mental health staff in reducing side effects-heavy drugs.
Patients Express Anger at Doctors’ Ignorance About Antidepressant Withdrawal Effects
Antidepressant users share their frustrations towards a healthcare system that overprescribes but is ill-equipped to support with discontinuation and withdrawal symptoms.
