Coming Off Psychiatric Medication

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Harm Reduction Guide To Coming Off Psychiatric Drugs

Harm Reduction Guide To Coming Off Psychiatric Drugs

http://theicarusproject.net/HarmReductionGuideComingOffPsychDrugs

This 40-page guide gathers the best information we've come across and
the most valuable lessons we've learned about reducing and coming off
psychiatric medication. Includes information on mood stabilizers,
anti-psychotics, anti-depressants, anti-anxiety drugs, risks, benefits,
wellness tools, withdrawal, support for people staying on their
medications, a detailed Resource section, and much more.

The guide was written by Freedom Center co-founder and Icarus Project
staff Will Hall, with a 14-member health professional Advisory Board
comprised of medical doctors, nurses, psychologists and acupuncturists
providing research guidance. More than 20 other collaborators from the
survivor movement were involved in developing and editing. The guide has
photographs and art throughout, and a beautiful original cover painting
by Ashley McNamara.

Based in "harm reduction" philosophy, the guide emphasizes personal
choice and weighing risks and benefits for each individual. It offers
non-judgmental support to people continuing to take medication or
lowering their dosage, as well as people exploring coming off. The risks
associated with psychiatric medication are discussed along with risks of
emotional distress and mental health crisis. Years of advocacy at the
Freedom Center and Icarus Project have proven the effectiveness of this
approach, which is neither pro-medication nor anti-medication, but
instead provides accurate information and offers choices and alternatives.

TO READ THE GUIDE AND / OR DOWNLOAD AND PRINT A COPY:

http://theicarusproject.net/HarmReductionGuideComingOffPsychDrugs

Mind Research - 'Coping with coming off'

See also- Making sense of coming off psychiatric drugs (MIND). Both the research and the above booklet can be obtained at www.mind.org.uk/Information

In September 2005, MIND published research which looked into the experiences of people trying to come off psychiatric drugs. The research team set out to try and establish what happens when people do try to come off psychiatric drugs, the effects of withdrawal and what helps people to succeed. A questionnaire was produced and circulated through MIND networks, internet groups, personal contacts and was available on the MIND website. In total 248 interested individuals completed a questionnaire from which 204 were used (chosen to produce a group in which at least half had succeeded in coming off) and the results were analysed.

Also, MIND wanted to establish whether people had different experiences related to which type of drug they were attempting to come off. They needed people who had attempted to come off a single drug and were on no other psychiatric drugs at the time. They were able to gain information from 64 people on anti-depressants, 21 people on neuroleptics and 12 people on mood stabilisers.