Surviving Antidepressants: Surviving Antidepressants

SurvivingAntidepressants.org provides volunteer peer support for antidepressant withdrawal, while tapering off and after you quit.

While some people may be able to quickly stop taking psychiatric medications without serious withdrawal symptoms, others cannot. Slowing the taper may reduce the severity of antidepressant withdrawal symptoms. Gradual weaning can take many months and much patience. If you are tapering or thinking of getting off antidepressants, visit our Tapering forum for information.

For a minority, antidepressant withdrawal symptoms may continue after stopping medication, for weeks, months, or years. This can be distressing, debilitating, and even disabling. Those who quit without tapering off ("cold turkey") or taper too quickly are more likely to develop prolonged withdrawal syndrome.

If you are suffering from antidepressant withdrawal syndrome, join us for peer support while you recover.

Tapering off the medication is the only known way to reduce the risk of prolonged withdrawal syndrome. Don't risk the integrity of your nervous system -- do not suddenly stop taking any psychiatric medication.

This site does not offer medical advice. For medical advice, consult a trusted medical caregiver. Surviving Antidepressants is entirely volunteer and supported by member donations. It is not affiliated with or funded by any medical or religious organization.

Today is Gianna Kali's birthday.

Gianna is the author of the blog Beyond Meds http://beyondmeds.com , formerly Bipolar Blast. Through her blog, she has become is one of the most prominent psychiatric survivors in the world. She is a great supporter of SurvivingAntidepressants.org.

Since 2004, Gianna's blog has traced her journey from heavy medication with multiple drugs for wrongly diagnosed bipolar disorder through courageous and difficult withdrawal from all the medications. She is now in a painful, sometimes frustrating recovery period, too sick from withdrawal to respond to e-mails from the followers of her blog.

We're with you, Gianna, sending thoughts of healing your way. We wish you all the best on your birthday.