Withdrawing from Psychiatric Drugs: A Holistic Approach

Drugs such as cocaine and heroine are difficult to stop after daily use for a month or longer. The longer the more difficult. But there are “legal” pharmaceutical drugs that are as difficult or worse, depending on the length of time one is placed on them by a physician or psychiatrist. It’s not unusual to be on one or more of those types of drugs for several months to several years. A 2103 study discovered that one in six Americans is on a psychiatric drug for nervous and emotional issues, up from one in ten disclosed in a 2011 government Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) report. And many were initially put on these drugs for lifetime use or have become addicted after even a few months of using them. Many are seeking to get off psychiatric pharmaceuticals. Their attempts often fail due to the difficulty of tapering off alone. They usually speak of “waves and windows” that can go on for years after getting off anti-depressants and other psychiatric drugs. Waves are surges of needing or craving the drug while overwhelmed with the symptoms that were supposedly held off with the drugs. Windows are lucid occasions of being free from disturbing thoughts and emotions. There are several natural options for getting more windows and less waves while tapering.