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For those who consider trauma as part of the protracted withdrawal puzzle


GiaK

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  • 2 weeks later...

I have read some reviews and the book seems pretty interesting indeed. However, it dates from 1996, so before the time of widespread SSRI use and damage.

So I wonder whether the book addresses our very specific situation of being iatrogenically damaged and left danging by the so-called medical community and betrayed by the unscrupulous pharma companies.

But you write that it was helpful to you. Can you tell why it was of so much support for you while it is obviously not targeted to our unique disaster?

10 mg Paxil/Seroxat since 2002
several attempts to quit since 2004
Quit c/t again Oktober 2007, in protracted w/d since then
after 3.5 years slight improvement but still on the road

after 6 years pretty much recovered but still some nasty residual sypmtons
after 8.5 years working again on a 90% base and basically functioning normally again!

 

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no it does not...it's psychoanalytic theory...our particular experience is somewhat irrelevant in the context of the book, but it doesn't matter one bit...it's been incredibly helpful to me anyway. 

 

another post on the book is scheduled to go up in the next day or two...not sure when.

Everything Matters: Beyond Meds 

https://beyondmeds.com/

withdrawn from a cocktail of 6 psychiatric drugs that included every class of psych drug.
 

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and it's because our unique disaster isn't as unique as we all like to imagine. truly. I've met so many people with similar issues in chronic illness circle that don't have the psych drug piece going on...but they do have the trauma...the drugs only exacerbate things they are not the foundational issue in many ways...and that is not to minimize the grave way they exacerbate...anyway...I found it helpful. 

 

you can see if it resonates or not...

Everything Matters: Beyond Meds 

https://beyondmeds.com/

withdrawn from a cocktail of 6 psychiatric drugs that included every class of psych drug.
 

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nothing I've found help with has been targeted to our "unique disaster" -- really virtually nothing from the large toolbox I've now collected that helps me cope and heal. 

Everything Matters: Beyond Meds 

https://beyondmeds.com/

withdrawn from a cocktail of 6 psychiatric drugs that included every class of psych drug.
 

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I give it a chance and have ordered the book!  It has pretty good reviews and maybe it is not bad to read about other kinds/causes of trauma too. At least we still have a chance to recover, for many diseases or losses this is not the case.

10 mg Paxil/Seroxat since 2002
several attempts to quit since 2004
Quit c/t again Oktober 2007, in protracted w/d since then
after 3.5 years slight improvement but still on the road

after 6 years pretty much recovered but still some nasty residual sypmtons
after 8.5 years working again on a 90% base and basically functioning normally again!

 

Link to comment

I hope you find it interesting...it's not likely to be relevant to all of us...but I'm sure it's relevant to some significant percentage of us...it would assume one has had some early trauma...in life. 

Everything Matters: Beyond Meds 

https://beyondmeds.com/

withdrawn from a cocktail of 6 psychiatric drugs that included every class of psych drug.
 

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  • 3 weeks later...

Peter Breggin Psychiatric Drug Withdrawal is targeted to our unique disaster

2002: "Situational depression" 2002-2010:Prozac.Birth Control.2011 Short trials: Paxil, Celexa, Lexipro, Wellbutrin, Xanax, Ativan- Gee, Doc never mentioned protracted AD wd syndrome. Imagine that. 2011-2015. Lamictal. Seroquel. Remiron. 2012: "Complex post traumatic stress disorder." Fast taper of Remiron jumped off June 2013. Slow tapers ever since of Seroquel & Lamictal.  crippling muscle spasms. crying fits. panic attacks. akathisia. nerve twitches. the jitters. the heebie jeebies. de-personal/realization. numbness. tingling. fatigue. lethargy. nightmares.insomnia. weird images. eye pain.vertigo. dizziness. brain zaps. and on and on and on. withdrawal? side effects? which drug? impossible to know. Stopped Seroquel October 2015.  Stopped Lamictal  March 2016. Had more severe muscle/joint spasms that paralyzed me for 3 days at a time, last episode was March 2017.Going back to work as of February 2018 after 14 years off full-time work due to the crippling effects of psych meds. Check out Robert Whittaker "Anatomy of an Epidemic" for  his breakdown of the rates of mental disability  since the introduction of Prozac into the human population. Best solutions for me: Social support via AA meetings. Acupuncture. Meditation. Dance. Nature. Yoga. Social support online with psych med survivor community. Nutrition. Exercise. More outdoor time. Go sit in the sunshine for 5 minutes. Touch a tree. Breathe deeply.

 

 

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I find Breggin woefully uninformed actually...which is a tragedy in and of itself...

 

in terms of how to heal, he's really got nothing and doesn't seem to have seen all that much of severe protracted withdrawal. 

Everything Matters: Beyond Meds 

https://beyondmeds.com/

withdrawn from a cocktail of 6 psychiatric drugs that included every class of psych drug.
 

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The articles point out that most people have experienced trauma and I believe it's true.  I do believe that WD is traumatic.

Intro: http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/1902-nikki-hi-my-rundown-with-ads/

 

Paxil 1997-2004

Crossed over to Lexapro Paxil not available

at Pharmacies GSK halted deliveries

Lexapro 40mgs

Lexapro taper (2years)

Imipramine

Imipramine and Celexa

Now Nefazadone/Imipramine 50mgs. each

45mgs. Serzone  50mgs. Imipramine

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  • 3 weeks later...

I find Breggin woefully uninformed actually...which is a tragedy in and of itself...

 

in terms of how to heal, he's really got nothing and doesn't seem to have seen all that much of severe protracted withdrawal.

Gia: Curious as to why you find Dr. B uninformed...I have viewed some of his videos on UTube but don't know that much about him. Do you mean he doesn't offer much in the way of suggestions for getting through w/d?

Current:

 

*Abt 1995, started fluoxetine 20 mg/day, later raised to 40 mg; *Abt 1997, started Klonopin ? mg/day

*Abt [??] started first, very slow Klon taper

*Sept 2016, Klon updosed; swapped fluox for duloxetine/lamotrigine/Seroquel (very small dose of last, for sleep) cocktail

*Early 2018, stopped Seroquel; *2020, started second Klon taper

*Abt July 2022, accidental 33% Klon cut, w/no updose; have been holding for 15 mos

*Mar 2023, abrupt lamotrigine cut from 75- to 50 mg/day; *May-June 2023, abrupt dulox cut from 90 mg- to 60 mg/day

*As of June 2023, taking lamotrigine 50 mg/day, duloxetine 60 mg/day, Klonopin .25 mg/day, metoprolol 50 mg/day, Eliquis 5 mg/day, levothyroxine 75 mcg/day

 

"Forget to remember; remember to forget."

 

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yes...essentially...he knows drugs are bad but it's clear he's not really spent time with folks like us...and he doesn't have any constructive suggestions about how to go about healing...we know a heck of a lot more to that end...he's important in that he's gotten other bits of the dire state of affairs out there to a wide audience but sometimes what he doesn't know is mind-boggling given how he's created his public image...

 

there is a thread on here somewhere where his latest book is discussed and some of these short falls are talked about...(I didn't take part in that conversation, but I know some critical issues were brought up about him not recognizing what protracted withdrawal is all about)

Everything Matters: Beyond Meds 

https://beyondmeds.com/

withdrawn from a cocktail of 6 psychiatric drugs that included every class of psych drug.
 

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  • 10 months later...

best author on trauma is Colin Ross.

but I do have early trauma as well.

I toggle back & forth between understanding myself as a trauma survivor and as damaged by psych meds.

mindfulness meditation is another best treatment strategy.

2002: "Situational depression" 2002-2010:Prozac.Birth Control.2011 Short trials: Paxil, Celexa, Lexipro, Wellbutrin, Xanax, Ativan- Gee, Doc never mentioned protracted AD wd syndrome. Imagine that. 2011-2015. Lamictal. Seroquel. Remiron. 2012: "Complex post traumatic stress disorder." Fast taper of Remiron jumped off June 2013. Slow tapers ever since of Seroquel & Lamictal.  crippling muscle spasms. crying fits. panic attacks. akathisia. nerve twitches. the jitters. the heebie jeebies. de-personal/realization. numbness. tingling. fatigue. lethargy. nightmares.insomnia. weird images. eye pain.vertigo. dizziness. brain zaps. and on and on and on. withdrawal? side effects? which drug? impossible to know. Stopped Seroquel October 2015.  Stopped Lamictal  March 2016. Had more severe muscle/joint spasms that paralyzed me for 3 days at a time, last episode was March 2017.Going back to work as of February 2018 after 14 years off full-time work due to the crippling effects of psych meds. Check out Robert Whittaker "Anatomy of an Epidemic" for  his breakdown of the rates of mental disability  since the introduction of Prozac into the human population. Best solutions for me: Social support via AA meetings. Acupuncture. Meditation. Dance. Nature. Yoga. Social support online with psych med survivor community. Nutrition. Exercise. More outdoor time. Go sit in the sunshine for 5 minutes. Touch a tree. Breathe deeply.

 

 

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Dr. Charles Whitfield talks about how the drugs themselves cause trauma..though I don't know if he has any particular solutions for dealing with it.

 

I found Tension/Trauma Releasing Exercises to be helpful in dealing with the reactivity of psychiatric trauma, and also at helping release really severe muscle tension, caused in part because of benzo withdrawal. 

 

However, I'm having almost no luck moving past the more emotional aspects of this trauma.  Has anyone here who has been severely traumatized by their psychiatric experiences been able to get over it?  I just can't fathom how it is even posssible, particularly with the ongoing threat of re-victimization. 

I am not a medical professional and nothing I say is a medical opinion or meant to be medical advice, please seek a competent and trusted medical professional to consult for all medical decisions.

 

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