Please Note: Nothing on this website constitutes medical advice. We simply encourage patients to educate themselves about psychiatric medications.
No one should abruptly stop prescribed psychiatric medications. Patients need to slowly taper off their drug(s) over a period of many months even years. Without slow tapering the symptoms of prescribed drug withdrawal can be severe, possibly life threatening and disabling.
Unfortunately many doctors are not knowledgeable about the need for patient-centered, slow tapering off psychiatric medications. Many doctors will taper a patient off psychiatric medications much too quickly, over weeks or months, even though the patient may have been on the drug for years. When alarming physiological, emotional, psychological symptoms develop, this is often viewed as the illness coming back – and often used as a reason why the patient needs to stay on the medication.
However, there are some resources on the internet which are based on medical research and lived experience that can help educate patients about safe tapering and enlighten doctors about de-prescribing.
Below is an excellent article by researcher and psychiatrist, Josef Witt-Doerring, appearing in a professional journal, Psychiatric Times. https://www.psychiatrictimes.com/addiction/online-communities-drug-withdrawal-what-can-we-learn
Find a Withdrawal-Cooperative Medical Provider
- Visit the website Benzo Info for a list of relevant doctors.
- Check out the Mad in America Provider Directory for various healthcare professionals.
- Explore the forum on Surviving Antidepressants where you can find recommendations for doctors, therapists, and clinics.
Council for Evidence-Based Psychiatry (U.K.)
A British website that highlights the latest medical research on the failures and problems associated with psychiatric medications.
Please see their very useful page which lists many websites that offer support and information for people withdrawing from psychiatric drugs.
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The Withdrawal Project
Inner Compass Initiative’s Withdrawal Project provides comprehensive information and community for anyone looking to teach themselves about safer psychiatric medication tapering protocols, how to prepare for withdrawal, and how to cope with difficult withdrawal experiences.
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Mad In America
MIA is the pre-eminent journalism website that offers stories, news, debate, and science around the issues of mental health, psychiatry, and the current paradigm of mental illness.
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Benzo Buddies
A peer support forum designed for people in psychiatric drug withdrawal or tapering from benzodiazepines and Z-drugs.
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Surviving Antidepressants
A peer support forum designed for people in psychiatric drug withdrawal or tapering from antidepressants.
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Harm Reduction Guide to Coming off Psychiatric Drugs
A 52-page guide that explores harm reduction and supporting people to make the decision that is best for them in taking all kinds of psychiatric drugs.
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Addiction Dependency Solutions (Oldham, UK)
ADS is a leading UK drug and alcohol charity operating throughout the North and the Midlands, with decades of experience treating drug, alcohol and more recently prescription drug addiction.
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Battle Against Tranquilisers (Bristol, UK)
Supporting individuals to reduce the harms caused by prescribed drugs of addiction and withdrawal through a wrap-around service of one to one therapy, group therapy and a telephone support service.
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Bristol and District Tranquilliser Project (Bristol, UK)
Helping people who are experiencing involuntary addition to prescribed minor tranquillisers, slipping pills, and antidepressants.
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R.E.S.T. Minor Tranquilisers Service (Camden or Islington Boroughs, UK)
We offer advice and information, counselling, a weekly peer support group, access to the Foundations of recovery program, mindfulness, complementary therapies and support for family members and partners.
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The Bridge Project (Bradford, UK)
he Bridge Project is a well-established and vibrant local charity providing services to a broad range of people experiencing the effects of deprivation and health inequalities.
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Reconexxion (Australia)
Treatment, support and information about benzodiazepine dependency and withdrawal, anxiety, insomnia and depression.
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Baylissa Frederick, Counselor
Our wonderful ‘Bloom in Wellness’ group is a private and safe lifeline for people healing from prescribed drug-induced withdrawal and neurological dysfunction.
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Nicole Lamberson Coaching and Consulting
Nicole is a withdrawal coach living in Virginia. She brings to the profession a rare combination of medical training as a physician assistant*, extensive self-education, and personal experience of protracted psychotropic drug withdrawal, along with 12 years of helping some hundreds of others through the withdrawal process.
*Sessions with Nicole are for withdrawal coaching only. She cannot and will not serve as your medical provider. Upon booking, you will sign a “Coaching Agreement” where you must acknowledge that in working with you, Nicole serves solely as a coach, and in no other capacity.
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