Starbuck - Getting through Spiritual Emergency without Zyprexa

[Starbuck]

Hi!

I'm currently on Zyprexa(15mg), Abilify(15mg), Lamictal(75mg) and Risperdal(1,5mg). I'd like to quit them all.

I've read online about Spiritual emergency and psychosis being a healing process for the mind. I thought about renting a cabin in the woods for the next summer to withdrawal from Zyprexa and maybe even going through psychosis. Before that I'd like to slowly quit Abilify and at least lower the Risperdal and Lamictal(Lamotrigine).

I feel like Zyprexa is the dam that's holding back all that psychosis for me. I once lowered it  to 7,5mg and got the most terrifying nightmare of my life. I think I'd like to face all that fear now, and try to work my way through it.

I first went into psychosis two months after quitting the SSRI Cipralex in 2008. I stopped it because it made me hypomanic, and I got scared. I was prescribed Cipralex because I had panic attacks over my Irritable bowel syndrome.

I was on and off different medication until 2012, when I tried to stop the antipsychotic Zyprexa for good. This caused me to have my second psychosis and hospitalization.

Living with antipsychotics, I fear for my health in the long-term, and feel like I have to give quitting them a try. For years I've searched for the right cocktail, but it seems that there isn't one.

Can anyone who's quit antipsychotics give me advice? Is going through psychosis unmedicated even possible?

 

Thanks,

 

Starbuck

[Rhiannon]

Well, I don't know much about "going through psychosis" and I have no advice for you about that. But I can tell you about psych drug withdrawal, and I don't advise going through that intentionally in order to bring on a spiritual crisis. I don't think there's anything healing about the kind of crisis that going off psych meds too fast will bring about.

 

Please read this topic: http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/1008-intro-to-antidepressant-withdrawal-syndrome/

and follow the links suggested and read those topics as well. Also read through some other members' stories. 

 

I also recommend Will Hall's "Harm Reduction Guide", which you can find by Googling "Will Hall Harm Reduction Guide." It's available in a downloadable PDF format.

 

I agree with you that quitting antipsychotics, or at least getting to drastically reduced dosages, will reduce health risks long term.

[Petunia]

Hi Starbuck, welcome.

 

I've read online about Spiritual emergency and psychosis being a healing process for the mind. I thought about renting a cabin in the woods for the next summer to withdrawal from Zyprexa and maybe even going through psychosis.

 

The psychosis type experience which can sometimes accompany spiritual events is not the same as withdrawal symptoms from stopping psychiatric medications too fast.  It would be very unsafe for you to be alone in the woods in a psychotic state, no matter what the cause.

 

Its true that a person can heal from psychosis without medication, the work of Loren Mosher through Soteria House showed that its possible, but 24 hour support and a safe environment is needed.

 

See here for more information:

 

Soteria Network

 

We can help you safely taper off your medication so that you don't experience withdrawal induced psychosis, please look at the link and resources that Rhi provided.

 

Petu.

[Starbuck]

Thanks for the info, I'll look at the links. The Harm Reduction Guide is very good!

[Altostrata]

Welcome, Starbuck.

 

Also see The Hearing Voices Network http://www.hearing-voices.org/

 

That is a very strong drug cocktail you're on. Three antipsychotics!!! You may wish to talk with a doctor about minimizing your drugs. See this list http://tinyurl.com/7cp8l8v