Coming Off Psychiatric Drugs: A Harm Reduction Approach | Will Hall

Psychiatric medications can sometimes be very useful, but there is often little information or guidance when the risks and harm start to outweigh the benefits. Will Hall provides an introductory overview of how to come off psychiatric medication.

The Harm Reduction Guide to Coming Off Psychiatric Drugs can be downloaded for free here: http://willhall.net/comingoffmeds. Also available in Spanish, Greek, and German. Disponible tambien en español.



Will Hall is a survivor of a schizophrenia diagnosis who today works as a therapist and teaches internationally on mental diversity, including psychiatric medication. This video provides some basic guidance for anyone considering reducing or coming off psychiatric medications and their supporters, and is discussed in greater detail in the Harm Reduction Guideto Coming Off Psychiatric Drugs.

You can contact Will at http://www.willhall.net



Disclaimer: This video is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. While everyone is different, coming off medications, especially abruptly, can sometimes be dangerous. Seek support when possible and use caution.

For more information on psychiatric medications and withdrawal, go to http://www.beyondmeds.com, http://www.willhall.net/comingoffmeds, http://www.madinamerica.com, http://www.comingoff.com, http://www.peter-lehmann-publishing.com, http://www.theicarusproject.net/comingoffmeds, and Journal of Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing http://bit.ly/wbUA6A.



This video is Creative Commons copyright 2012 BY-NC-ND; you are free to share.

Thanks to Kent Bye, Jen Gouvea, and Jonathan Marrs for production.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• withdrawal
• coming off
• psychiatric drugs
• medications
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• Portland Hearing Voices
• Madness Radio
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• schizophrenia
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[TheAumadera]

help me, help me

i've been druged by psychytric medication in Portugal

Forced by law.

help me, help me

[MentalDiversity]

@TheAumadera Send me an email through my website willhall dot net and I'll try to connect you with some resources in Portugal.

[Christopher711]

because of my social anxiety i will see people looking at me wqhen they are not. once i would have sworn that a man mad a fist at me. it seemed very real but i dont think it happened.

[MentalDiversity]

@Christopher711 I've also had anxiety, thinking unreal things are real, people angry/looking at me too, maybe it's similar to yours? I connect it with trauma and being bullied, and also with my sensitivity to other people, subtle emotions, and energy.

[loopbasedzero]

are you also looking at the newer implications of GABA, and NMDA/Glutamate?

[MentalDiversity]

@loopbasedzero Amino acids are used by many people to support the withdrawal process, though they don't work for everyone. Benzodiazepine dependence appears to affect the GABA/glutamate system, and GABA supplements are sometimes helpful especially for benzo withdrawal. Check the Heather Ashton manual and Monica's website Beyond Meds for more information. - Will

[dizyootum]

My friend is going through it and I will help save my friend love you steve

[MentalDiversity]

@Glamrma My Guide has a section "I Want to Come Off But My Doctor Won’t Let Me: What Should I Do?" and the MIND study also addresses this. Sometimes you do need to go ahead without prescriber (or naturopath) approval, but it is usually best to get their support if possible. Also, some medical conditions require abrupt withdrawal, and sometimes I have seen people withdraw abruptly successfully, especially if they've only been on for a short time. Everyone is unique in this process. - Will

[wiltonhall]

@ElainaAdams Thank you. I have more available at the Madness Radio site as well. 

[wiltonhall]

@loopbasedzero Good point. Often that fear is caught up with institutional constraints such as the prevailing standard of care, limited research, and concerns about insurance liability. There are a growing number of practitioners opening up to this approach though.