MIA’s Drug Withdrawal Resources

MIA’s withdrawal pages are meant to provide resources, research findings, and personal stories relevant to making informed choices about withdrawing from psychiatric drugs.

In addition to the general information on this page, there are links below to withdrawal information specific to each class of drug. To suggest resources to add to our library of information, please email us.

Disclaimer: Mad in America is not providing medical advice with this resource section, or making any recommendations regarding withdrawal from psychiatric medications. The purpose of this page is to provide resources and information for those who may be considering this possibility.

Provider Directory

Visit the Mad in America provider directory to find practitioners who are willing to help support individuals who want to withdraw from psychiatric medications.

Information by Drug Type

• Antidepressants – Used in the treatment of depression, sometimes prescribed ‘off-label’ for panic disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Common examples are paroxetine (Paxil, Pexeva, Brisdelle) and venlafaxine (Effexor).
• Antipsychotics – Used in the treatment of psychotic experiences. Sometimes prescribed for bipolar depression  or severe anxiety. Common examples are aripiprazole (Abilify) and olanzapine (Zyprexa).
• Benzodiazepines (coming soon) – Most commonly prescribed for anxiety. Can be short-acting (hypnotic) or longer-acting (anxiolytic). Common examples are lorazepam (Ativan) and alprazolam (Xanax).Mood Stabilisers (coming soon) – Prescribed for bipolar disorder (manic depression) or mania. Common examples are lithium carbonate (Lithonate) and lamotrigine (Lamictal).
• Stimulants (coming soon) – Used in the treatment of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Common examples are methylphenidate (Ritalin) and amphetamine (Adderall).
• Polypharmacy (coming soon) – An examination of the issues related to the prescribing of multiple psychiatric drugs.

Continuing Education Courses

Psychiatric Drug Withdrawal 1: This MIA Continuing Education course is composed of seven seminars,  with presentations by Jocelyn Pedersen, Dina Tyler, Emily Cutler, Will Hall, Sandra Steingard, Kelly Brogan, and Will Hall.

Psychiatric Drug Withdrawal II: The Psychiatrist’s Perspective on Challenges, Opportunities and Shared Decision-Making. This MIA course is composed of eight seminars,  with presentations by Joanna Moncrieff, Sandy Steingard, David Healy, Johanna Ryan, Sami Timimi, Swapnil Gupta, Pesach Lichtenberg, and Roger Mulder.

General Resources

The resources listed below provide general information and support relating to many aspects of psychiatric drug withdrawal.

MIA Provider Directory – listings of individual practitioners, peer organizations, mutual support groups, and residential and outpatient programs that will support people who want to taper from their psychiatric medications.

The International Institute for Psychiatric Drug Withdrawal – supports the process of withdrawing from psychiatric drugs through practice, research and training.

Rxisk – maintains a searchable database of adverse effects of prescription drugs that have been reported to the FDA in the United States, Health Canada, and to RxISK.

Surviving Antidepressants – Volunteer-led peer-support for tapering off psychiatric drugs and for withdrawal syndrome and tips about coping with symptoms.

Inner Compass Initiative – provides information, resources, tools, and connecting platforms ​to facilitate more informed choices regarding all things “mental health”.

Will Hall’s Harm Reduction Guide to Coming Off Psychiatric Drugs.

Anders Sørensen’s Youtube video series answers common questions about psychiatric drug withdrawal and safe tapering.

Tapering Strips – an innovative option for gradual reduction of prescribed psychiatric drugs.

Video

A discussion on post-withdrawal experiences taken from our town hall series on psychiatric drug withdrawal.