
How to Quit Antidepressants: Slowly, Doctors Say - bookofjoe
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/05/health/depression-withdrawal-drugs.html
======
webmobdev
As a teenager, I went for a brief session of counselling for depression due to
low self-esteem. Along with counselling, the psychiatrist also prescribed an
anti-depressant for me.

At that age, I used to believe that anti-depressants don't work and were just
marketing bullshit. And that therapy through counselling was the only
effective way to treat psychological issue as the "human mind was very
powerful". But I took the anti-depressants. So, even though the anti-
depressants worked and made me feel real good, I attributed that to the "good
counselling" received that helped me resolve many issues. And so one day, I
stopped taking it without telling the doctor.

The next session, I mentioned to him that I had stopped taking it as I felt it
didn't seem to have any effect on me and I didn't need it. A look of concern
flashed on the doctor's face as he enquired when I stopped taking it. He
mentioned this particular anti-depressant shouldn't be stopped suddenly and
needed to be slowly tapered off, but I dismissed his concern that since it
wasn't working for me there was nothing to worry.

To make a long story short - after that session I suddenly crashed and went
into a deep depression, and even quit counselling. It was only later, after a
long time when I resumed counselling that I realised what had gone wrong with
me - you can't quit some anti-depressants cold turkey.

~~~
plants
Anecdotally, I have seen the same thing with anti-anxiety medication. Not sure
what medication it was exactly, but some folks that are close to me have had a
much higher incidence of panic attacks when they abruptly stopped taking their
medication. Same deal - they thought they were fine, then a week or so later,
it was just panic attack after panic attack until they refilled their
prescription.

~~~
Pharmakon
Most anxiolytics are benzodiazepines, and quitting cold turkey can quite
literally kill you, especially if you’ve been on a significant dose over time.
These drugs raise your seizure threshold, but rapidly quitting creates a
backlash of lowered seizure threshold, and you can have far worse outcomes
than just rebound anxiety.

~~~
Engineering-MD
Benzodiazepine withdrawal can be unpleasant, but is very unlikely to kill. As
far as I am aware, there is only one case of benzodiazepine withdrawal related
death (which is not certain in any case).

------
time0ut
I took an SSRI for 15 years. It took me multiple tries over a couple years to
taper off. It was not a fun experience. When I tried doing it too fast, I
would get terrible headaches. The final attempt took 9 months of careful
tapering until I got below the therapeutic dose and just stopped.

I do regret ever starting it. I feel like I lost a part myself to it. I feel
like the peaks and valleys of my emotions are gone. I never get very sad or
angry, but I don't ever feel very happy either.

~~~
ionised
> I never get very sad or angry, but I don't ever feel very happy either.

That just sounds like the depression that was there before you started taking
the SSRI.

At least it describes my depression perfectly. Apathy.

That's how I feel with or without the SSRI's I had taken in the past, none of
which seemed to have any effect on me for whatever reason.

------
momentmaker
Some people have been able to quit antidepressants cold after using
psychedelics Ayahuasca that rewires the brain synapsis.

Of course, it's only individual cases.

~~~
Pharmakon
Taking Ayahuasca while on antidepressants is a breathtakingly bad idea, even
without an intent to use the experience to “quit” them. Don’t. Do. It.

~~~
acct1771
Consider a well-reasoned response of why, instead of just telling people what
to do.

~~~
Pharmakon
I’m not _that_ invested in their wellbeing, and I’m not making an argument
requiring citations. I’ll leave it to people with access to Google to do basic
research on their own health.

------
mhh__
Is "Slowly" the advice for most (all) addictions too: e.g. Not the Miles Davis
solution to heroin addiction

------
ArrayList
SSRIs are extremely dangerous and life-altering. I'm definitely not the same
and I was only exposed to it [Citalopram] for about a week or so. Look up
post-SSRI Sexual Dysfunction (PSSD) - possible permanent reduction in libido
and overall sexual response. Or anhedonia - complete removal of emotions.

Vitamin D, fish oil, exercise, and improving your diet should be considered
before ingesting poison.

~~~
webmobdev
Some anti-depressants do have the side effect of reduced libido and loss of
interest in sex. But it is not known to be permanent as far as I am aware.

~~~
coldacid
It can be permanent, but that's a fairly rare (but known) case.

