Can we make bumper stickers, magnets, shirts ...?

[composter]

For all of us who have gone through withdrawal, I'm sure many of us have thought something like "proper tapering advice needs to be on billboards or PSAs." I've felt very alone in my community besides friends who know what im going through, and have felt like I need to display some badge or sign of what I'm going through/gone through.  

 

What can we do to publicise this forum and proper tapering advice in impactful ways? Would mods be interested in producing merchandise that folks can display, like t-shirts, magnets, bumper stickers etc? With catchy slogans and good graphics that link to this site? Proceeds go to the site?

 

Sample messages: 

 

"Ask me about my antidepressant withdrawal."

"If you're tapering an antidepressant, go much slower than you'd think."

"Antidepressant withdrawal is real and it sucks."

Or just simply stickers with this websites name.

[Altostrata]

Intriguing idea. Staff doesn't have the bandwidth to do this, and this site is non-commercial.

 

You might start it yourself on CafePress or one of those types of sites, let us know how you're doing.

[composter]

OK thanks Alto I'll work on some mock-ups and report back.  

[Greatful]

@composter

I love your idea.  I often feel very frustrated with the lack of general public acknowledge out there.   I would love to have a tee-shirt to wear or a bumper sticker drawing attention to the dangers of these drugs.

Maybe we could print the website to a few places for people to go look at for information.

Like the inner compose, Medicating Normal,  etc.  Get a little business going.........

 

[Mdawg]

I’d like to as well! I know you can purchase custom laptop stickers on Etsy 

[HopefulDawn]

I think something like this would be good

[Phoenixmama]

i love this idea 

[Greatful]

@Mdawg @Phoenixmama 

 

 

I can come up with idea's--but how to implement them is another story LOL

List website-Like SA-inner compass-medicating normal- some you tube links-books--????

Let's see how can we start it

 

Do you know the dangers of taking psychotropics--Do you know that you can have withdrawal symptoms when you try to stop.

Is your Doctor and the Public being miss informed?

For information go to https://www.survivingantidepressants.org/ --https://medicatingnormal.com/--

baylissa.com/withdrawal-help--https://www.theinnercompass.org/    ???

 

Books:  

Your Drug Might Be Your Problem---By Peter Breggin, M.D and David Cohen, PH.D

Anatomy Of A Epidemics--By Robert Whitaker

A Straight Talking Introduction to Psychiatric Drugs--By Joanna Moncrieff

????? 

You Tube:

Our Psychiatric Drug Epidemic https://youtu.be/J4guc7Q8PaQ

Author Robert Whitaker  Anatomy Of a Epidemic https://youtu.be/5VBXWdhabuQ

 

Do you know how the Origan of the  DSM Manual? You will be shocked when you watch this  https://youtu.be/6JPgpasgueQ

 

I know there a lot more books and other information we could use----Do you have any that you would like to add?

Any in put--this could be fun to brain storm on- LOL-  even if it at least gives us something to do to get our frustrations out😁 

 

 

Edited May 19, 2022 by Greatful

[Greatful]

@Ariel  Hey girl---Do you think you have any insight or maybe want to chime in on this LOL--You did a fair amount of research didn't you?  You sent your therapist information....By the way did you ever come up with more information to send to Doctors etc?

 

[Ariel]

Hi @Greatful hugs to you <3

 

Hmm... I'm thinking keep it catchy and simple. Presumably whatever's written on stickers, shirts, etc. is read quickly, so the more attention you can grab efficiently in that moment, the more the message will stick in people's minds. My instinct would be to awaken people's curiosity, so that the text is memorable and sparks something in the reader, potentially leading them to think about it and look things up themselves. 

 

I like @composter's original suggestions ...

 

On 9/8/2019 at 10:24 AM, composter said:

Sample messages: 

 

"Ask me about my antidepressant withdrawal."

"If you're tapering an antidepressant, go much slower than you'd think."

"Antidepressant withdrawal is real and it sucks."

Or just simply stickers with this websites name.

 

... and perhaps they could possibly be punched up a bit, for example, off the top of my head:  

 

I survived antidepressants 

 

Psychiatric Survivor

 

I survived psychiatric medication

 

Off My Meds, Never Better / Off My Meds, Finally Sane (must be a good way to phrase that, can't think of the right formula atm -- but you know what i mean)

 

Your Drug Might Be Your Problem 

 

Psych Drugs Made Me Crazy

 

Ask Me About Non-Drug Coping Techniques

 

Non-Drug Coping Techniques 4-Eva <3

 

etc. etc. 

 

Just spitballin' here. I'm leaning towards something short-ish and flashy, that could be used as a conversation starter. 

 

Greatful, I find all your suggestions and links are well-chosen and totally valid, too. I guess I'm just wondering whether it's realistic for passers-by to properly take in that level of information from glancing at a bumper sticker or magnet or shirt. In our weird modern world we are bombarded by so much info every minute of every day that unless it's something which connects emotionally and intrigues us we will not take it in, the brain will block it out. Everyone's brain is overloaded, not just ours in WD!

 

To me, best-case scenario, someone sees the message on a sticker/shirt/magnet/patch and a) stops to inquire further, asking the wearer questions (this is the "engage others in conversation" angle; b) their curiosity is piqued, and they therefore remember the catchy slogan and look it up online to learn more about it (this is the "spark their curiosity" tactic).

 

And the site logo with website address is certainly a classic option. 

 

 

 

 

 

[Ariel]

This topic is getting me fired up and feeling like I wish we could all have a rally IRL ... instead of pink hats we could wear ... phrenology helmets or eeg caps! Psychiatric survivors' march on Washington ... (we may have to wear dark glasses and ear plugs and keep our non-trigerring distance from each other in the crowd, hahaha)

How lovely would it be to have an activist conference? Somewhere in nature where our nervous systems could relax better (who wants to protest in DC honestly? we can just invite press to the forest, let the media do their thing while we forest bathe)

Featuring speeches by Altostrata and Robert Whitaker and Joanna Moncrieff and many others; screenings of "Medicating Normal" and Will Hall's movie and others; withdrawal-friendly catering lol 

and a special-event Houdini-style stage show where a troupe of dancers perform choreography escaping their straitjackets!!!! 

[Greatful]

@@Ariel I hear you on the over the top information--LOL  I just want to get it ALL out there🙄 Yep it would be a little hard to fit much on a button- a catchy slogan for buttons---- YOUR PSYSIC DRUGS MIGHT BE YOUR PROBLEM--or ASK ME ABOUT THE DANGERS OF PYSIC DRUGS--ASK ME HOW TO GET OFF PSYIC DRUGS

Bumper stickers might say a little more ----YOU CAN GET OFF PSYIC DRUGS--SURVIVINGANTIDEPRESSANT.ORG -( maybe have several different stickers with each listing different  Websites ?

Tee-shirts could have a catchy slogan on the front with maybe a picture-- on the back can list some of the Websites-Books- etc. 

It sure would be great if we could  have the energy to have a rally or a march--Ahhhh to dream of that day when we do have the energy to maybe start something like this--yearly rally's around the globe---

 

Media- do you think they would even come lol-- big pharma pays to much money for adds- they have their hands deep in everything--news and TV run from them like they are the mafia 🤣😓  

 

By the way have you ever watch the one about the Origan of the DSM? 

[Ariel]

4 minutes ago, Greatful said:

I just want to get it ALL out there🙄

 

I totally hear you on this. I want everyone to get a clue and wake the f*** up, like, YESTERDAY. 

 

I like all your ideas. And everyone else's ideas. Hey look y'all, we're having ideas !!?!??! Whaddup withdrawal brains, how you doin'?

Good job peeps <3

 

Psych drugs = social control 

 

Psych med$ = social control 

 

... or something like that ...

 

Pass the placebo 

 

No thanks, psychiatry, I prefer the placebo 

 

*

 

lolol i'm full of bad ideas (blame WD) it's Fuuuun 

 

 

 

 

[Mdawg]

Psychiatric pseudoscience 

 

psychiatry drugged me

 

you need an intervention for your antidepressants 

 

what happened to say no to drugs

 

say no to psych drugs 

 

if someone offers you an antidepressant, you can say no thanks 

 

my brain can heal itself without drugs 

 

your pills are your problem 

 

your pills might be your problem 

 

I survived psych drugs 

 

I survived antidepressants 

 

I got off my antidepressants, and the real world is beautiful 

 

if you’ve been on antidepressants, your drug free brain is a psychedelic experience 

 

Maybe it’s time to get off your meds

 

……

[Mdawg]

Psychiatrists are lobotomista baristas 😂

[Ariel]

3 hours ago, Mdawg said:

Psychiatrists are lobotomista baristas 😂

Haha!

[arbor]

Yes!!!  Here's a company that makes all kinds of personalized articles.  I think they do bumper stickers, stamps, t-shirts, etc.      https://www.zazzle.com/

 

🚩🚩🚩

Edited May 21, 2022 by arbor

[Greatful]

@arbor  Nice of you to stop by LOL---😊 to our crazy idea -- What do you think would be a good way to get this rolling--Any ideas on what to say?

How about we sell  on etsy---someone can do the bumper stickers- someone could do the tee-shirts--someone could do the buttons.

I suppose we would be band from there---slander to the drug companies lol😒

 

 

 

[arbor]

Hi @GreatfulI like all the ideas here, and as I think of approaches, I'll post some more.  Keep brainstorming.  It feels good to laugh as well as warn others🎺

Thinking of you,

Arbor

[Mdawg]

How’s everybuddy doinnn

[Greatful]

@Mdawg 

I did a small part. I sent my Therapist the YT link for Antidepressant Withdrawal Syndrome and it's  Management 

 

https://youtu.be/PSjYH044-2Q she said I could send it to her...I also snuck in the link to Medicating Normal and 

https://youtu.be/5VBXWdhabuQ Robert Whitaker  Anatomy of a Epidemic.

 

I think I am slowly opening her eyes to the whole over prescribing, miss use of drugs and withdrawal.

She told me when she has clients that are not  reacting  well to a new drug she feels like telling them if it's not better in the 2 weeks stop it.

She also has to be careful because  some of her clients get their prescriptions from the doctors at the clinic.  She has to be careful not to over step her boundaries.  I can only imagine the struggle to find a way to warn her clients and not get into trouble.  So sad that there is that line of authority and not to cross it, when it's should really be about the safety for the client.

I told her  a little bit about our adventure here ☺️bumper stickers, buttons, etc.  

 

I'm ready to get it rolling lol  

 

[JanCarol]

I've made little homemade business cards - my name isn't on them, just the Surviving Antidepressants logo, website - and "Need help coming off antidepressants?"

I pass these cards out all the time.

[pinkfairy]

On 11/6/2023 at 6:20 AM, JanCarol said:

I've made little homemade business cards - my name isn't on them, just the Surviving Antidepressants logo, website - and "Need help coming off antidepressants?"

I pass these cards out all the time.

What an amazing idea!!!