Idyllwild Posted November 14, 2011 Share Posted November 14, 2011 (edited) SEE ALSO: Hello, I am new to this forum and would like to know if anyone can recommend any reading on surviving after anti-depressants which helped them? Thank you, /Idyllwild Edited August 25, 2017 by ChessieCat Added link to Recommended Books on AD WD topic Low doses of LexaPro, Celexa, Zoloft, Paxil between 1998 - 2007; have not used antidepressants since 2008. Link to post Share on other sites
Shanti Posted November 14, 2011 Share Posted November 14, 2011 Hi Idyllwild, welcome to the forum I haven't read anything in particular, except just browsing around the forum and asking questions that came up. In addition to this website, I have one as well that has a lot of links. The link is listed in my signature. How are you doing? Taper from Cymbalta, Paxil, Prozac & Antipsychotics finished June 2012. Xanax 5% Taper - (8/12 - .5 mg) - (9/12 - .45) - (10/12 - .43) - (11/12 - .41) - (12/12 - .38) My Paxil Website My Intro Link to post Share on other sites
myself Posted November 14, 2011 Share Posted November 14, 2011 I would definitely recommend "Unstuck: Your Guide to the Seven-Stage Journey Out of Depression" by James S. Gordon. You can buy it used on amazon for about 6 bucks. Have taken psychiatric meds since 2002. Wellbutrin, Lexapro, Zoloft, Effexor (not sure of the dosages, or how long I took them...); have taken Clonazepam (1mg, as needed) since 2002 as well. I was prescribed Adderall in late 2009 (after saying I had problems losing weight), stopped taking it cold turkey in Feb. 2011- made me very anxious, obviously. Currently: Have been on Pristiq 50mg since 2008, I think. Still taking Clonazepam. Began cutting down my Pristiq dosage on July 22, 2011. Also- it is my last year of grad school! I am looking forward to graduating, being med-free, and starting a new stage in my life! Link to post Share on other sites
Idyllwild Posted November 14, 2011 Author Share Posted November 14, 2011 >>User: 'myself' posted the following: >>Posted 14 November 2011 - 09:22 AM >>I would definitely recommend "Unstuck: Your Guide to the Seven-Stage Journey Out of Depression" by James S. Gordon. >>You can buy it used on amazon for about 6 bucks. Thank you, 'myself' as well as 'Shanti' for your replies. I will check out the Gordon book when I go to the library. Hopefully, they will have this book since I"m currently experiencing budget stuff and am watching my funds. Also, Shanti, I started to look at your website: 'http://paxilwithdrawals.webs.com/aboutme.htm' This is a cool website. I will especially go to the links: Links Surviving Antidepressants - A supportive and helpful forum community. Beyond Meds - Links to professional papers to give your doctor. Recommended Doctors - List of doctors that are informed of safe withdrawal methods. Abchomeopathy Paxil Facts The Quantum Doctor Giving Up Hope? Suicide Hotline I'm hanging in there. I wish I could say I everything is fine but I cannot say this. However, I am seeing a therapist who has mentioned that I get on anti-depressants. I used to take them from 1998-2008. So, I am somewhat familiar with taking them. I just want to look online and see if there are other ways of dealing with my stresses/problems than taking Anti-depressants. So, I have put it off and put if off but now I want to figure out how to take better care of myself. I'm currently just going through the motions. It's quite depressing. I'm going through many changes in life and live away from family and my support system. Anyways, it's been a real challenge and now that the holidays are coming up and I won't go to visit my family, it will be doubly hard to deal with life's stressors. Thanks for hearing me out. /Idyllwild. Low doses of LexaPro, Celexa, Zoloft, Paxil between 1998 - 2007; have not used antidepressants since 2008. Link to post Share on other sites
myself Posted November 15, 2011 Share Posted November 15, 2011 Hi again Idyllwild, Sometimes the hardest step is just making the effort to discover better ways to take care of yourself, and then to make that effort to take care of yourself. So, I would say that you are on the right track- and you should definitely give yourself credit for that. I definitely understand what it is like to just be 'going through the motions' of life. Perhaps you could ask your therapist to help you brainstorm ideas to put together a support system where you are living now. Also, I would tell them specifically that you are hoping to deal with this difficult time without the aid of anti-depressants. I have the feeling that many therapists consider taking that route to be standard... I hope that you can find the Gordon book at your library, or something similar. Here is another resource that I have found helpful: http://www.mind.org.uk/ (a great UK based mental health organization, that has very helpful online pamphlets) Take care! Have taken psychiatric meds since 2002. Wellbutrin, Lexapro, Zoloft, Effexor (not sure of the dosages, or how long I took them...); have taken Clonazepam (1mg, as needed) since 2002 as well. I was prescribed Adderall in late 2009 (after saying I had problems losing weight), stopped taking it cold turkey in Feb. 2011- made me very anxious, obviously. Currently: Have been on Pristiq 50mg since 2008, I think. Still taking Clonazepam. Began cutting down my Pristiq dosage on July 22, 2011. Also- it is my last year of grad school! I am looking forward to graduating, being med-free, and starting a new stage in my life! Link to post Share on other sites
pax80a Posted November 15, 2011 Share Posted November 15, 2011 The Secret Link to post Share on other sites
Administrator Altostrata Posted November 15, 2011 Administrator Share Posted November 15, 2011 Idyllwild, for some of us, learning how to take care of ourselves is hard. But rewarding in the long run -- you can manage without drugs. Are you getting some exercise every day? This is really important. It can be just 30 minutes of walking. This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner. "It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein All postings © copyrighted. Link to post Share on other sites
InNeedOfHope Posted November 20, 2011 Share Posted November 20, 2011 I am currently reading Anatomy of an Illness by Norman Cousins.(Some of you may have come across this already) Whilst there is no relation to AD's it is the inspirational story of how someone recovered from a supposedly incurable condition. It's emphasis is on how the mind can facilitate healing with positive influence and even placebo. It's basis is that if negative stressful emotions cause disease and illness, then the reverse ought to be true for positive thoughts and experiences (which is no mean feat for someone in withdrawal I know), but the important thing is the underlying principle. Anyhow, instead of scaring myself with the usual negative journal articles etc, I thought that if someone wants a boost this might be of value to someone. Sept 2010 - Citalopram 1 day Sept 2010 - Zopliclone for ten weeks (paranoia ended a couple of months after coming off this and sleep settled down again until the last couple of months) Ocober 2010 - Cymbalta 30mg November 2010 - Cymbalta 60mg February 2011 - 60mg to 30 mg (lasted 10 days)reinstated 60mg March 2011 - Took 2 60mg tablets on one evening in error - paralysis of face, back of head, shoulder, stabbing in right kidney, lost 30% of hearing) March - June 2011 went down quickly 1mg a day until I got stuck at 25mg, went up to 27mg, because couldn't breath. 26th June - 26mg 3rd July - 25mg 17th July - 24mg 24th July - 23mg 7th Aug - began reducing by a bead every couple of days or so went well at first then hit a wall 24th October - now on 18.5mg. Since the kidney infection at start of September, have been in constant pain and anxiety, no let up. Given Ciprofloxacin. 8th Jan 2012 17.8mg (currently reducing 0.2mg a week) 8th Jan 2012 17.6mg last reduction was 6 days ago. 15th Jan 17.4mg 21st Jan 17.2mg Link to post Share on other sites
Administrator Altostrata Posted November 20, 2011 Administrator Share Posted November 20, 2011 Those concepts are very valuable, InNeed. Thanks for posting that. This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner. "It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein All postings © copyrighted. Link to post Share on other sites
Administrator Altostrata Posted January 26, 2013 Administrator Share Posted January 26, 2013 Read any books lately you've found helpful? This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner. "It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein All postings © copyrighted. Link to post Share on other sites
Sunita Posted February 11, 2013 Share Posted February 11, 2013 I posted a book recommendation in my introduction thread and Altostrata suggested I post the book here too. I highly recommend The Depression Cure, by Stephen Ilardi. It recently came out in paperback, and is a clinically tested 12 week program that cures depression through 6 lifestyle changes. I have suffered from chronic depression since I was 10 years old, and upon completing this program I was depression-free for the first time in 30 years. That's why I think if it worked for me it's worth a try for anyone. The lifestyle changes advised by the book include Omega 3, engaging activities, exercise, sunlight, social support and healthy sleep. I think I always knew that these lifestyle changes helped with depression, but what this book offers is a step by step encouraging program for actually making these changes. I am now tapering off Celexa and am experiencing withdrawal, but I really believe it is much more manageable than it would be otherwise because the program has given me a much more healthy lifestyle. Even if you don't want to do the program, I really recommend the book--it contains so much useful information and I think even following a few of the steps would help anyone tapering off antidepressants. Good luck everyone! Sunita I started taking Celexa in 2007 for anxiety, depression and PTSD. I started at 10mg and eventually increased to 40mg. I am currently tapering off Celexa. 1/22, 40 to 30mg. 1/29, 30 to 20mg. 2/5, 20 to 10mg. 2/19 to 5mg. 2/26 stopped taking. Link to post Share on other sites
hippopotamus Posted February 12, 2013 Share Posted February 12, 2013 Has anyone ever thought of making a book in which the most important info from sources like this forum about withdrawal is bundled? I think that it could be an excellent help for people who want to withdraw. Any thoughts on this? Have been on Seroquel XR from 2008. Dosages have fluctuated quite a bit. Rough guess: I've been on 250-300-350-400-450-500 mg from 2009-summer 2012. Started tapering july 2012 with cuts of 50 mg. By then I had been on 450 mg for a while. October 2012: 200 mg. Due to flu-like WD reinstated to 250 mg nov 12th. Link to post Share on other sites
Barbarannamated Posted February 12, 2013 Share Posted February 12, 2013 There is The Harm Reduction Guide to Coming off Psychiatric Medications by Will Hall with several contributors including people active on this site. http://theicarusproject.net/HarmReductionGuideComingOffPsychDrugs Gia / Gianna Kali has a good list of resources on Beyond Meds. Pristiq tapered over 8 months ending Spring 2011 after 18 years of polydrugging that began w/Zoloft for fatigue/general malaise (not mood). CURRENT: 1mg Klonopin qhs (SSRI bruxism), 75mg trazodone qhs, various hormonesLitigation for 11 years for Work-related injury, settled 2004. Involuntary medical retirement in 2001 (age 39). 2012 - brain MRI showing diffuse, chronic cerebrovascular damage/demyelination possibly vasculitis/cerebritis. Dx w/autoimmune polyendocrine failure.<p>2013 - Dx w/CNS Sjogren's Lupus (FANA antibodies first appeared in 1997 but missed by doc). Link to post Share on other sites
Administrator Altostrata Posted February 12, 2013 Administrator Share Posted February 12, 2013 I like Joseph Glenmullen's The Antidepressant Solution (aka Coming Off Antidepressants). The big book on withdrawal has yet to be written.... This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner. "It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein All postings © copyrighted. Link to post Share on other sites
hippopotamus Posted February 12, 2013 Share Posted February 12, 2013 Yes I know the Harm Reduction Guide. But reading through the posts here, I see a lot of info that seems to be really valuable and important that isnt included in the guide. I havent yet read the book by Joseph Glenmullen. Have been on Seroquel XR from 2008. Dosages have fluctuated quite a bit. Rough guess: I've been on 250-300-350-400-450-500 mg from 2009-summer 2012. Started tapering july 2012 with cuts of 50 mg. By then I had been on 450 mg for a while. October 2012: 200 mg. Due to flu-like WD reinstated to 250 mg nov 12th. Link to post Share on other sites
Moderator Emeritus Jemima Posted February 12, 2013 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted February 12, 2013 I just read an excerpt from Glenmullen's book on Amazon, and I have a lot of trouble with his idea that depression that occurs one to two months after stopping an antidepressant is a relapse rather than a withdrawal symptom. Perhaps I'm in denial about my own lengthy period of feeling sad and apathetic after "tapering" off Lexapro far too fast, but I do think post-medication problems are both greater and more drawn out than Glenmullen understands. Labeling these lingering aftereffects as psychiatric symptoms can only do harm, IMO. I've thought of writing about antidepressant withdrawal, but I'm not sure I've got the patience or the resources to do a good job of researching the facts. I do agree that the 'big book' has yet to be written. Oddly, Whitaker seems to come closest, while Healy, Breggin, and Glenmullen each seem to have groped only part of the elephant. Psychotropic drug history: Pristiq 50 mg. (mid-September 2010 through February 2011), Remeron (mid-September 2010 through January 2011), Lexapro 10 mg. (mid-February 2011 through mid-December 2011), Lorazepam (Ativan) 1 mg. as needed mid-September 2010 through early March 2012"Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity." -Hanlon's RazorIntroduction: http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/1588-introducing-jemima/ Success Story: http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/6263-success-jemima-survives-lexapro-and-dr-dickhead-too/Please note that I am not a medical professional and my advice is based on personal experience, reading, and anecdotal information posted by other sufferers. Link to post Share on other sites
Administrator Altostrata Posted February 12, 2013 Administrator Share Posted February 12, 2013 Glenmullen is not perfect, but he exhaustively explains withdrawal symptoms so patients and doctors can distinguish them from relapse. This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner. "It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein All postings © copyrighted. Link to post Share on other sites
Nikki Posted September 8, 2013 Share Posted September 8, 2013 I am in the proces of reading one of Louse Hay's books. Her message is that once she changed her thinking, she discovered a new found freedom and good things came into her life. Everyday a Friday by Joel Osteen is very good. For me I need to infuse these types of readings because I have had those imprinted and ingrained negative belief problems. Intro: http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/1902-nikki-hi-my-rundown-with-ads/ Paxil 1997-2004 Crossed over to Lexapro Paxil not available at Pharmacies GSK halted deliveries Lexapro 40mgs Lexapro taper (2years) Imipramine Imipramine and Celexa Now Nefazadone/Imipramine 50mgs. each 45mgs. Serzone 50mgs. Imipramine Link to post Share on other sites
btdt Posted January 15, 2014 Share Posted January 15, 2014 The Power of Now http://www.amazon.ca/The-Power-Now-Spiritual-Enlightenment/dp/1577314808 Better Living In puesuit of happiness from Plato to prozac http://www.amazon.ca/Better-Living-Pursuit-Happiness-Prozac/dp/0670875023/ref=sr_1_sc_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1389768084&sr=1-1-spell&keywords=better+living+in+pursuit+of+happiness+from+plato+to+porzac Our Daily Meds http://www.amazon.ca/Our-Daily-Meds-Pharmaceutical-Transformed-ebook/dp/B0015DYINQ/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1389768137&sr=1-1&keywords=our+daily+meds WARNING THIS WILL BE LONGHad a car accident in 85Codeine was the pain med when I was release from hosp continuous use till 89Given PROZAC by a specialist to help with nerve pain in my leg 89-90 not sure which yearWas not told a thing about it being a psych med thought it was a pain killer no info about psych side effects I went nuts had hallucinations. As I had a head injury and was diagnosed with a concussion in 85 I was sent to a head injury clinic in 1990 five years after the accident. I don't think they knew I had been on prozac I did not think it a big deal and never did finish the bottle of pills. I had tests of course lots of them. Was put into a pain clinic and given amitriptyline which stopped the withdrawal but had many side effects. But I could sleep something I had not done in a very long time the pain lessened. My mother got cancer in 94 they switched my meds to Zoloft to help deal with this pressure as I was her main care giver she died in 96. I stopped zoloft in 96 had withdrawal was put on paxil went nutty quit it ct put on resperidol quit it ct had withdrawal was put on Effexor... 2years later celexa was added 20mg then increased to 40mg huge personality change went wild. Did too fast taper off Celexa 05 as I felt unwell for a long time prior... quit Effexor 150mg ct 07 found ****** 8 months into withdrawal learned some things was banned from there in 08 have kept learning since. there is really not enough room here to put my history but I have a lot of opinions about a lot of things especially any of the drugs mentioned above.One thing I would like to add here is this tidbit ALL OPIATES INCREASE SEROTONIN it is not a huge jump to being in chronic pain to being put on an ssri/snri and opiates will affect your antidepressants and your thinking. As I do not update much I will put my quit date Nov. 17 2007 I quit Effexor cold turkey. http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/1096-introducing-myself-btdt/ There is a crack in everything ..That's how the light gets in Link to post Share on other sites
btdt Posted April 6, 2014 Share Posted April 6, 2014 Rethinking Psychiatric Drugs A Guide for Informed Consent http://www.amazon.ca/Rethinking-Psychiatric-Drugs-Informed-Consent/dp/1420867423 Drug Induce Dementia A Perfect Crime http://www.amazon.ca/Drug-Induced-Dementia-A-Perfect-Crime/dp/1438972318/ref=pd_sim_b_3/180-1301554-3166264?ie=UTF8&refRID=1R4ARZZ50Y4GSAF4QSDK WARNING THIS WILL BE LONGHad a car accident in 85Codeine was the pain med when I was release from hosp continuous use till 89Given PROZAC by a specialist to help with nerve pain in my leg 89-90 not sure which yearWas not told a thing about it being a psych med thought it was a pain killer no info about psych side effects I went nuts had hallucinations. As I had a head injury and was diagnosed with a concussion in 85 I was sent to a head injury clinic in 1990 five years after the accident. I don't think they knew I had been on prozac I did not think it a big deal and never did finish the bottle of pills. I had tests of course lots of them. Was put into a pain clinic and given amitriptyline which stopped the withdrawal but had many side effects. But I could sleep something I had not done in a very long time the pain lessened. My mother got cancer in 94 they switched my meds to Zoloft to help deal with this pressure as I was her main care giver she died in 96. I stopped zoloft in 96 had withdrawal was put on paxil went nutty quit it ct put on resperidol quit it ct had withdrawal was put on Effexor... 2years later celexa was added 20mg then increased to 40mg huge personality change went wild. Did too fast taper off Celexa 05 as I felt unwell for a long time prior... quit Effexor 150mg ct 07 found ****** 8 months into withdrawal learned some things was banned from there in 08 have kept learning since. there is really not enough room here to put my history but I have a lot of opinions about a lot of things especially any of the drugs mentioned above.One thing I would like to add here is this tidbit ALL OPIATES INCREASE SEROTONIN it is not a huge jump to being in chronic pain to being put on an ssri/snri and opiates will affect your antidepressants and your thinking. As I do not update much I will put my quit date Nov. 17 2007 I quit Effexor cold turkey. http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/1096-introducing-myself-btdt/ There is a crack in everything ..That's how the light gets in Link to post Share on other sites
btdt Posted April 6, 2014 Share Posted April 6, 2014 The Power of Now http://www.amazon.ca/The-Power-Now-Spiritual-Enlightenment/dp/1577314808 Better Living In puesuit of happiness from Plato to prozac http://www.amazon.ca/Better-Living-Pursuit-Happiness-Prozac/dp/0670875023/ref=sr_1_sc_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1389768084&sr=1-1-spell&keywords=better+living+in+pursuit+of+happiness+from+plato+to+porzac Our Daily Meds http://www.amazon.ca/Our-Daily-Meds-Pharmaceutical-Transformed-ebook/dp/B0015DYINQ/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1389768137&sr=1-1&keywords=our+daily+meds I think it was the Better Living book that has the story about medical people who took these drugs one day... the effects especially those that hit later on that they did not tell anyone about till one person broke open the silence ...was a very telling... as none expected the effects they were feeling to be related to the drug as this is not what they expected of the drug based on the literature. WARNING THIS WILL BE LONGHad a car accident in 85Codeine was the pain med when I was release from hosp continuous use till 89Given PROZAC by a specialist to help with nerve pain in my leg 89-90 not sure which yearWas not told a thing about it being a psych med thought it was a pain killer no info about psych side effects I went nuts had hallucinations. As I had a head injury and was diagnosed with a concussion in 85 I was sent to a head injury clinic in 1990 five years after the accident. I don't think they knew I had been on prozac I did not think it a big deal and never did finish the bottle of pills. I had tests of course lots of them. Was put into a pain clinic and given amitriptyline which stopped the withdrawal but had many side effects. But I could sleep something I had not done in a very long time the pain lessened. My mother got cancer in 94 they switched my meds to Zoloft to help deal with this pressure as I was her main care giver she died in 96. I stopped zoloft in 96 had withdrawal was put on paxil went nutty quit it ct put on resperidol quit it ct had withdrawal was put on Effexor... 2years later celexa was added 20mg then increased to 40mg huge personality change went wild. Did too fast taper off Celexa 05 as I felt unwell for a long time prior... quit Effexor 150mg ct 07 found ****** 8 months into withdrawal learned some things was banned from there in 08 have kept learning since. there is really not enough room here to put my history but I have a lot of opinions about a lot of things especially any of the drugs mentioned above.One thing I would like to add here is this tidbit ALL OPIATES INCREASE SEROTONIN it is not a huge jump to being in chronic pain to being put on an ssri/snri and opiates will affect your antidepressants and your thinking. As I do not update much I will put my quit date Nov. 17 2007 I quit Effexor cold turkey. http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/1096-introducing-myself-btdt/ There is a crack in everything ..That's how the light gets in Link to post Share on other sites
fefesmom Posted September 3, 2014 Share Posted September 3, 2014 Just heard about this author: Al Galves. I think he is a psychologist. He has a website and has written a few books. One is Harness Your Dark Side... and one, with Ian White, is called Beat Depression the Drug Free Way. Since I haven't read them (just got samples for my Kindle) I can't comment on them but the topics sound like he may be a hope for all of us. I have been on and off this site for a couple of years; just found this topic and am very glad to have found it. Best to all of us. Link to post Share on other sites
btdt Posted September 16, 2014 Share Posted September 16, 2014 http://www.theinstituteforventurescience.org/ On this above website at this link (Psychiatry and Stories of Cutthroat Competition are listed separately below) I found a lot of the books listed here that educated me to the point of what I can recall as my memory sucks and I also found many titles I have not yet read.... that appear related to our subject at hand. Medawar, Charles & Anita Hardon. Medicines Out of Control?: Antidepressants and the Conspiracy of Goodwill. Amsterdam: Aksant Academic Publishers, 2004 Bass, Alison. Side Effects: A Prosecutor, a Whistleblower, and a Bestselling Antidepressant on Trial. Algonquin Books, 2008 Breggin, Peter. Medication Madness: A Psychiatrist Exposes the Dangers of Mood-Altering Medications. St. Martin's Press, 2008 Caplan, Paula J. They Say You're Crazy: How The World's Most Powerful Psychiatrists Decide Who's Normal. Da Capo Press, 1996 Carlat, Daniel. Unhinged: The Trouble with Psychiatry — A Doctor's Revelations about a Profession in Crisis. Free Press, 2010 Diller, Lawrence H. Running on Ritalin: A Physician Reflects on Children, Society, and Performance in a Pill. Bantam, 1999 Frances, Allen. Saving Normal: An Insider's Revolt Against Out-of-Control Psychiatric Diagnosis, DSM-5, Big Pharma, and the Medicalization of Ordinary Life. William Morrow, 2013 Glenmullen, Joseph. Prozac Backlash: Overcoming the Dangers of Prozac, Zoloft, Paxil, and Other Antidepressants with Safe, Effective Alternatives. Simon & Schuster, 2001 Greenberg, Gary. Manufacturing Depression: The Secret History of a Modern Disease. Simon & Schuster, 2010 Healy, David. The Creation of Psychopharmacology. Harvard University Press, 2002 Healy, David. Let Them Eat Prozac: The Unhealthy Relationship Between the Pharmaceutical Industry and Depression. NYU Press, 2006 Healy, David. Pharmageddon. University of California Press, 2012 Horwitz, Allan V. Creating Mental Illness. University of Chicago Press, 2003 Horwitz, Allan V., Jerome C. Wakefield, & Robert L. Spitzer. The Loss of Sadness: How Psychiatry Transformed Normal Sorrow into Depressive Disorder. Oxford University Press, 2007 Kirsch, Irving. The Emperor's New Drugs: Exploding the Anti-Depressant Myth. Basic Books, 2010 Lane, Christopher. Shyness: How Normal Behavior Became a Sickness. Yale University Press, 2008 Moncrieff, Joanna. The Myth of the Chemical Cure: A Critique of Psychiatric Drug Treatment. Palgrave Macmillan, 2009 (revised ed.) Watters, Ethan. Crazy Like Us: The Globalization of the American Psyche. Free Press, 2010 Whitaker, Robert. Mad in America: Bad Science, Bad Medicine, and the Enduring Mistreatment of the Mentally Ill. Basic Books, 2010 (2nd ed.) Whitaker, Robert. Anatomy of an Epidemic: Magic Bullets, Psychiatric Drugs, and the Astonishing Rise of Mental Illness in America. Crown, 2010 O'Brien, Lawrence J. Bad Medicine: How the American Medical Establishment Is Ruining Our Healthcare System. Prometheus, 2004 Moynihan, Ray & Alan Cassels. Selling Sickness: How the World's Biggest Pharmaceutical Companies Are Turning Us All Into Patients. Nation Books, 2005 Petersen, Melody. Our Daily Meds: How the Pharmaceutical Companies Transformed Themselves into Slick Marketing Machines and Hooked the Nation on Prescription Drugs. Picador, 2009 This list is a very very small part of the site above worth looking at if you like this sort of thing. I have read some of the books but many are new to me. I was lead to this site from a utube video about the ills of science. link above if you like that sort of thing. 1 WARNING THIS WILL BE LONGHad a car accident in 85Codeine was the pain med when I was release from hosp continuous use till 89Given PROZAC by a specialist to help with nerve pain in my leg 89-90 not sure which yearWas not told a thing about it being a psych med thought it was a pain killer no info about psych side effects I went nuts had hallucinations. As I had a head injury and was diagnosed with a concussion in 85 I was sent to a head injury clinic in 1990 five years after the accident. I don't think they knew I had been on prozac I did not think it a big deal and never did finish the bottle of pills. I had tests of course lots of them. Was put into a pain clinic and given amitriptyline which stopped the withdrawal but had many side effects. But I could sleep something I had not done in a very long time the pain lessened. My mother got cancer in 94 they switched my meds to Zoloft to help deal with this pressure as I was her main care giver she died in 96. I stopped zoloft in 96 had withdrawal was put on paxil went nutty quit it ct put on resperidol quit it ct had withdrawal was put on Effexor... 2years later celexa was added 20mg then increased to 40mg huge personality change went wild. Did too fast taper off Celexa 05 as I felt unwell for a long time prior... quit Effexor 150mg ct 07 found ****** 8 months into withdrawal learned some things was banned from there in 08 have kept learning since. there is really not enough room here to put my history but I have a lot of opinions about a lot of things especially any of the drugs mentioned above.One thing I would like to add here is this tidbit ALL OPIATES INCREASE SEROTONIN it is not a huge jump to being in chronic pain to being put on an ssri/snri and opiates will affect your antidepressants and your thinking. As I do not update much I will put my quit date Nov. 17 2007 I quit Effexor cold turkey. http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/1096-introducing-myself-btdt/ There is a crack in everything ..That's how the light gets in Link to post Share on other sites
nz11 Posted December 30, 2014 Share Posted December 30, 2014 What was the name of that book i saw Altostrata and another person recommend ...by some guy GlenMullen? not sure on the name ...had the wdl checklist in the back. Id like to buy it. I'll keep looking and if i find it i'll report back here. Is it the one listed above? found it its 'The antidepressant solution' by Joseph Glenmullan. I'm off to the book depository to order it. Lasttime i ordered one from online a second hand one for $1 i think it was they then charged me $35 for postage....i might as well have bought it new. Not falling for that one again! Thought for the day: Lets stand up, and let’s speak out , together. G Olsen We have until the 14th. Feb 2018. URGENT REQUEST Please consider submitting for the petition on Prescribed Drug Dependence and Withdrawal currently awaiting its third consideration at the Scottish Parliament. You don't even have to be from Scotland. By clicking on the link below you can read some of the previous submissions but be warned many of them are quite harrowing. http://www.parliament.scot/GettingInvolved/Petitions/PE01651 Please tell them about your problems taking and withdrawing from antidepressants and/or benzos. Send by email to petitions@parliament.scot and quote PE01651 in the subject heading. Keep to a maximum of 3 sides of A4 and you can't name for legal reasons any doctor you have consulted. Tell them if you wish to remain anonymous. We need the numbers to help convince the committee members we are not isolated cases. You have until mid February. Thank you Recovering paxil addict None of the published articles shed light on what ssri's ... actually do or what their hazards might be. Healy 2013. This is so true, with anything you get on these drugs, dependance, tapering, withdrawal symptoms, side effects, just silent. And if there is something mentioned then their is a serious disconnect between what is said and reality! "Every time I read of a multi-person shooting, I always presume that person had just started a SSRI or had just stopped." Dr Mosher. Me too! Over two decades later, the number of antidepressant prescriptions a year is slightly more than the number of people in the Western world. Most (nine out of 10) prescriptions are for patients who faced difficulties on stopping, equating to about a tenth of the population. These patients are often advised to continue treatment because their difficulties indicate they need ongoing treatment, just as a person with diabetes needs insulin. Healy 2015 I believe the ssri era will soon stand as one of the most shameful in the history of medicine. Healy 2015 Let people help people ... in a natural, kind, non-addictive (and non-big pharma) way. J Broadley 2017 Link to post Share on other sites
nz11 Posted January 1, 2015 Share Posted January 1, 2015 Heres a book i have been slowly reading lately .. Peter C Gotzsche 'Deadly medicines and organised crime How big pharma has corrupted healthcare' (New York :Radcliff publishing, 2013) Gotzsche is a world leader in critquing clinic studies. 22 chapters with 2 chapters on psychiatric drugs. He doesn't hold back he has a lot of damning words to say about pharma. His telling of the commercialization of prozac reveals a truly sickening story. Thought for the day: Lets stand up, and let’s speak out , together. G Olsen We have until the 14th. Feb 2018. URGENT REQUEST Please consider submitting for the petition on Prescribed Drug Dependence and Withdrawal currently awaiting its third consideration at the Scottish Parliament. You don't even have to be from Scotland. By clicking on the link below you can read some of the previous submissions but be warned many of them are quite harrowing. http://www.parliament.scot/GettingInvolved/Petitions/PE01651 Please tell them about your problems taking and withdrawing from antidepressants and/or benzos. Send by email to petitions@parliament.scot and quote PE01651 in the subject heading. Keep to a maximum of 3 sides of A4 and you can't name for legal reasons any doctor you have consulted. Tell them if you wish to remain anonymous. We need the numbers to help convince the committee members we are not isolated cases. You have until mid February. Thank you Recovering paxil addict None of the published articles shed light on what ssri's ... actually do or what their hazards might be. Healy 2013. This is so true, with anything you get on these drugs, dependance, tapering, withdrawal symptoms, side effects, just silent. And if there is something mentioned then their is a serious disconnect between what is said and reality! "Every time I read of a multi-person shooting, I always presume that person had just started a SSRI or had just stopped." Dr Mosher. Me too! Over two decades later, the number of antidepressant prescriptions a year is slightly more than the number of people in the Western world. Most (nine out of 10) prescriptions are for patients who faced difficulties on stopping, equating to about a tenth of the population. These patients are often advised to continue treatment because their difficulties indicate they need ongoing treatment, just as a person with diabetes needs insulin. Healy 2015 I believe the ssri era will soon stand as one of the most shameful in the history of medicine. Healy 2015 Let people help people ... in a natural, kind, non-addictive (and non-big pharma) way. J Broadley 2017 Link to post Share on other sites
Moderator Emeritus Songbird Posted January 1, 2015 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted January 1, 2015 "Complete Self Help For Your Nerves" by Dr. Claire Weekes - effective techniques for dealing with anxiety, panic and the "sensitised" nervous system. "Healing Without Freud or Prozac" by David Servan-Schreiber - outlines a number of non-med approaches to depression and anxiety, which have scientific research to back them up (for example exercise, fish oil, light therapy). Not a comprehensive list, but shows that there actually are viable alternatives to meds. 2001–2002 paroxetine 2003 citalopram 2004-2008 paroxetine (various failed tapers) 2008 paroxetine slow taper down to 2016 Aug off paroxetine2016 citalopram May 20mg Oct 15mg … slow taper down2018 citalopram 13 Feb 4.6mg 15 Mar 4.4mg 29 Apr 4.2mg 6 Jul 4.1mg 17 Aug 4.0mg 18 Nov 3.8mg 2019 15 Mar 3.6mg 21 May 3.4mg 26 Dec 3.2mg 2020 19 Feb 3.0mg 19 Jul 2.9mg 16 Sep 2.8mg 25 Oct 2.7mg 23 Oct 2.6mg 24 Dec 2.5mg Link to post Share on other sites
Moderator Emeritus dalsaan Posted January 1, 2015 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted January 1, 2015 The body remembers a 8 keys to trauma recovery by Babette Rothschild andHealing Developmental Trauma by Lawrence HellerFor those who have trauma histories, particularly childhood trauma. Both authors are strong on the significance of the body and nervous system in trauma. Given I think withdrawal can itself create trauma responses and that many of us have trauma histories in our past I think these are usefulDalsaan 1 Please note - I am not a medical practitioner and I do not give medical advice. I offer an opinion based on my own experiences, reading and discussion with others.On Effexor for 2 months at the start of 2005. Had extreme insomnia as an adverse reaction. Changed to mirtazapine. Have been trying to get off since mid 2008 with numerous failures including CTs and slow (but not slow enough tapers)Have slow tapered at 10 per cent or less for years. I have liquid mirtazapine made at a compounding chemist. Was on 1.6 ml as at 19 March 2014. Dropped to 1.5 ml 7 June 2014. Dropped to 1.4 in about September. Dropped to 1.3 on 20 December 2014. Dropped to 1.2 in mid Jan 2015. Dropped to 1 ml in late Feb 2015. I think my old medication had run out of puff so I tried 1ml when I got the new stuff and it seems to be going ok. Sleep has been good over the last week (as of 13/3/15). Dropped to 1/2 ml 14/11/15 Fatigue still there as are memory and cognition problems. Sleep is patchy but liveable compared to what it has been in the past. DRUG FREE - as at 1st May 2017 >My intro post is here - http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/2250-dalsaan Link to post Share on other sites
UnfoldingSky Posted January 1, 2015 Share Posted January 1, 2015 I haven't read this one but the blurbs I have read about it sound good: Not Crazy: You May Not Be Mentally Ill by Dr. Charles Whitfield I am not a medical professional and nothing I say is a medical opinion or meant to be medical advice, please seek a competent and trusted medical professional to consult for all medical decisions. Link to post Share on other sites
nz11 Posted January 20, 2015 Share Posted January 20, 2015 Just finished this week reading Alison Bass's book:: Bass, Alison. Side Effects: A Prosecutor, a Whistleblower, and a Bestselling Antidepressant on Trial. Algonquin Books, 2008 btdt above has already mentioned it. I recommend it, i read it while riding the bike at the gym. It is an easy read and tells the revealing human story of how 2 courageous woman didn't give up on taking legal action in 2004 against GSK for fraud ..not revealing the negative adverse effects of paxil. I felt disappointed though to discover GSK settled by only paying about 2.6 million ...they should have been hit with billions! I bet they laughed all the way to their petty cash register! Rose Firestein New Yorks led lawyer on the case said its not about money ...Rose Rose Rose ! Thought for the day: Lets stand up, and let’s speak out , together. G Olsen We have until the 14th. Feb 2018. URGENT REQUEST Please consider submitting for the petition on Prescribed Drug Dependence and Withdrawal currently awaiting its third consideration at the Scottish Parliament. You don't even have to be from Scotland. By clicking on the link below you can read some of the previous submissions but be warned many of them are quite harrowing. http://www.parliament.scot/GettingInvolved/Petitions/PE01651 Please tell them about your problems taking and withdrawing from antidepressants and/or benzos. Send by email to petitions@parliament.scot and quote PE01651 in the subject heading. Keep to a maximum of 3 sides of A4 and you can't name for legal reasons any doctor you have consulted. Tell them if you wish to remain anonymous. We need the numbers to help convince the committee members we are not isolated cases. You have until mid February. Thank you Recovering paxil addict None of the published articles shed light on what ssri's ... actually do or what their hazards might be. Healy 2013. This is so true, with anything you get on these drugs, dependance, tapering, withdrawal symptoms, side effects, just silent. And if there is something mentioned then their is a serious disconnect between what is said and reality! "Every time I read of a multi-person shooting, I always presume that person had just started a SSRI or had just stopped." Dr Mosher. Me too! Over two decades later, the number of antidepressant prescriptions a year is slightly more than the number of people in the Western world. Most (nine out of 10) prescriptions are for patients who faced difficulties on stopping, equating to about a tenth of the population. These patients are often advised to continue treatment because their difficulties indicate they need ongoing treatment, just as a person with diabetes needs insulin. Healy 2015 I believe the ssri era will soon stand as one of the most shameful in the history of medicine. Healy 2015 Let people help people ... in a natural, kind, non-addictive (and non-big pharma) way. J Broadley 2017 Link to post Share on other sites
btdt Posted January 20, 2015 Share Posted January 20, 2015 What was the name of that book i saw Altostrata and another person recommend ...by some guy GlenMullen? not sure on the name ...had the wdl checklist in the back. Id like to buy it. I'll keep looking and if i find it i'll report back here. Is it the one listed above? found it its 'The antidepressant solution' by Joseph Glenmullan. I'm off to the book depository to order it. Lasttime i ordered one from online a second hand one for $1 i think it was they then charged me $35 for postage....i might as well have bought it new. Not falling for that one again! If your looking for his check list it is here in a pdf http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/2390-dr-joseph-glenmullens-withdrawal-symptom-checklist/ WARNING THIS WILL BE LONGHad a car accident in 85Codeine was the pain med when I was release from hosp continuous use till 89Given PROZAC by a specialist to help with nerve pain in my leg 89-90 not sure which yearWas not told a thing about it being a psych med thought it was a pain killer no info about psych side effects I went nuts had hallucinations. As I had a head injury and was diagnosed with a concussion in 85 I was sent to a head injury clinic in 1990 five years after the accident. I don't think they knew I had been on prozac I did not think it a big deal and never did finish the bottle of pills. I had tests of course lots of them. Was put into a pain clinic and given amitriptyline which stopped the withdrawal but had many side effects. But I could sleep something I had not done in a very long time the pain lessened. My mother got cancer in 94 they switched my meds to Zoloft to help deal with this pressure as I was her main care giver she died in 96. I stopped zoloft in 96 had withdrawal was put on paxil went nutty quit it ct put on resperidol quit it ct had withdrawal was put on Effexor... 2years later celexa was added 20mg then increased to 40mg huge personality change went wild. Did too fast taper off Celexa 05 as I felt unwell for a long time prior... quit Effexor 150mg ct 07 found ****** 8 months into withdrawal learned some things was banned from there in 08 have kept learning since. there is really not enough room here to put my history but I have a lot of opinions about a lot of things especially any of the drugs mentioned above.One thing I would like to add here is this tidbit ALL OPIATES INCREASE SEROTONIN it is not a huge jump to being in chronic pain to being put on an ssri/snri and opiates will affect your antidepressants and your thinking. As I do not update much I will put my quit date Nov. 17 2007 I quit Effexor cold turkey. http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/1096-introducing-myself-btdt/ There is a crack in everything ..That's how the light gets in Link to post Share on other sites
btdt Posted January 20, 2015 Share Posted January 20, 2015 Just finished this week reading Alison Bass's book:: Bass, Alison. Side Effects: A Prosecutor, a Whistleblower, and a Bestselling Antidepressant on Trial. Algonquin Books, 2008 btdt above has already mentioned it. I recommend it, i read it while riding the bike at the gym. It is an easy read and tells the revealing human story of how 2 courageous woman didn't give up on taking legal action in 2004 against GSK for fraud ..not revealing the negative adverse effects of paxil. I felt disappointed though to discover GSK settled by only paying about 2.6 million ...they should have been hit with billions! I bet they laughed all the way to their petty cash register! Rose Firestein New Yorks led lawyer on the case said its not about money ...Rose Rose Rose ! "Rose Firestein New Yorks led lawyer on the case said its not about money ...Rose Rose Rose !" Perhaps Rose thought what we all did at one time that if the facts were known there would be sweeping changes... we now know that does not happen. You may be perfectly correct... but how much money does it take to change things if the fines are 100 times more maybe they just get better at hiding things... real change would take more than money I just don't know what... would do it. If that is what you mean? WARNING THIS WILL BE LONGHad a car accident in 85Codeine was the pain med when I was release from hosp continuous use till 89Given PROZAC by a specialist to help with nerve pain in my leg 89-90 not sure which yearWas not told a thing about it being a psych med thought it was a pain killer no info about psych side effects I went nuts had hallucinations. As I had a head injury and was diagnosed with a concussion in 85 I was sent to a head injury clinic in 1990 five years after the accident. I don't think they knew I had been on prozac I did not think it a big deal and never did finish the bottle of pills. I had tests of course lots of them. Was put into a pain clinic and given amitriptyline which stopped the withdrawal but had many side effects. But I could sleep something I had not done in a very long time the pain lessened. My mother got cancer in 94 they switched my meds to Zoloft to help deal with this pressure as I was her main care giver she died in 96. I stopped zoloft in 96 had withdrawal was put on paxil went nutty quit it ct put on resperidol quit it ct had withdrawal was put on Effexor... 2years later celexa was added 20mg then increased to 40mg huge personality change went wild. Did too fast taper off Celexa 05 as I felt unwell for a long time prior... quit Effexor 150mg ct 07 found ****** 8 months into withdrawal learned some things was banned from there in 08 have kept learning since. there is really not enough room here to put my history but I have a lot of opinions about a lot of things especially any of the drugs mentioned above.One thing I would like to add here is this tidbit ALL OPIATES INCREASE SEROTONIN it is not a huge jump to being in chronic pain to being put on an ssri/snri and opiates will affect your antidepressants and your thinking. As I do not update much I will put my quit date Nov. 17 2007 I quit Effexor cold turkey. http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/1096-introducing-myself-btdt/ There is a crack in everything ..That's how the light gets in Link to post Share on other sites
nz11 Posted January 20, 2015 Share Posted January 20, 2015 Thanks btdt, Glenmullens book just arrived in the mail i ordered it so got it. In respect of Firestein... yeah i think the only thing that will change things is for some of these people to do time! Lets face it NewYork city could have done with 2 or 3 billion dollars in the last few years! Thought for the day: Lets stand up, and let’s speak out , together. G Olsen We have until the 14th. Feb 2018. URGENT REQUEST Please consider submitting for the petition on Prescribed Drug Dependence and Withdrawal currently awaiting its third consideration at the Scottish Parliament. You don't even have to be from Scotland. By clicking on the link below you can read some of the previous submissions but be warned many of them are quite harrowing. http://www.parliament.scot/GettingInvolved/Petitions/PE01651 Please tell them about your problems taking and withdrawing from antidepressants and/or benzos. Send by email to petitions@parliament.scot and quote PE01651 in the subject heading. Keep to a maximum of 3 sides of A4 and you can't name for legal reasons any doctor you have consulted. Tell them if you wish to remain anonymous. We need the numbers to help convince the committee members we are not isolated cases. You have until mid February. Thank you Recovering paxil addict None of the published articles shed light on what ssri's ... actually do or what their hazards might be. Healy 2013. This is so true, with anything you get on these drugs, dependance, tapering, withdrawal symptoms, side effects, just silent. And if there is something mentioned then their is a serious disconnect between what is said and reality! "Every time I read of a multi-person shooting, I always presume that person had just started a SSRI or had just stopped." Dr Mosher. Me too! Over two decades later, the number of antidepressant prescriptions a year is slightly more than the number of people in the Western world. Most (nine out of 10) prescriptions are for patients who faced difficulties on stopping, equating to about a tenth of the population. These patients are often advised to continue treatment because their difficulties indicate they need ongoing treatment, just as a person with diabetes needs insulin. Healy 2015 I believe the ssri era will soon stand as one of the most shameful in the history of medicine. Healy 2015 Let people help people ... in a natural, kind, non-addictive (and non-big pharma) way. J Broadley 2017 Link to post Share on other sites
westcoast Posted January 20, 2015 Share Posted January 20, 2015 From RxISK: "Laurie Oakley has recently brought out a book, Crazy and it Was, that gives many vivid illustrations of the problems of coping with healthcare systems, especially mental healthcare systems. Her account of what its like to deal with a doctor who just isn’t listening was particularly compelling. We asked her to give some hints of the kinds of problems covered in more detail in the book here." - See more at: http://wp.rxisk.org/over-the-top-tackling-medical-power/ This book was featured on RxISK this month.The book is called "Crazy and it Was." The author had the usual problems with psych drugs and doctors. I ordered it from Amazon and will report back after I read it. WC 2009: Cancer hospital said I had adjustment disorder because I thought they were doing it wrong. Their headshrinker prescribed Effexor, and my life set on a new course. I didn't know what was ahead, like a passenger on Disneyland's Matterhorn, smiling and waving as it climbs...clink, clink, clink. 2010: Post surgical accidental Effexor discontinuation by nurses, masked by intravenous Dilaudid. (The car is balanced at the top of the track.) I get home, pop a Vicodin, and ... Whooosh...down, down, down, down, down...goes the trajectory of my life, up goes my mood and tendency to think everything is a good idea.2012: After the bipolar jig was up, now a walking bag of unrelated symptoms, I went crazy on Daytrana (the Ritalin skin patch by Noven), because ADHD was a perfect fit for a bag of unrelated symptoms. I was prescribed Effexor for the nervousness of it, and things got neurological. An EEG showed enough activity to warrant an epilepsy diagnosis rather than non-epileptic ("psychogenic") seizures. 2013-2014: Quit everything and got worse. I probably went through DAWS: dopamine agonist withdrawal syndrome. I drank to not feel, but I felt a lot: dread, fear, regret, grief: an utter sense of total loss of everything worth breathing about, for almost two years. I was not suicidal but I wanted to be dead, at least dead to the experience of my own brain and body. 2015: I began to recover after adding virgin coconut oil and organic grass-fed fed butter to a cup of instant coffee in the morning. I did it hoping for mental acuity and better memory. After ten days of that, I was much better, mood-wise. Approximately neutral. And, I experienced drowsiness. I could sleep. Not exactly happy, I did 30 days on Wellbutrin, because it had done me no harm in the past. I don't have the DAWS mood or state of mind. It never feel like doing anything if it means standing up. In fact, I don't especially like moving. I'm a brain with a beanbag body. Link to post Share on other sites
Moderator Emeritus KarenB Posted March 1, 2015 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted March 1, 2015 These books gave me reasons to hope for healing again, after having arrived at the conclusion that nothing worked. They turned me around, got me on a focused healing path. I highly, highly recommend them. And if you don't like reading, or need cheaper options, there's heaps of talks by Gabor Mate on You Tube. In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts: Close Encounters with Addiction (By Gabor Mate) When the Body Says No: Exploring the Stress-Disease Connection (Gabor Mate) In an Unspoken Voice: How the Body Releases Trauma and Restores Goodness (Peter A Levine) 2010 Fluoxetine 20mg. 2011 Escitalopram 20mg. 2013 Tapered badly and destabilised CNS. Effexor 150mg. 2015 Begin using info at SurvivingAntidepressants. Cut 10% - bad w/d 2 months, held 1 month. Micro-tapering: four weekly 0.4% cuts, hold 4 weeks (struggling with symptoms). 8 month hold. 2017 Micro-tapering: four weekly 1% cuts, hold 4 weeks (symptoms almost non-existent). 2020 Still micro-tapering. Just over 2/3 of the way off effexor. Minimal symptoms, - and sleeping well. Supplements: Fish oil, vitamin C, iron, oat-straw tea, nettle tea. My story of healing:ContinuedHealing ***I am not a doctor; please do your own research and be able to take responsibility for decisions you make.*** 'The possibility of renewal exists so long as life exists.' Dr Gabor Mate. Link to post Share on other sites
btdt Posted March 1, 2015 Share Posted March 1, 2015 WARNING THIS WILL BE LONGHad a car accident in 85Codeine was the pain med when I was release from hosp continuous use till 89Given PROZAC by a specialist to help with nerve pain in my leg 89-90 not sure which yearWas not told a thing about it being a psych med thought it was a pain killer no info about psych side effects I went nuts had hallucinations. As I had a head injury and was diagnosed with a concussion in 85 I was sent to a head injury clinic in 1990 five years after the accident. I don't think they knew I had been on prozac I did not think it a big deal and never did finish the bottle of pills. I had tests of course lots of them. Was put into a pain clinic and given amitriptyline which stopped the withdrawal but had many side effects. But I could sleep something I had not done in a very long time the pain lessened. My mother got cancer in 94 they switched my meds to Zoloft to help deal with this pressure as I was her main care giver she died in 96. I stopped zoloft in 96 had withdrawal was put on paxil went nutty quit it ct put on resperidol quit it ct had withdrawal was put on Effexor... 2years later celexa was added 20mg then increased to 40mg huge personality change went wild. Did too fast taper off Celexa 05 as I felt unwell for a long time prior... quit Effexor 150mg ct 07 found ****** 8 months into withdrawal learned some things was banned from there in 08 have kept learning since. there is really not enough room here to put my history but I have a lot of opinions about a lot of things especially any of the drugs mentioned above.One thing I would like to add here is this tidbit ALL OPIATES INCREASE SEROTONIN it is not a huge jump to being in chronic pain to being put on an ssri/snri and opiates will affect your antidepressants and your thinking. As I do not update much I will put my quit date Nov. 17 2007 I quit Effexor cold turkey. http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/1096-introducing-myself-btdt/ There is a crack in everything ..That's how the light gets in Link to post Share on other sites
westcoast Posted March 8, 2015 Share Posted March 8, 2015 (edited) Here is a book I do not recommend: Noonday Demon: An Atlas of Depression by Andrew Solomon. Andrew is the son of a pharma exec. Here is a picture of the first page. See how quickly he gets to medications? I am pretty sure we have discussed Solomon elsewhere on the site. I thought I would have a look at the book and bought it for Kindle. Luckily you can return Kindle books if you do it quickly! (You cannot copy and paste from Kindle, hence the screenshot.) Psych drugs make it easier to love and be loved? I don't know about that. Edited July 11, 2020 by ChessieCat added highlight 2009: Cancer hospital said I had adjustment disorder because I thought they were doing it wrong. Their headshrinker prescribed Effexor, and my life set on a new course. I didn't know what was ahead, like a passenger on Disneyland's Matterhorn, smiling and waving as it climbs...clink, clink, clink. 2010: Post surgical accidental Effexor discontinuation by nurses, masked by intravenous Dilaudid. (The car is balanced at the top of the track.) I get home, pop a Vicodin, and ... Whooosh...down, down, down, down, down...goes the trajectory of my life, up goes my mood and tendency to think everything is a good idea.2012: After the bipolar jig was up, now a walking bag of unrelated symptoms, I went crazy on Daytrana (the Ritalin skin patch by Noven), because ADHD was a perfect fit for a bag of unrelated symptoms. I was prescribed Effexor for the nervousness of it, and things got neurological. An EEG showed enough activity to warrant an epilepsy diagnosis rather than non-epileptic ("psychogenic") seizures. 2013-2014: Quit everything and got worse. I probably went through DAWS: dopamine agonist withdrawal syndrome. I drank to not feel, but I felt a lot: dread, fear, regret, grief: an utter sense of total loss of everything worth breathing about, for almost two years. I was not suicidal but I wanted to be dead, at least dead to the experience of my own brain and body. 2015: I began to recover after adding virgin coconut oil and organic grass-fed fed butter to a cup of instant coffee in the morning. I did it hoping for mental acuity and better memory. After ten days of that, I was much better, mood-wise. Approximately neutral. And, I experienced drowsiness. I could sleep. Not exactly happy, I did 30 days on Wellbutrin, because it had done me no harm in the past. I don't have the DAWS mood or state of mind. It never feel like doing anything if it means standing up. In fact, I don't especially like moving. I'm a brain with a beanbag body. Link to post Share on other sites
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