Royal College of Psychiatrists Coming off Antidepressants survey results

[Altostrata]

http://updates.pain-topics.org/2012/09/safely-stopping-antidepressants.html

The Royal College of Psychiatrists (RCP) in the United Kingdom conducted a survey of 817 patients who shared their experiences with discontinuing antidepressant medications. The published results [“Coming Off Antidepressants,” August 2012, available here] are intended to help patients and their healthcare providers decide when and how to discontinue antidepressants.

 

In this article, authored by Drs. Martin Briscoe and Leanne Hayward, the RCP assures readers that antidepressants are not in themselves addictive, although nearly two-thirds (63%) of survey respondents said they had experienced uncomfortable withdrawal or a return of depression when these medications were discontinued. This suggests a high rate of physiological dependence and is a higher figure than other research had previously suggested (about 30%); so, it is likely that this problem has been underestimated.

 

http://www.rcpsych.ac.uk/mentalhealthinfo/treatments/comingoffantidepressants.aspx