Here’s a taste of an eye-opening article called Coping with Coming Off.

It’s about the experiences of people getting off of psychiatric medications. It highlights the lack of information and support for people wanting to stop taking medication.

The drugs mentioned in the report:

• SSRI antidepressants (Serotonin Specific Re-uptake Inhibitors). A similar drug, Effexor (venlafaxine) has been included in this group.
• Neuroleptics, also known as antipsychotics.
• Mood stabilizers.
• Minor tranquilizers, which includes benzodiazepines.

Why did the participants in this report want to stop taking psychotropic medication?

The most common reasons given for wanting to come off drugs were disliking the adverse effects of taking them (60%) and not wanting to be on them long-term (53%).

Other interesting points in article:

• Where doctors were involved, they were the least likely to be found helpful of any group of people. [Only] about half the people who sought or received help from a doctor found them helpful.

In contrast, around nine out of ten people who sought help or support from a counselor or psychotherapist found them helpful.

• Of the people interviewed, over half experienced difficulties in coming off their drugs.

The most common difficulties were anxiety, difficulty sleeping, and depression. Those coming off SSRIs were more likely to have difficulty coming off than people on mood stabilizers or neuroleptics.

• The biggest factor in influencing success in coming off was length of time on the drug. Four out of five people who had been on the drug less than six months succeeded, compared with under half who had been on it more than five years.

• When people who succeeded in coming off their medication were asked about the benefits, they most often said: better mental ability, feeling more alive, having taken back power and control, no longer experiencing the adverse effects, and feeling good about managing without the drugs.

“There is a desperate need for information for people who want to try coming off medication, and or informed support from mental health professionals and families and friends so that the process can be as safe and effective as possible. This report should be essential reading for anyone who takes or prescribes psychiatric drugs.”

David Crepaz-Keay,
Senior Policy Advisor, Mental Health Foundation

Click here to read Coping with Coming Off.