Originally published in mindbodygreen
I often find myself with a line out the door of patients who are struggling to get off of psychiatric medications. While you should absolutely do what’s right for you in your health journey, it’s worth noting that doctors rarely disclose how difficult it can be to taper off medications like Lexapro, Zoloft, Effexor, Klonopin, Xanax, Lithium, Abilify, Adderall, and Vyvanse.
While some people experience few if any side effects when tapering off these medications, for others it can lead to a persistent state of anxiety, low mood, dread, hopelessness, and despair for months. It can even lead to impulsivity and suicidal thoughts and behaviors. The medication withdrawal state is a difficult and potentially dangerous state. With millions of people on psychiatric medications and almost nonexistent support from psychiatrists or primary care doctors, patients are left to negotiate this harrowing process by themselves. So I’m left wondering: Why aren’t we having a public conversation about this?
