Thanks to the entire panel for sharing such a great discussion. I was put on Paxil when I was 10 years old and now at 33, I'm tappering off with the help of meditation, supplements, clean diet, etc. I feel tricked and betrayed in many ways but I'm looking forward and am eager to heal. 🙏
We were lied to -the huge problem and hook that makes it seemingly impossible to get off is when people get to their “lowest” dose and try to go off, thinking they’ll succeed-it is then that they suffer more extreme withdrawal than they anticipated-and can become manic, or suicidal or even seemingly dangerous to others which sends them straight back into the psych ward and back on the meds again… and most psych professionals still interpret this withdrawal as “relapse” - the key one must go super duper slowly in the taper, ESPECIALLY at that “lowest” and final dose. You have to go slowest at the very end.and often the effect of the drugs not only cause painful difficult symptoms upon withdrawing which creates the challenge of going off at all but also the effects of the drugs can make it even more difficult which is while under the influence of the drugs one’s mindset has been trained to take a pill and not to learn delayed gratification and the effects of the drugs make people more so incapable of delayed gratification-so this makes it especially difficult.it’s ironic that these drugs are prescribed to “diminish” natural pain because that life’s pain is sold to people as a problem in need of a cure yet to go off of these medications one is forced to overcome extraordinary pain one would never have had to undergo without these drugs. This crisis is no different than the opioid epidemic-the pharmaceutical companies created it. They have perfected selling natural human stress response as a”problem” to be solved and in the process given us a remedy that has caused far worse and the addictive nature of their drugs leaves all too many “patients” and their families now victim to the horrible effects of withdrawal they don’t provide the remedy for and in this way have hurt this population worse than those affected by opioids-at least they have things like methadone and suboxone to temporarily relieve some of the symptoms yet one still has to kick those which is even harder. People on psych meds don’t have those even temporary moments of relief so are just left to suffer extreme debilitating withdrawal for years on end. The good news, people are able to overcome and get off everything but we need far more support in this arena to really make a dent.
I hear ya, MK. I totally agree. Over the past 10 months, I've tapered from 40mg/day down to 10mg. I anticipate another 8-10 months to get off completely. As far as relief goes, I have found relief through cannabis and meditation. Both have been helpful in reconnecting to myself. SSRIs separate us from ourselves. I'm also trying hard to reframe my withdrawal process. I'm using this time as a time of emergence. I'm using withdrawal as an opportunity to cultivate my inner strength and confidence. I'm using withdrawal to better understand myself. These pills almost killed me while I was on them. I believed my brain was broken and I trusted doctors with my life. Now, I'm taking my life into my own hands. I choose to be excited for my future, despite the pain I'm currently in. I know my brain and body will heal. Even though I'm currently struggling with withdrawal as well as the return of old feelings, I'm feeling WAY better than I did on 40mg of poison every day.
Thank you Sami for being so honest about seeing the “benefits”-I’m with you 100% especially as time goes on, this is beginning to feel increasingly like opioid epidemic part two. The science has been out there for years, pharmaceutical industry has chosen to ignore it in the name of profit.
I really need help I’m so scared my daughter she’s been put on this psychiatric medication and I just feel like she doesn’t need this medication what should I do?
Thank you for raising this important issue. I've suffered from psychiatric "treatment" and now I'm trying to cope with permanent damage that has been done. I've lost my ability to walk for example. I'd like to ask from all those "helpers", who tortured me over an decade, was this so called treatment really necessary? Why my life meant nothing to them. I'm autistic, which only means that I'm different. Sadly, here in Finland, being different is not acceptable. It's like a crime and majority treat us inhumane and cruel ways. Finnish doctors are just terribly arrogant and this by itself causes a huge amount of problems. One cannot learn, if he or she already knows everything. I don't have much of a health care left, because of stigma and therefore I've decided stop trying to get a real treatment. I'm aware that my decision will quite probably lead to great suffering before I die. But on the other hand, what would I, or anyone, benefit from doctors "help", when they're talking about your death and laughing. Every single time you'll come out with empty hands, humiliated, feeling only rage and sorrow.
Sami Thank you so much for adding that it is not just the damage caused by medications but just the idea alone of being somehow inherently flawed and in need of being changed even just by therapy alone. This touches on the true stigma born from these labels that I believe is what does the MOST damage. It is the damage of being made invisible and one’s pain around that invisibility being equally if not more invisible and unseen. You helped increase my understanding of this at an even deeper level.
Thank you Laura and Sami about not wanting to reifying trauma as the new “framework” for translating and commodifying the individual human experience and going through and understanding what it means to simply be human.
Thank you everyone for your contribution to this very fascinating and urgent social and medical issue. And thank you, especially Laura for your very inspirational and extraordinary story. Thank you so much for your honest and absolutely comprehensive vision for the future of this messy business.
