149. Antidepressant Withdrawal & Coming Off Antidepressants With Less Side Effects
In this episode, we talk about the experience of coming off antidepressants. It's important to note that there is a serious lack of attention and research on antidepressant withdrawal compared to starting these medications. We'll talk about the challenges of withdrawal symptoms, the importance of patient voices in healthcare research, and best practices for tapering off medications. We'll also touch on some natural ways to support the serotonin system during withdrawal, such as using supplements like 5-HTP. We hope this episode helps spread information about the realities of antidepressant withdrawal and that folks can have a more well-informed approach in collaboration with healthcare providers to navigate this process with less negative symptoms.
Watch this episode on YouTube.
Key moments:
00:00 Welcome to Joy Lab
00:39 The Underdiscussed Journey of Coming Off Antidepressants
00:55 Exploring the Science and Studies Behind Antidepressant Withdrawal
01:57 The Importance of Patient Voices in Healthcare Research
02:37 Clinical Observations on Antidepressant Withdrawal
04:07 Best Practices for Tapering Off Antidepressants
06:25 Understanding Hyperbolic Tapering and Its Challenges
12:04 Navigating the Emotional and Physical Challenges of Withdrawal
17:44 Supporting Yourself Through Withdrawal: Strategies and Supplements
20:07 Closing Thoughts and Inspirational Words
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Sources and Notes:
- Joy Lab Program: Take the next leap in your wellbeing journey with step-by-step practices to help you build and maintain the elements of joy in your life. Your Joy Lab membership also includes our NMH Community!
- NMH Community: Access lots of extra resilience-boosting resources AND join a group of inspiring folks who play an integral role in keeping this podcast going.
- Many of our serotonin-supporting resources and additional self-care strategies can be found in your Resilience Mini Course. If you don't have your Course yet, simply take the Free Resilience Quiz and then sign up for your free Mini Course to identify your mental health strengths and obstacles and take meaningful actions to support your resilience.
- Gabrielle Calvocoressi's website.
- Where to shop:
- Our partner store at Fullscript: This is where you can find high-quality supplements and wellness products. Except for our CBD Gummies, any product links mentioned in the show notes below will require an account. Sign up for your free Fullscript account here: https://us.fullscript.com/welcome/nmh/store-start
- Resilient Remedies: This is where you can find our line of trusted, high-quality CBD gummies: https://www.resilientremedies.com/
- Davies, J., & Read, J. (2019). A systematic review into the incidence, severity and duration of antidepressant withdrawal effects: Are guidelines evidence-based? Addictive behaviors, 97, 111–121.
- Van Leeuwen E, et al. (2021). Approaches for discontinuation versus continuation of long‐term antidepressant use for depressive and anxiety disorders in adults. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2021.
- Subscribe to our Newsletter: Join us over at NaturalMentalHealth.com for exclusive emails, updates, and additional strategies.
- Check out our favorite resilience-boosting reads: https://bookshop.org/shop/NMHreads
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