Inner Compass and The Withdrawal Project

[neroli]

https://www.facebook.com/innercompassinitiative/?hc_ref=ARRdIIjHYzgACJg-XE4ALjq7mDuGx2nKOqs1uEG3SG5KNfs-cTophiNVJCkdIAwSLro

[SkyBlue]

 

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MOD NOTE:  Please see this post by Altostrata

 

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This initiative (described below) is similar to this site, but focusing on helping people find each other in person, where they live. Additional great info on tapering and withdrawal. 

 

****Announcing the Launch of Inner Compass Initiative and ICI’s The Withdrawal Project!****

Inner Compass Initiative (ICI) is a new 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that provides information and resources to help people make more informed choices regarding all things “mental health” and to support people who wish to leave, bypass, or build community beyond the mental health system. Its first major effort, The Withdrawal Project (TWP), is a comprehensive online hub for safer psychiatric drug withdrawal. The resources on the ICI and TWP websites include a detailed layperson’s “Companion Guide” to safer tapering from psychiatric medications; mini-booklets that provide detailed, critical information about psychiatric drugs, psychiatric diagnoses, and the mental health industry; and two networking platforms to help people who are thinking critically about the mental health system or seeking support for psychiatric drug withdrawal to find each other in their local communities.
Visit ICI at www.theinnercompass.org 
Visit TWP at withdrawal.theinnercompass.org 

 

 

Edited September 18, 2018 by ChessieCat
added mod note

[DoctorMussyWasHere]

I came across it today. Indeed a very well-presented website.

The Inner Compass - website

The Inner Compass - Facebook

 

Edited September 14, 2018 by ChessieCat
updated link

[TikkiTikki]

Yeah, wow – has anyone else checked this site out? I read a lot of it last night and it was strange to read all the information we know so well from SA presented in an "official public health" way. A lot of inner searching and reflection in their tapering and preparing sections, but I suppose that's really helpful when you're starting out.

 

They don't have specific drug information, and don't actually 'name names' – they direct you to read labels etc. Why would this be? Avoiding legal trouble?

 

Does anyone know more about Laura Delano? Was she ever a member here or at PP? And did she consult with Alto when starting her initiative?

[bubbles]

There's some stuff about her at Mad in America. Also she has some Youtube videos, from memory.

[TikkiTikki]

Thanks Bubbles.

 

Are you writing a book, or compiling research for something? You seem to be across a lot of the research and very knowledgeable. I read a book early this year called Coming of Age on Zoloft by an American author, and it was based around personal stories of using ADs and individual mental health narratives. It was quite thoughtful about how drugs figure in the stories we tell ourselves about our mental health, but I wished it had more to say about difficulties with withdrawal, and how often that is labelled relapse.

 

Do you think that awareness of AD withdrawal is gathering momentum? It seems to be that there are more articles in mainstream media, more sites like Inner Compass being established, and my most recent GP has acknowledged that "some people have a lot of trouble coming off antidepressants" and agreed to prescribe a compounded solution for me! (And THAT is almost the most remarkable development, to my mind!)

 

Beyond my own taper, I find the whole area really interesting.

[Bee5]

Hi,

 

While researching brain zaps, I came across a new-ish website dedicated to withdrawal. The SA forum/website was actually an inspiration for the website. The website is https://withdrawal.theinnercompass.org/. Has anyone else checked it out? I would love to hear the thoughts of the mods. The website is informative, aesthetically pleasing and well-organised; however, It doesn't contain more information than we have on SA.

Regards,

Bee

 

Edited September 14, 2018 by ChessieCat
topic merged

[Bee5]

On 9/14/2018 at 1:32 PM, Bee5 said:

I would love to hear the thoughts of the mods

 

@Altostrata and @ChessieCat and @brassmonkey and @Shep, do you have any thoughts on this website?

[Shep]

I'm not a member, Bee5, so I'm not qualified to give a review. 

 

Do they give tapering advice for specific drugs or just an overview of the basic "10% or less per month" reduction method? 

 

I would be careful getting information off the internet and do your research thoroughly. If you find that site helpful, then it's a good site for you to use. But it's really too new and we haven't gotten a lot of feedback posted here on SA about it (at least not that I've seen). 

[Altostrata]

On 8/30/2018 at 4:32 PM, TikkiTikki said:

Yeah, wow – has anyone else checked this site out? I read a lot of it last night and it was strange to read all the information we know so well from SA presented in an "official public health" way. A lot of inner searching and reflection in their tapering and preparing sections, but I suppose that's really helpful when you're starting out.

 

They don't have specific drug information, and don't actually 'name names' – they direct you to read labels etc. Why would this be? Avoiding legal trouble?

 

Does anyone know more about Laura Delano? Was she ever a member here or at PP? And did she consult with Alto when starting her initiative?

 

Laura and I have known each other for years. She has been searching for a way to monetize information about tapering and withdrawal. For a fee, she used to provide emotional support but no hard information. Inner Compass, The Withdrawal Project, and her foundation are the latest iteration of her business model. She gets grants.

 

Not too long ago, I asked her how much she'd borrowed from SurvivingAntidepressants and she gave me a vague cover-your-ass answer. So there you go.

 

I guess her project gets more information out in public, so that's all good, but as usual, she leaves the heavy lifting to others. She provides no individualized coaching in tapering.

 

Read your drug inserts.

[Bee5]

Thanks for weighing in @Shep and @Altostrata. I just like the way the website is presented (because there are no threads, but pages, which make finding info simpler).

I will however, never discount what SA has to offer in comparison. This forum is probably the best thing that has ever happened to me.

The two are different, but related resources, but as Alto points out, I don't think monetising withdrawal and tapering is a moral idea (unless someone is starting up a physical clinic facility run by lay-people such as our members on SA). 

[Baxter]

I joined the Inner Compass site just to snoop around. All it required was a username and a password. It is very professionally done - including carefully worded pop-up disclaimer that you must Confirm to be allowed further into the site. It appears to me that a web designer, an editor, and a legal expert have done their jobs. It's slick.  No new information about withdrawal, though. Long and short of it:  the founder has invested in her new startup. 

 

[TikkiTikki]

On 9/18/2018 at 8:00 AM, Altostrata said:

 

Laura and I have known each other for years. She has been searching for a way to monetize information about tapering and withdrawal. For a fee, she used to provide emotional support but no hard information. Inner Compass, The Withdrawal Project, and her foundation are the latest iteration of her business model. She gets grants.

 

Not too long ago, I asked her how much she'd borrowed from SurvivingAntidepressants and she gave me a vague cover-your-ass answer. So there you go.

 

I guess her project gets more information out in public, so that's all good, but as usual, she leaves the heavy lifting to others. She provides no individualized coaching in tapering.

 

Read your drug inserts.

 

Interesting. And disappointing for you.

She refers to the "layperson withdrawal community" in referencing all her information, or something like that, and I found it weird that she didn't name specific websites and communities ( though she does have links or a list later). Also not speaking specifically about individual drugs. 

I did join the Connect thing, but it only enables one-on-one communication, not forums, and it didn't seem heavily populated as yet.

I prefer talking to real people here!! 

 

Someone should write a book about the history of antidepressant withdrawal online communities. I would read it.

[Altostrata]

Not so disappointing because I know Laura!!

[Bruci]

On 9/20/2018 at 6:58 AM, TikkiTikki said:

Someone should write a book about the history of antidepressant withdrawal online communities. I would read it.

I am new here, just starting my taper, but I’m a medical writer and I would be interested in participating in the writing of a book compiling all the information here on the forum. I have contacted Altostrata so she knows my intention. Ideally, there should be at least one or two sympathetic psychiatrists on board to get credibility.

 

Let’s start the discussion.