GiaK Posted February 9, 2014 Share Posted February 9, 2014 Below is the post for the anniversary of the completion of the psychiatric drug withdrawal process I went through that I wrote for last year. Much of it remains relevant and true, so I thought I’d share it again. I actually have had my best year since coming off drugs this last year. I started seeing improvements somewhat faster in the last year and am getting significantly physically stronger and healthier in general. Discovering the histamine intolerance a little over a year ago led to the most significant personal dietary change I’ve made. The most exciting result has been that I can go to yoga classes in my community with some frequency. Classes are drop in and don’t require a commitment. See: Yoga victory: recovery continues Today, February 9th, 2014 is the 4th year of the completion of the withdrawal process. This is what I wrote on the anniversary last year. February 9, 2013: Three years ago today, I completed a six-year process of withdrawing from six psychiatric drugs. That process was the impetus to start speaking up about what is happening in psychiatry and to far too many of us who have been inappropriately medicated and made ill by said medication in a myriad number of ways. I learned about what was happening not only from my own personal experience but my work, as social worker, with others who were subject to the mental health system via social service systems. My own experience as both (now – ex) patient and a mental health professional allows for some interesting and sometimes uncomfortable insights into the mental health system in the United States. I try to share those insights with my readers daily. This blog has allowed me to be productive while very ill and in so doing get the word out to many thousands of others that they might make an informed choice — an opportunity I was never given. We’ve had more than a generation of people who weren’t able to make that informed choice. Today with the power of the internet this can change. Still, many vulnerable people continue to be given medications without full disclosure to their sometimes very grave risks, nor are they told about the many ways to heal safely without medications or with minimal, targeted use of medications during crisis. Please familiarize yourselves with the drop down menus at the top of the page. There you can find many resources and information about alternatives to psychiatry. There you can inform yourself and your loved ones about how to never end up crippled by psychiatric care like so many people I’ve come to know through this work. My story of iatrogenic harm was shared in November a couple of years ago on Dr. David Healy’s website RxISK: Monica’s story: the aftermath of polypsychopharmacology. I have a page on this blog too that documents my withdrawal journey in particular for more details: Monica/Gianna: withdrawal documented I’m still recovering from the grave harm the drugs incurred. For some of us with severe withdrawal syndromes the process can take several years. I do continue to get better and at this point I do expect becoming well even though I’m still quite disabled by any standard. The amount I’ve improved in the three years since I completed the withdrawal is really quite a lot, though. I was bedridden for well over a year. I couldn’t even sit upright. During that time I wasn’t strong enough to hold my hand up to my mouth long enough to brush my teeth. Those days are long gone. Rehab continues and it’s often frustratingly slow, but when I remember back to the days I couldn’t sit up in bed I realize how far I’ve come. In the article I link to above on Dr. David Healy’s site I say: I’ve been free of this massive cocktail of drugs for over two and half years now. The sad part is the greatest amount of suffering I’ve ever endured in my life has been a result of my body adjusting to no longer having neurotoxic drugs in my system. Medically-caused harm and a term that often sounds Orwellian to those of us who experience the protracted version: withdrawal syndrome. It totally fails to capture the grave disability some of us experience. Still, I have not one moment of regret for having freed myself from these drugs because my mind is clear! I have a clarity of mind that is so beautiful I can cry if I spend time thinking about it. My clarity was stolen from me for almost half my life. I have it back and even impaired as I am, unable to leave the house most of the time, I am grateful. Yes, I am grateful to be able to spend the rest of my life in clarity and purpose I never had while drugged. Below are a few additional posts I wrote in the last year and since the above anniversary post was first published. They offer more information on my recovery process in the last year. If I Had Remained Med Compliant… Internal Guidance Everything Matters: a Memoir From Before, During and After Psychiatric Drugs Yoga victory: recovery continues And, hey, today is my birthday too. I sort of did that on purpose when I took my final dose of Klonopin four years ago last night, February 8th, 2010. Please do not attempt to discontinue psych drugs without first very carefully educating yourselfon the risks involved so that you might minimize the chances of developing grave iatrogenic illness if you decide to withdraw: Psychiatric drug withdrawal and protracted withdrawal syndrome round-up original post: http://wp.me/p5nnb-aoU Everything Matters: Beyond Meds https://beyondmeds.com/ withdrawn from a cocktail of 6 psychiatric drugs that included every class of psych drug. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meimeiquest Posted February 9, 2014 Share Posted February 9, 2014 Congratulations on another year of healing! 1st round Prozac 1989/90, clear depression symptoms. 2nd round Prozac started 1999 when admitted to dr. I was tired. Prozac pooped out, switch to Cymbalta 3/2006. Diagnosed with bipolar disorder due to mania 6/2006--then I was taken abruptly off Cymbalta and didn't know I had SSRI withdrawal. Lots of meds for my intractable "bipolar" symptoms. Zyprexa started about 9/06, mostly 5mg. Tapered 4/12 through12/29/12 Wellbutrin. XL 300 mg started 1/07, tapered 1/18/13 through 7/8/13 Oxazepam mostly continuously since 6/06, 30mg since 12/12, tapered 1.17.14 through 8.26.15 11/06 Lithium 600mg twice daily, 2.2.14 400mg TID DIY liquid, 2.12.14 1150mg, 3.2.14 1100mg, 3.18.14 1075mg, 4/14 updose to 1100mg, 6.1.14 900 mg capsules 7.8.14 810mg, 8.17.14 725mg, 8.24.24 700mg...10.22.14 487.5mg, 3.9.15 475mg, 4.1.15 462.5mg 4.21.15 450mg 8.11.15 375mg, 11.28.15 362.5mg, back to 375mg four days later, 3.4.16 updose to 475 (too much going on to risk trouble) 9/4/13 Toprol-XL 25mg daily for sudden hypertension, tapered 11.12.13 through 5.3.14, last 10 days or so switched to atenolol 7.4.14 Started Walsh Protocol 56 years old Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meimeiquest Posted February 9, 2014 Share Posted February 9, 2014 And maybe next year your anniversary post won't be at 3:34 AM 1st round Prozac 1989/90, clear depression symptoms. 2nd round Prozac started 1999 when admitted to dr. I was tired. Prozac pooped out, switch to Cymbalta 3/2006. Diagnosed with bipolar disorder due to mania 6/2006--then I was taken abruptly off Cymbalta and didn't know I had SSRI withdrawal. Lots of meds for my intractable "bipolar" symptoms. Zyprexa started about 9/06, mostly 5mg. Tapered 4/12 through12/29/12 Wellbutrin. XL 300 mg started 1/07, tapered 1/18/13 through 7/8/13 Oxazepam mostly continuously since 6/06, 30mg since 12/12, tapered 1.17.14 through 8.26.15 11/06 Lithium 600mg twice daily, 2.2.14 400mg TID DIY liquid, 2.12.14 1150mg, 3.2.14 1100mg, 3.18.14 1075mg, 4/14 updose to 1100mg, 6.1.14 900 mg capsules 7.8.14 810mg, 8.17.14 725mg, 8.24.24 700mg...10.22.14 487.5mg, 3.9.15 475mg, 4.1.15 462.5mg 4.21.15 450mg 8.11.15 375mg, 11.28.15 362.5mg, back to 375mg four days later, 3.4.16 updose to 475 (too much going on to risk trouble) 9/4/13 Toprol-XL 25mg daily for sudden hypertension, tapered 11.12.13 through 5.3.14, last 10 days or so switched to atenolol 7.4.14 Started Walsh Protocol 56 years old Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GiaK Posted February 9, 2014 Author Share Posted February 9, 2014 it was 4:34 here and considering I go to bed between 6 and 7 pm it's not as bad as it seems :-) and thank you! Everything Matters: Beyond Meds https://beyondmeds.com/ withdrawn from a cocktail of 6 psychiatric drugs that included every class of psych drug. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
compsports Posted February 9, 2014 Share Posted February 9, 2014 Congratulations GiaK for a well earned fought victory. CS Drug cocktail 1995 - 2010 Started taper of Adderall, Wellbutrin XL, Remeron, and Doxepin in 2006 Finished taper on June 10, 2010 Temazepam on a PRN basis approximately twice a month - 2014 to 2016 Beginning in 2017 - Consumption increased to about two times per week April 2017 - Increased to taking it full time for insomnia Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexjuice Posted February 9, 2014 Share Posted February 9, 2014 Congratulations. I am happy for all of the progress you have made. I am really looking forward to the anniversary post when you are healthy enough to do anything in life that you want which I hope will be the next one! It absolutely sounds to me, from observing you over the internet, that you've seen a lot of improvement in the last 12 months! Congrats again and keep hanging in there cuz you will be tested more (unfortunately). "Well my ship's been split to splinters and it's sinking fast I'm drowning in the poison, got no future, got no past But my heart is not weary, it's light and it's free I've got nothing but affection for all those who sailed with me. Everybody's moving, if they ain't already there Everybody's got to move somewhere Stick with me baby, stick with me anyhow Things should start to get interesting right about now." - Zimmerman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alex Posted February 9, 2014 Share Posted February 9, 2014 Thank you Gia for your guidance, support and courage. You are a role model. And Happy Birthday!! 4 years aprox. on 150mgs.Effexor for situational major depression.No AD before.Tapered 150-0mgs in 3 months. Tapered Quetiapine,Xanax in the last 18 months.NO med of any kind anymore.First 3 months off acute w/dProtracted w/d ever since.Symptoms:Anxiety,anhedonia,insomnia,tinnitus,PSSD 04/13/2014 Awful Relapse.Recovered fairly fast. 3 years and 4 months off. waves and windows.Very much recovered. November 2015,health issue.Setback. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aria Posted February 9, 2014 Share Posted February 9, 2014 Gia, Over the years I've read your blog which was such an inspiration to me. I didn't know another person who had tapered off drugs let alone the combo like I had and it gave me hope. My many thanks to you, your overcoming drug withdrawals and ongoing recovery. Unable at this time to correspond by private message. Link to my Introduction thread: http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/2477-aria-my-psych-journey/ Reading my psychiatric records: http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/5466-drugged-crazy-reading-my-psychiatric-records/ My Success Story is listed under "Aria's Recovery". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator Emeritus mammaP Posted February 9, 2014 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted February 9, 2014 Gia you are an inspiration to all of us and I am just one person who is very grateful to you for sharing your journey. Can't wait to see what the next year brings for you, I can imagine that you had forgotten what a clear mind felt like and marvel every day at your new brain! **I am not a medical professional, if in doubt please consult a doctor with withdrawal knowledge. Different drugs occasionally (mostly benzos) 1976 - 1981 (no problem) 1993 - 2002 in and out of hospital. every type of drug + ECT. Staring with seroxat 2002 effexor. Tapered March 2012 to March 2013, ending with 5 beads. Withdrawal April 2013 . Reinstated 5 beads reduced to 4 beads May 2013 Restarted taper Nov 2013 OFF EFFEXOR Feb 2015 Tapered atenolol and omeprazole Dec 2013 - May 2014 Tapering tramadol, Feb 2015 100mg , March 2015 50mg July 2017 30mg. May 15 2018 25mg Taking fish oil, magnesium, B12, folic acid, bilberry eyebright for eye pressure. My story http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/4199-hello-mammap-checking-in/page-33 Lesson learned, slow down taper at lower doses. Taper no more than 10% of CURRENT dose if possible Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zoe Posted February 10, 2014 Share Posted February 10, 2014 Congratulations!! So wonderful & encouraging to see how far that you have come. It gives us all hope. Thank you!! Jan. 1994 Pamelor 2000 switched to Zoloft 2011 Zoloft pooped out- Dr. switched me directly to Lexapro15mg -had a horrible 6mths 2013 upped Lexapro to 20 mgs-pooped out June 2013 Dr. added 150 Wellbutrin to Lexapro. July 2013 Switched back to Zoloft 100mgs.Was still taking Wellbutrin. Lots of anxiety from the Wellbutrin July 2013 Started to wean Wellbutrin- off by Sept. Oct. 2013 added 400 mgs of Neurotin to the Zoloft Jan 2014 Tapered off of the Zoloft and onto Prozac 30 mgs. Also still taking 400 mgs Neurotin Feb 2014 Reduced Prozac to 13 mgs. Still taking 400 mgs Neurotin Aug. 2014 Prozac 13 mgs. Finished with Neurotin. .7 Risperadol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sparrow Posted February 11, 2014 Share Posted February 11, 2014 Congratulations Gia! You have been a great inspiration to me in my multi-year effort to get off multiple psych drugs. Can't wait to join you "on the other side"! Hugs, Sparrow 2009-2011: tapered off Trazodone, Namenda, Lamictal, Dextroamphetamine, Zyprexa; cold-turkeyed Pristiq; reduced Lexapro dose 50%.On clonazepam since 2004, 0.5 - 1.0 mg daily PRN. Three failed (too rapid) partial tapers, 2010 - 2011.Dec. 2011 - March 2013: Tapered off 0.5 mg clonazepam (Klonopin) August 2013: Switched to liquid escitalopram (Lexapro) and began tapering from 10 mg. January 2014: 4.5 mg escitalopram March 2014: One year off benzos May 2014: 3.0 mg escitalopram June 2014: severe depression, updosed to 4.0 mg Sept 1, 2014: 2.7 mg Dec 7, 2014: Can't get below 2.5 mg without unbearable symptoms. Doing an extended hold (I hope) March 2015: TWO YEARS POST-BENZO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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