Luna Posted October 23, 2014 Share Posted October 23, 2014 (edited) ADMIN NOTE Also see and Has anyone ever heard of this center? It sounds too good to be true to me. Does anyone know of any centers that provide good care while coming off meds? One that doesn't prescribe meds to get off meds? Edited January 25, 2022 by Altostrata added admin note Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrator Altostrata Posted October 24, 2014 Administrator Share Posted October 24, 2014 I have personal experience with that center. I do not recommend it. GiaK also went there. She does not recommend it. This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner. "It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein All postings © copyrighted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luna Posted October 28, 2014 Author Share Posted October 28, 2014 Thanks Alto. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Satch Posted November 7, 2014 Share Posted November 7, 2014 What was everyone's experience like. It seems like it isn't what the website portrays it to be. I guess there is really no easy way out of this mess. Klonopin 2mg 2000-2005 Tapered off without bad symptoms Ativan 1mg 2007-2010 Tapered with moderate problems Klonopin 16 total mgs in Jan and Feb 2014 - got dependent and foolishly updosed by bad doctor to 1.25mg for 4 weeks. Then horrific detox and placed on Neurontin 100mg, bid, Propanolol 40mg prn, Seroquel 100mg qhs and Remeron 15mg qhs. Quickly dropped Neurontin and Propanolol. Stuck on other two meds and still having strong symptoms from klonopin cold turkey. Want someday to be med free and healed again Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DevastatedWife Posted December 29, 2015 Share Posted December 29, 2015 I don't know if this is the right place on this forum but I'm curious it anyone has heard of or attended Alternatives to Meds in Arizona? I was recently made aware of this facility and their website claims to understand antidepressant withdrawal syndrome. My husband attended a facility but he was unfortunately misdiagnosed as bi-polar and given different medication upon leaving that place. We had another 6 months of hell after he was discharged because of that! If only I knew then what I know now, I would have looked into this place rather than the others that were presented. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator brassmonkey Posted December 29, 2015 Moderator Share Posted December 29, 2015 Hi DevastatedWife-- I just took a look at their website, very slick and professional, must have cost them a bundle. The first thing you see is a big note "Financing Available". For the entire 8 week program they want $46,000, and the $7000 a month for follow up until your get better. Anyone fast tapering like that will have a rough time that will be alleviated somewhat by pampering and diet. At the end of which they will probably feel wonderful. This is the honeymoon period that most CTs feel before they hit the wall at three months off. We see it here all the time and the results aren't pretty. They base their entire ADWD program on the "chemical imbalance theory" which was disproved years ago. The testing they do has nothing to do with ADs. Which BTW can not be tested for with urine tests. Their programs lasts 4 or 8 weeks which is essentially a CT that will require you to return for many months of follow up care because your one of the "tough cases". The rest is teaching you self care and healthy eating. My personal belief is they have a good success rate because people can't afford to return for follow up and they are in such a bad place from the CT that they don't have the mental strength to fight back. 20 years on Paxil starting at 20mg and working up to 40mg. Sept 2011 started 10% every 6 weeks taper (2.5% every week for 4 weeks then hold for 2 additional weeks), currently at 7.9mg. Oct 2011 CTed 15oz vodka a night, to only drinking 2 beers most nights, totally sober Feb 2013. Since I wrote this I have continued to decrease my dose by 10% every 6 weeks (2.5% every week for 4 weeks and then hold for an additional 2 weeks). I added in an extra 6 week hold when I hit 10mg to let things settle out even more. When I hit 3mgpw it became hard to split the drop into 4 parts so I switched to dropping 1mgpw (pill weight) every week for 3 weeks and then holding for another 3 weeks. The 3 + 3 schedule turned out to be too harsh so I cut back to dropping 1mgpw every 4 weeks which is working better. Final Dose 0.016mg. Current dose 0.000mg 04-15-2017 "It's also important not to become angry, no matter how difficult life is, because you can loose all hope if you can't laugh at yourself and at life in general." Stephen Hawking Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator Emeritus ChessieCat Posted December 29, 2015 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted December 29, 2015 It's a beautifully designed website ticking all the right boxes for the desperate consumer who is after a quick fix. My personal belief is they have a good success rate because people can't afford to return for follow up and they are in such a bad place from the CT that they don't have the mental strength to fight back. I agree with this but it could also be that they think their original problems have returned or that they have a new condition. Thankfully we can get a lot of what we need here and it's FREE!!! * NO LONGER ACTIVE on SA * MISSION ACCOMPLISHED: (6 year taper) 0mg Pristiq on 13th November 2021 ADs since ~1992: 25+ years - 1 unknown, Prozac (muscle weakness), Zoloft; citalopram (pooped out) CTed (very sick for 2.5 wks a few months after); Pristiq: 50mg 2012, 100mg beg 2013 (Serotonin Toxicity) Tapering from Oct 2015 - 13 Nov 2021 LAST DOSE 0.0025mg Post 0 updates start here My tapering program My Intro (goes to tapering graph) VIDEO: Antidepressant Withdrawal Syndrome and its Management Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrator Altostrata Posted August 31, 2016 Administrator Share Posted August 31, 2016 This facility operated in San Francisco, California for a while, before moving to Arizona. I have personal experience there as a peer counselor. I do not recommend it. http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Alternative-to-Meds-Center-to-close-3165798.php Alternative to Meds Center to closeApril 10, 2009 An unlicensed and nontraditional residential drug-treatment center in San Francisco's Mission District will be forced to close following a city Planning Commission vote Thursday.The Alternative to Meds Center had been operating its residential facility in a large Victorian house at 827 Guerrero St. since August without the required city permits for group housing situations.Representatives of several neighborhood groups filled the commission's hearing room to speak out against the center, which had between six and 10 residents at any given time.Neighbors said the center's leaders had lied about contributing $5,000 to a neighborhood greening effort, failed to enforce rules that forbid residents from leaving the property alone and had repeatedly changed their story about what services were offered at the house.The state Department of Alcohol and Drug Programs issued the center a violation notice last Friday for offering services such as counseling, education and detoxification programs without a license.Neighbors said that other unlicensed services had been provided at the house and that ambulances had been frequently called over the past several months. "Their program schedule had acupuncture and they have no license for that. They had medication on-site, and they have no license for that. They made alterations to their Web site from what had been 'drug rehabilitation' to 'health education,' " said Gillian Gillett, who lives nearby.Lyle Murphy, the center's founder and director, is a trained chiropractor. On Thursday, he described the center's treatment as "orthomolecular medicine" and said it relates to establishing the neurotransmitter balance in a person's body.Murphy told the commission that he was in discussions with state regulators to have the violations rescinded and said that they were based on a misunderstanding about the center's services.But his testimony was not enough to sway the commissioners who voted unanimously against issuing the permit for group housing. I had many, many conversations with Lyle regarding the lack of validity of the "chemical imbalance" theory and particularly how it doesn't apply to withdrawal symptoms. 1 This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner. "It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein All postings © copyrighted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator Emeritus JanCarol Posted September 1, 2016 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted September 1, 2016 We had a member visit, and here is the report from her parent, from her thread: http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/12493-lex1992-4-months-off-of-lexapro-extreme-anxietyruminating-cant-function-properly/page-1#entry244891 Summary: a beautiful place. Lex1992 was already fully off her antidepressant, and suffering intense neuro-emotion, and probably akathisia. It seemed that her distress was too much for the clinic to handle, so when Lex walked out, she was not re-admitted. They do not understand withdrawal, and are not prepared to handle spiritual emergency. "Easy, easy - just go easy and you'll finish." - Hawaiian Kapuna Holding is hard work, holding is a blessing. Give your brain time to heal before you try again. My suggestions are not medical advice, you are in charge of your own medical choices. A lifetime of being prescribed antidepressants that caused problems (30 years in total). At age 35 flipped to "bipolar," but was not diagnosed for 5 years. Started my journey in Midwest United States. Crossed the Pacific for love and hope; currently living in Australia. CT Seroquel 25 mg some time in 2013. Tapered Reboxetine 4 mg Oct 2013 to Sept 2014 = GONE (3 years on Reboxetine). Tapered Lithium 900 to 475 MG (alternating with the SNRI) Jan 2014 - Nov 2014, tapered Lithium 475 mg Jan 2015 - Feb 2016 = GONE (10 years on Lithium). Many mistakes in dry cutting dosages were made. The tedious thread (my intro): JanCarol ☼ Reboxetine first, then Lithium The happy thread (my success story): JanCarol - Undiagnosed Off all bipolar drugs My own blog: https://shamanexplorations.com/shamans-blog/ I have been psych drug FREE since 1 Feb 2016! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator Emeritus manymoretodays Posted October 10, 2016 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted October 10, 2016 That's awful Drugfree Prof, I wound up in the psych hospital 2 years ago when I inadvertently(should have known better too) went from 5mg. Lexapro(1/2 of a 10mg. tablet) to 3 mg. of a liquid preparation. Then they took me off it completely. Whooosh.........good times.......sorry, what can I do but laugh. However, my hospital experience was better than what you describe above. There was an immediate withdrawal that was pretty shaky........though I wasn't out of touch with reality............my best description of me at that time was pretty disorganized cognition and autonomic nervous system gone haywire...........and then the aftermath W/D. I think it took 9 days to work my way out of the hospital.......and like I said.......it was one of the better ones around my area. Thanks for alerting us all again. mmt Late 2023- gone to emeritus status, inactive, don't @ me, I can check who I've posted on, and I'm not really here like I used to be......thanks. Started with psycho meds/psychiatric care circa 1988. In retrospect, and on contemplation, situational overwhelm. Rounding up to 30 years of medications(30 medication trials, poly-pharmacy maximum was 3 at one time). 5/28/2015-off Adderal salts 2.5mg. (I had been on that since hospital 10/2014) 12/2015---just holding, holding, holding, with trileptal/oxcarb at 75 mg. 1/2 tab at hs. My last psycho med ever! Tapered @ 10% every 4 weeks, sometimes 2 weeks to 2016 Dec 16, medication free!! Longer signature post here, with current supplements. Herb and alcohol free since 5/15/2016. And.....I quit smoking 11/2021. Lapsed. Redo of quit smoking 9/28/2022. Can you say Hallelujah?(took me long enough)💜 None of my posts are intended as medical advice. Please discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical provider. My success story: Blue skies ahead, clear sailing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
street129 Posted November 29, 2017 Share Posted November 29, 2017 (edited) On 01/09/2016 at 6:32 AM, Altostrata said: This facility operated in San Francisco, California for a while, before moving to Arizona. I have personal experience there as a peer counselor. I do not recommend it. http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Alternative-to-Meds-Center-to-close-3165798.php I had many, many conversations with Lyle regarding the lack of validity of the "chemical imbalance" theory and particularly how it doesn't apply to withdrawal symptoms. i just spoke to someone at Meds Center in Sedona, Arizona tonight about using their service... after reading the link you provided i guess i will not take out that loan to attend the center. i will keep looking for help elsewhere. glad i read that. Edited November 29, 2017 by ChessieCat changed font JOINED THIS BOARD AUGUST 27, 2017 250mg trazodone 250mg Aug 21, 2017 tapering before I found SA 200mg - Aug 21, 2017 to Aug 25, 2017 tapering before found SA 225mg - Aug 26, 2017 updose holding November 26, 2017. I reinstated my original dose of 250mg trazodone..planning on holding for a very long time. No more withdrawal June 14, 2020 at 10% 507 My first start of my trazodone 250mg taper 6/16/20 90 mgai 7/26/20 81 mgai 9/6/20 72 mg ai 10/17/20- updose to 77 mgai 11/11/20- updose to 81 mgai Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrator Altostrata Posted February 18, 2019 Administrator Share Posted February 18, 2019 This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner. "It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein All postings © copyrighted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrugfreeProf Posted March 3, 2019 Share Posted March 3, 2019 I would love Alto and others to weigh in at Mad in America in response to the praise heaped upon Alternative to Meds Center in Sedona, AZ, where my daughter (and others) have had very bad experiences. The author did a follow up survey of people who went through the center and claims positive results. I continue to have my doubts. Have a look, Alto and others who have a good sense of seeing past the flaws in the research design. See the comments, especially. https://www.madinamerica.com/2019/02/evidence-based-holistic-drug-treatment-document-effective/#comment-150118 Drugfree Prof Psychologist and Psychotherapist Prozac 20 mg for approx 3 months during 2000, withdrew, no w/d sx Prozac 10 - 30 mg Jan. 2008 - Dec. 2014 Ritalin 30-40 mg Jan. 2008 - Mar. 2015 W/d sx from Prozac started around 3 months after cessation--crying spells, depressed mood, lethargy; resolved in 8 - 12 mos. post cessation Used and continue to use a TON of alternative methods--meditation, mindfulness, nutrition. supplements, exercise, etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrator Altostrata Posted March 3, 2019 Administrator Share Posted March 3, 2019 Here are my two posts awaiting moderator approval: Quote I have personal experience with Alternative to Meds Center and in no way would call their approach evidence-based. Over months of volunteering there, I found absolute ignorance of withdrawal symptoms and a great deal of overpromising in regards to their supplement regimens, which are based on orthomolecular principles of “balancing neurotransmitters.” There certainly is no evidence base for those orthomolecular regimens: The “neurotransmitter imbalance” theory has been thoroughly debunked in the rest of the world. Because of the supplements, clients are supposed to be able to go off multiple psychiatric drugs with minimal withdrawal issues within a very short stay. On my Web site, SurvivingAntidepressants.org, where we urge a gradual taper based on individual tolerance to dosage reductions — which can take many months — we have gotten reports of very bad outcomes at Alternative to Meds Center. Quick recovery from a fast taper is a tribute to individual nervous system resiliency, not a function of overpriced supplements. In addition, Alternative to Meds Center follows an addiction rehab model, which holds you have to suffer through withdrawal syndrome to break your dependency habit. This is inappropriate applied to psychiatric drugs (and, in my opinion, is counter-productive in going off addictive drugs). Essentially, ATMC is a basic addiction detox center with alternative medicine garnishes. If they addressed psychiatric drug tapering, your local drug detox program would provide the same services at lower cost (usually covered by health insurance) with about the same quality of care. There is a lot of gas-lighting, manipulation, and woo-waving at ATMC, which is a common pitfall in alternative treatments. I would not trust any of their internal data, much less testimonials or Yelp reviews. On paper, ATMC offers a very appealing model. If I could recommend it for psychiatric drug withdrawal, I would be happy to send everyone there, despite the high cost. Rather, on SurvivingAntidepressants.org, we make it clear that we do not recommend Alternative to Meds Center in Sedona, Arizona. Quote Dr. Corrigan, please supply a full statement of your conflicts of interest regarding Alternative to Meds Center. Here is the report you provided https://www.alternativetomeds.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/ATMC_OutcomeStudy2018.pdf as Vice President, Multi-Dimensional Education Inc. More about your company here http://www.mdedinc.com/httpdocs/about_us Did ATMC commission you to do this study? Thank you. This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner. "It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein All postings © copyrighted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrugfreeProf Posted March 4, 2019 Share Posted March 4, 2019 What a great couple of rejoinders, Alto. They hit the nail right on the head. Thanks so much for weighing in. It's troublesome to consider the possibility that people suffering from severe protracted WD might be persuaded to enroll at the ATMC, given the conclusions drawn from that article. The researcher emphasizes how "scientific" his report is. Where is the evidence that high doses of supplements, exercise, and group psychotherapy, which ATMC uses (along with healthy eating) are effective in combatting WD symptoms? My take is that the survey data mentioned in the article reflects the reports from the proportion of people (perhaps half?) who do NOT suffer severely from WD symptoms upon discontinuing ADs. These people would have recovered with or without ATMC, and maybe faster without it. For people in protracted WD their program could prove disastrous--as I pointed out in my comments to the article (written under the handle Happytobefree). Drugfree Prof Psychologist and Psychotherapist Prozac 20 mg for approx 3 months during 2000, withdrew, no w/d sx Prozac 10 - 30 mg Jan. 2008 - Dec. 2014 Ritalin 30-40 mg Jan. 2008 - Mar. 2015 W/d sx from Prozac started around 3 months after cessation--crying spells, depressed mood, lethargy; resolved in 8 - 12 mos. post cessation Used and continue to use a TON of alternative methods--meditation, mindfulness, nutrition. supplements, exercise, etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nomad Posted November 19, 2022 Share Posted November 19, 2022 (edited) Alternative to Meds Center? Has anyone heard of Alternative to Meds Center? They are located in Sedona, AZ. According to their website they specialize in tapering off of psychiatric medications. I was wondering if anyone has heard of them or heard of any experiences of anyone who has used their services. Edited November 19, 2022 by ChessieCat added topic title before merging with existing topic November 2019: Quit Abilify. Started 1.25mg Olanzapine. Nov 2019- January 2020 Reduced Xanax to .5mg Jan 26 2020: Stop Olanzapine. Feb 6 Reinstated Olanzapine 1.25mg January 30 Increased Xanax back to 1mg March 2020 Changed dose of Xanax 1mg to .75mg April 4-Jun 12 2020: Taper Olanzapine. Stopped at .1mg Jul 4 2020: Reinstated Olanzapine .1mg. Jul 21 .2mg Aug 5, 2020 Reinstated Olanzapine. 7.5mg. Alprazolam 1.5mg. Estazolam 2mg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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