Psychiatric Drug Withdrawal Town Hall 6 - Inspiration, Hope and Healing: Success Stories
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- čas přidán 12. 05. 2023
- Join Mad in America and the International Institute for Psychiatric Drug Withdrawal as we hear the success stories of guest speakers Brooke Siem, Gemma Da Costa, and Michael Priebe who endured grueling withdrawal from antidepressants and benzodiazepines.
These incredible panelists will share information and inspiration for those on the journey, their loved ones, practitioners, and anyone interested in the topic. There will be a deep dive into what helped each panelist heal and move on to live a fulfilling life. We’ll share valuable resources and the audience will have the opportunity to ask questions.
About the Guest Speakers
Brooke Siem (@brookesiem) is a writer whose work on antidepressant withdrawal has appeared in The Washington Post, New York Post, Psychology Today, and more. Her debut memoir, MAY CAUSE SIDE EFFECTS is the first book on antidepressant withdrawal to hit the mass-market, a notable milestone in the journey to bring global awareness to antidepressant withdrawal. She is also an award winning chef and Food Network "Chopped" Champion and founder of the newsletter, Happiness Is A Skill.
Gemma Da Costa works for the Government of the United Kingdom at The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) compiling cases for court and helping ensure justice is served within the judicial system. She is also an enthusiastic and dedicated person who is committed to working with individuals experiencing challenges in life. She is an ardent advocate for the rights of others with a keenness for providing information, advice, care, and guidance. After healing from a severe and protracted withdrawal from mirtazapine, she began a CZcams channel to give hope of recovery to others. She continues to spread awareness, sharing her journey and having discovered newfound peace, gratitude, and happiness.
Michael Priebe is a writer and wellness coach who enjoys helping others find greater health, joy, and spiritual connection in their lives. He experienced prescription drug withdrawal after quitting Paxil and Xanax nearly a decade ago, and through his coaching, he now helps others to better understand the withdrawal process and what it takes to move forward in healing and growth. Last year he released The Healing Mindset, a video-based online course that walks others through the points of emphasis he considers most important in withdrawal healing, and his Lovely Grind blog posts and CZcams videos inspire thousands of people each month. He invites you to visit www.lovelygrind.com to find out more about his story and work.
About the Host
James Moore has personal experience of psychiatric drug withdrawal and is a keen advocate for greater awareness of the need to taper safely. He hosts and produces the Let’s Talk Withdrawal and Mad In America podcasts.
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Thank you for being with us to listen to the podcast, attend our events and read our articles this year. MIA is funded entirely by reader donations. If you value MIA, please help us continue to survive and grow. www.madinamerica.com/donate/ - Věda a technologie
I am healthy, i am healed.
That's how it works. 💪 bedridden for 2 years. Now healed.
How did you get healed
Time and self care?
I am healed after putting away ssri and antipsychotics, it took me around 2 years to heal
I wish I had people who would celebrate the smallest things instead of questioning me at 32 months off. I constantly get, "Are you getting ANY better?" like they have just given up hope. It would be monumental if people would just say, I'm here for you, I believe you, etc. People don't have any idea how much that would fuel us on.
I believe in you. ❤
Agreed
I feel so sorry for my elderly customers who are on these drugs and are now too old to come off them. I’m talking about ages 80-95 years old 💔
❤
To quote another patient who has endured this devastating, enduring, shocking, suffering: "Thank you for exposing these Medical Criminals. The damage they cause is Unfathomable." That is a very good way to describe the Suffering. It is truly a miracle that patients survive it. It is, Literally, unspeakable suffering. I say SUE THEM ALL. REVOKE ALL THEIR MEDICAL LICENSES. LOCK THEM UP. THEN, THINGS WOULD CHANGE. Don't EVER fall for the line that they didn't know the suffering you would endure. They have had 60+ years to learn all about it. It has been universally known since these drugs were introduced, in the 60's. Is obvious why this still goes on. It's the money, $$$, and only the money, they are paid to prescribe these drugs. The only one's who didn't know are the vulnerable, unknowing, distressed patients. Despicable. "Do No Harm," what a joke! And don't forget all the many, many, patients who Couldn't endure it, and took their own lives...pray for them.
Standard of Care psychiatrists provide cash cows for their Mental Health Industry - pharmaceutical co-franchise!
I hope that one day in the not too distant future there are centers around the world where people like my son can go and be helped and suported to heal
🆙☝️You can always order from him, he's legit & reliable,he's got em magic shrooms,LSD,DMT and many more.
Yes where families get support and education and where we do t get tied down and administered more of the very drugs that put us there.
I have a personal support environment mainly based on my extra sensory autistic traits but all the autistic support strategies like sensory rooms etc brilliant when i had a rapid detox due to my chemist posting it into someone elses locked letterbox and then refused to support me by addressing this issue 😊
I tried my best to do what i was told but thank goodness the system fell together 😅😊🎉
Meanwhile encourage your son. Find something positive about him and highlight; attributes like looks, kindness, arithmetic skill, ... anything especially he takes for granted. Believe me, most psychiatry patients rarely receive compliments. Try the power of positive praise, truth only. No fakeness. Don't forget to to acknowledge mistakes but affirm them as human error to learn from and move on.
These medications are evil! Lack of support to discontinue. I was not informed how evil these withdrawal symptoms would be. Angry as hell.
Neurotoxic drugs cause Disassociation; in 2012, Allen Francis stated on T.V.: "Psych drugs cause mass shootings!" / Forcing people to take psych drugs - is 2nd Degree Assault. These also cause Tardive Dyskinesia - iatrogenic!
I'm in withdrawal ar the moment and I am so happy i came across this.
❤
" a different person than you were"
How very true.
" My trip through the polypharmacy blender"
That is my story that I published after my withdrawal.
I’m so worried about my 7 yr old nephew. He is higher functioning (sorry not sure how to say it now) autistic and such a deep feeler and a genius. They put him on antidepressants and he is so young. I pray he gets off soon. My sister is educating herself with all this right now. If you pray please pray for healing in his brain and heart. Something bad happened to him for a few years. It kills me to see him tired and like a cloud over his sweet face. Thank you. 🙏🏻 I know these meds and I pray for protection for him. ❤
Update: he is different today and so is his 3 yr old brother and my sister so keep 🙏🏻
This is the most positive forum I have heard and just change my own journey I’m on. May u guys be blessed abundantly in Jesus name
Amen sister I agree 🙏🏿☺️🙏🏿
Amen! He's working on me currently.
Thank you and you too!
Thank you for this video ❤. I recently "bridged with Prozac" off of Effexor XR. That made me a zombie, I was switched to trintellix. NOTHING has touched the hell of the effexor withdrawal. Unfortunately, as a nurse I have to be able to work and I reinstated 37.5 of the effexor. Today is day 5 back on it and feeling a bit better. But I will stabilize then slowly wean... Withdrawal is pure HELL. I just thought I felt horrible from the other meds but now I realize it's probably effexor withdrawal (4 months off). I am sad and ticked that I had to go back on it. I will be much more careful coming off it after I stabilize. 😢
How are you doing now? I'm a nurse too. I just had the same thing happen to me. Same feelings.
@@tammyritter1277 I had to go back on the effexor. Weaning very slowly now but it got much better after I went back in it. I just want off the poison. I will be off someday. Just going to take a long time
I was on Amytriptilin, and duloxetine for 8 years. Going through withdrawls , caused my blood sugar, blood pressure to go through roof, never had sugar are blood pressure problems until i started the meds. Brain felt like it was dying, zaps in the brain, destroyed my serotonin , falling down, numbness in arms and leggs, I ended up in the hospital thinking I was having a stroke. The doctor there put me on Gabepatine, got to where I couldnt breath on several occasions, didnt know it was the med, until recently and doing my own research. My story continues, and doctors act like its in my head, of course it is, my brain chemistry has been altered. 😢
Hi Brooke and Michael my hero’s ! They have helped me get through this 5 year PAwS cold turkey Cymbalta by my GP. I’m still healing this is crazy. I improve every year but man this is ridiculous 🇦🇺 Thanks everyone for speaking out. I have doubts that I’ll completely heal 🙄
Thankyou so much to everyone who helped put this together ,all the panel are so inspiring and I thank you all for sharing your difficulties and determination to heal and become free of these drugs that are now being proved to be dangerous and damaging for a lot of people. Thankyou again and best wishes to anyone having a difficult time with coming off these very powerful drugs that seem to affect people in so many different ways ,and I don't believe anyone fully understands the many ways they impact and alter both the mind and the body . Maybe we have put too much faith in our doctors and the drug companies .
🆙☝️You can always order from him, he's legit & reliable,he's got em magic shrooms,LSD,DMT and many more.
Neurotoxic drugs and ECT - are 2nd Degree Assault!
I’m in withdrawal right now from an antidepressant and benzo thank you for this
How are you doing Erin? 🙏
Hello folks! Thank you for everything you do and are doing to help raise awareness. My son is on clozapine and it is my great hope that he can one day be well healthy and healed
I 'm from morocco, thanks for this good work. I have Taken some of this antidérapants for more than 20 years, that causes me érectile dysfonction, had also sexe drive. Thé net encouraged to stop taking by only myself, After 15 mounts i still living, m'y libido Comes back, and m'y erctile dysfonction went away. Thank you for rising awarness about this poisons.
🆙☝️You can always order from him, he's legit & reliable,he's got em magic shrooms,LSD,DMT and many more.
This video will help so many. I will return to it on my bad moments or relapse moments. ❤
Great and much needed, thank you. I do not think it matters how long you are on them, I was on SSRIs for only 4 months and cold turkeyed off (as advised by GP who said withdrawal would only last 2 weeks). I am in protracted withdrawal. The trouble is nobody knows how long withdrawal will take. Keep up the good work and wishing everybody a speedy recovery.
So true. Good point. Just putting it in your body can cause side effects and withdrawal
Its not only benzo, one has to recover after putting away any of psych meds
True. I was taking Paxil for only 5 months. Then CT. It's been 1.5 years and that's the worst time in my life. Dozens of new physical and mental symptoms. It's been torture
Don't put psychiatric drugs down the toilet - these are not removed by sewage treatment plants - so neurotoxics get into the fish and they become flounders. The Buffalo News published an article about these forlorn fish!@@iwonab5150
Did these poisonings give you Tardive Dyskinesia? Iatrogenic!@@AlbaLynxQueen
I am so hearing the inspiration, hope, and healing.
26 years prescribed Xanax. Went cold turkey off of 2mg bars 4 times a day. Many seizures, lost ability to use my right arm. Never been the same since.
I'm so sorry. Please check Nootropics for brain damage. Also psychedelics. I hope you find something that helps. Never underestimate the power of knowledge and research. You just need WiFi, will and time. Benzo damage didn't steal that from you.
1st Degree Assault!
Wow! You are a warrior! ❤ I’m sorry you went through so much but I’m impressed. It is not easy coming off cold turkey. I couldn’t imagine doing that much. ❤
Thanks for giving me hope.
I had horrendous side effects from taking prozac, I took 4 overdoses in 3 weeks because I was so suicidal, soon as they booted me out of hospital with no help I took another. Finally I realised myself it was side effects and not my depression getting worse. Everyone was so angry at me for not trying and being so suicidal.
Excellent, thank you all.
God work 🙏🏽
Anyone can become Imago Viva Dei - which is mental health!
What would happen if the global economy went in to meltdown and these antidepressant and anti-anxiety drugs (benzos) suddenly became unavailable for hundreds of millions of people?
That’s my concern
My thoughts exactly. With the supply chain issues, etc.
I think it was Dr. Breggin who said it is as dangerous to come off a med as to start one. A dear friend was accidentally given an overdose and in his over excitement he dropped all his five meds at once... just unreal what he went through; he was staying with me at the time and when I say it might have been fatal I am not exaggerating.
I believe you
Peter Breggin, Madan Katara and Howard Glasser are good with emphatic Talent Training!
Really good stories! Ty
What great and inspiring people
Thanks so much for giving hope. Most inspiring!! I’ve been taking psychiatric medications since 1996. In 2006 I ceased medications. I became extremely psychotic. I was then put on 5 different kinds of psychiatric medications. 1 needle depot anti psychotic, which I first switched to oral once off the CTO. Then I ceased the 2nd mood stabiliser Epilim (Sodium Volporate), then stopped a generic anti depressant. This was all in 2007. I was still on Lithium and Risperidone. I reduced the Risperidone from 4mg to 3mg in 2008. I abruptly ceased the Lithium (not suggested to cease abruptly) in 2010. I then slowly reduced the last medication Risperidone down to 1.5mg over a few years. This was around 2014. I’m still on 1.5mg of Risperidone and find it extremely difficult to reduce this last one. A few times I’ve gone down to 1.25mg and I cry profusely. I still have hope that myself and others can become the best version of ourselves, come off all medications and fully heal. I reside in Australia and looked up that the city I live in has the most CTO’s per capita than anywhere else in the world.
Hi Adam,
I live in Brisbane,Australia. What city do you live in
@@maryranke8764 Hi Mary. How’s it going? I’m in Geelong. 😄🙏👍
Always an effort to make people into cash cows!
Brooke, Thank you for sharing your story. Our 14 y/o was misdiagnosed placed on Effexor XR and Seroquel. She decided like you to stop cold turkey 7 weeks ago. We supported her.
I shared this video with her so she can be aware of what she’s feeling.
We also found out she has autism and was severely deficient in many vitamins, nutrients along with gut issues & mitochondrial dysfunction. Since addressing these issues, she’s been improving.
Your story gives us hope.
So glad to hear she got off those meds young and is seeing improvements. Let's be real - our bodies are not deficient in psychiatric drugs, right? You may be interested in McBride's book GAPS (Gut and Psychology Syndrome). Nearly all autistic kids and adults have gut issues. Also there is a documentary called Magic Pill you may find interesting.
I believe the intelligence within our bodies knows how to heal once it gets what it needs. Good luck to her!
Thank you for the recommendations and I will look into both the video and the book.
The data we’ve been collecting from the 1st week she stopped the meds to now, have proven, how addressing the body’s
deficiencies correctly and stopping psychiatric meds is astonishing.
Autism Treatment Evaluation Checklist (ATEC)
11 weeks ago score was 73
Today score is 37
That’s real data of improvement in just 3 months.
My hopes are that more people will be awakened and find healing.
As we all agree that meds are harmful, how could you explain that some people achieve a lot while on them and once they stop meds they feel totally lost and can't do anything, without emotions or any interactions with the wold?
One more question how to differentiate between withdrawal symptoms and other health related issues? Especially that withdrawal process make it hard to trust doctors again!
hello there :-). I my selv have being taking Duloxetin for about 16 years, and Iam almost down to 2 mg now, so hopefully I will soon be out of these drugs. You ask how some people achieve a lot while on these drugs and once they stop they feel totally lost. Well, I will describe it this way, I was living but I wasn´t thriving. I went through life like a zombie, not being able to feel my emotions, feeling numb and foggy. Not ups or downs, only flat lines and brown colors, if you understand what I mean. I have being in withdrawal for the past two years, and the withdrawal symptoms are much more worst than the original symptoms, thats how I know is not relaps. Ex.I had some generalize anxiety before, but the anxiety I feel now when my withdrawal symptoms get tricket, is almost close to panic attacks, and I can not completly describe it, but it has some kind of chemical quality to it. I take care of my self by eating healthy, working out and practicing meditation and halotropic breathing :-)
The placebo effect is very powerful which explains why some people feel they benefit from SSRIs. They may feel they achieve a lot if they're on stimulant meds (e.g. those for ADHD). These drugs can deplete the body of other chemicals so when they go off them, their body has been damaged. Look up Dr. Irving Kirsch on CZcams. He has spent his entire career researching the placebo effect. Here are a few videos:
czcams.com/video/T2MyktJ1ZH0/video.html
czcams.com/video/Zihdr36WVi4/video.htmlsi=W1KmoHEE6kz6gJF5
czcams.com/video/acx8QAgkvGE/video.htmlsi=jBSa22rxpKeLQbpI
It's not easy to distinguish withdrawal symptoms from other health issues but a professional who is experienced in withdrawal can assist with this process and the most important thing is to not mistake the withdrawal symptoms for relapse, which many prescribers ignorantly do.
Genetics. And a whole lot of other reasons they dont know yet.
There's no accountability in the ethical Mental Health system!
@James - nuanced critique here. I support everything about the movement and giving greater voice to these issues. And ... why is always only/mostly successful people who get invited to speak? Success is relative, but everyone's a doctor or runs some at least marginally successful website, or is an author. It's also how we find people of course. No-one hears about the failed folk - classic survivorship and media reach bias. It just really fucking depresses me and signals that even at this town hall if you're not having media or professional success, you don't matter.
MIA in general does a wonderful job with equal opportunity blogging, even anonymous. Maybe you just caught me on a bad day. And also I know when I say "success" here, it's super relative. MIA in general is a perfect example of both a great success in one respect, while also being a massive pariah and underresourced in many other respects. Just speaking on the view from the near absolute bottom.
I respectfully disagree with your assertion that if you don't have media or professional success, you don't matter to MIA. I think the reason why they select the panelists for their videos is because of their compelling stories and what they have been able to accomplish despite formidable challenges. This gives people hope despite daunting odds.
Withdrawal and PAWS at age 68 and probably not going to be healthy again or healed this side of Heaven. Radical Acceptance? I lost decades to the polypharmacy crazed psychiatric industry.
🥰 I am 62, feel the same.
Wondering if the speakers were able to hold their jobs while going through withdrawal. I know i lost my job and i came off adhd medication. Their withdrawal sounds worse. And here I thought my withdrawal was the worst.
Okay Michael worked. Idk how he did that. Maybe because he doesn't have children. Add a child to the mix of withdrawal and its even harder. GOD HELP US ALL WITH WITHDRAWAL amen
Hello! You are one of the only people I've heard mention Add meds withdrawal. There is not a lot about it on the internet. I'm an older Adult and was put on Vyvanse. Is there a withdrawal from this? I've had experience with withdrawal from another psych. med. and don't want to get into a mess. Thanks!
I got myself fired on purpose to prove a point while coming off the med. was just angry couldn’t focus anxious and disinhibited
@@allisa-vi7lptapper off it asap
@allisa-vi7lp I know its always about ssri withdrawal and i sit in my own corner. I thought about doing a channel. I think no one ever cones off or gets side effects and the drug helps release dopamine. After 20 years it can cause problems. Or 15 if you're on since 3 years old.
The event seem to be death in family in teen years. Now if you had a strong family support and allowed for time to heal, you would not need these medications and be on them for 20yrs due to one trigger event.
If you have severe pain, trust me the option now is brain altering drugs. 😢 Your best to just suffer through the pain, keep practicing with holistic approaches. It will take a while if research to find what you need, but don't give up.
Could any advice on chronic insomnia in protracted withdrawal in those who are elderly
How long before reducing the medicine each time when weaning off? 8 weeks?
What am I supposed to do when my venlafaxine on 225mg for years I been on had out of nowhere it stopped working for me and left me into street drugs withdrawals and I’m using weed to help me function while still taking it
Does anyone know how to weigh liquid dosages? I’m on .55mg of lexapro and my last drop caused withdrawal
Where is "the link in the chat?"
Wish microdosing was available in uk. Spoken to many with anx and dep that have been cured have to keep doing but so what
Go pick the lib caps in the autumn and give it a go yourself. Just make sure you educate yourself and are familiar the mushroom. It’s pretty easy once you know.
Where is the link to help you taper? IIpVW?!
iipdw.org/
🆙☝️You can always order from him, he's legit & reliable,he's got em magic shrooms,LSD,DMT and many more.
Here's a video that helps explain tapering. czcams.com/video/1wWCBPSj7ZA/video.htmlsi=Lj7WWxDj5et4Itks
Hi there my brother stopped cold turkey and went catatonic, he has since recovered however he has sever bouts of paranoia, does anyone know if this will be permanent it has been about 3 weeks since he stopped, he was 'normal' before, any help would be great thanks
Hi William. I'm no expert but have battled with an array of these drugs on and off for 35 years. It may be that he stopped cold turkey as that tends to have devastating effects. I'm not sure if it will be permanent but the key to withdrawing seems to be very slow reduction in dose over about a year. Kind regards, God bless your brother. Mary🙏
@ethicsexistentialism4191 thank you so much for the response, will just have to wait and see
3 weeks is still very early in the game. There will be much more healing in his future.
His "normal" before may have been masking (or maybe not). And which paranoia is it because for example saying antidepressants were harmful would've labeled, and still does label, many people as paranoid in certain circles. But also might be beyond those concerns, just something I like to always raise as general topics to think about.
@@williammunny4981 Here's a video which explains how tapering meds works in the brain. I hope over time your brother's brain and body will heal. The body innately wants to heal and recover and it takes time. In the meantime, maintain a healthy lifestyle to assist with this process. Gut health is very important to brain health. czcams.com/video/1wWCBPSj7ZA/video.htmlsi=Lj7WWxDj5et4Itks
Please help me I just had phyc appt n she wants to put me on seroquel for not sleeping I recently weaned off lamictal n that’s wen the insomnia started n agitation suicidal ect. My husband said no it’s just a merry go round I was in seroquel years ago.
You can use pill cutter to reduce using smaller doses, even 25 mg is difficult to stop, for myself it’s day 40 something eventually you will sleep 😊
Don't do it. How did you wean off seroquel the first time?
There withdrawal with adhd medication as well 😢
Ofc there are, they work heavily on your dopamine receptors and fry them if you use it for a long time.
Faces in this video are half blank and not fully normal human faces not sure if it’s American meds or American standard food effect
TRAZODONE is no bueno
DO THE RESEARCH ON DEMINSIA, AND ALYTIMERS WITH PEOPLE PUT ON ANTIDEPRESSANTS. 😢 Take k2 -MK7 with D3. It's great for your health, it's been helping me.
Does anyone on here have any experience coming off of olanzapine/zyprexa
Mine is seroquel it’s essentially same as zyprexia, had been placed on your medication first time, for myself had experimented coming off for a long time, last few months used pill cutter to reduce doses, some people are saying coming off triggers paranoid 😮not sleeping is a major issue, panic attack is one thing also a flood of symptoms, it seems anti psychotic took away my ability to control my mind, over thinking what people are thinking or something good luck
Thanks James, my experience as a psychologist did not help to come off psychiatric pills, it’s been a cocktail of anti depressants anti psychotics mood pills too many years long gone truly a disaster ruining significant family and friends there are years gone in terms of time line memories, it was shocking to find all this information 2-3 years ago, could have died from high doses of seroquel found a psychiatrist who willing to take me off by a slow reduction regime 😮yet it’s been 3 years self management to come off it’s day 40 something told psychiatrist “I know it’s hard to accept everything you learn may not be true.