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  #1  
Old 06-04-2019, 06:11 PM
aragonite_11 aragonite_11 is offline
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Coming off psychotropic medication

Hi all,


Has anyone got experience coming off psychotropic medications?

It has been four years on these meds and I honestly don't believe they are doing any good and I'm very concerned about their effect on my memory and irritability.

I'd love to hear any advice for natural mood management too!
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  #2  
Old 07-04-2019, 04:06 AM
winter light winter light is offline
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Join Date: May 2017
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Quote:
Originally Posted by aragonite_11
Hi all,


Has anyone got experience coming off psychotropic medications?

It has been four years on these meds and I honestly don't believe they are doing any good and I'm very concerned about their effect on my memory and irritability.

I'd love to hear any advice for natural mood management too!
Hopefully you are in active counseling or psychotherapy. I would strongly recommend that so that you have someone to talk with while you go through the process.

I've done it twice. First time abruptly. I was on amytryptaline for a couple years and in therapy for life-long depression. The side effects were awful and it felt like I was zoned out all of the time. Then the SSRIs came out and I wanted to switch. But the only way to do it was to go off the first one for a couple weeks before switching over. That was the longest scariest two weeks of my life as I just wanted the pain to stop and could not do anything but wait. The started the SSRI and at least I could feel like I had some hope. The SSRI took a while to kick in after that.

Did it much more gradually the second time. Working with my psychotherapist who agreed we could lower the dosage and wait until things got stable. Did that a few times. Though during the process I had to be realistic and even accept the possibility that I may be on the medication for the rest of my life if needed. I was on a low dosage for a long time before I finally cut it out completely.

It was essential for me to do tons of personal growth work ever since then. I had to change my whole life and it is an ongoing process. Gradually changing everything including stopping drinking, better diet, sleep, relationships, work, praying. Everything. I had to rebuild my life and then maintain it. Used every self-treatment I could find. And I needed to return to therapy years after but found new approaches so that I am still not on any medication. Currently in therapy recovering from PTSD symptoms using EMDR, EFT and neurofeedback. And I also rely on several amino acids and herbal remedies to maintain things.

There is no quick easy one-size-fits-all solution. Everyone is different. Do lots of research. But remember slow and steady wins the race and you need to commit to playing for the long haul. There are a lot of tools out there and it is good to find hope wherever you can. And there is no substitute for a good process for change that creates stability.

Wish you luck in your process.
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  #3  
Old 08-04-2019, 08:32 AM
Sapphirez Sapphirez is offline
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I'm not sure if antidepressants paxil, effexor, lexapro and zoloft are considered psychotropic medication, but I consider all prescriptions that are prescribed for the "mind" to be of the same evil so I'll add my input here.

I am very glad you are getting yourself off of them, it's unclear exactly if you are already off or just on your way off of them, so I'll caution of course if you're still on them it's important to be weaned off gradually. I was on & off the above pills for about a decade of my life, from 14 til 24, and it's now another decade later. I wasn't the smartest about it all but I'm glad I finally got off of them though it was a shock to my system I'm sure. If I knew then what I know now I would have done a lot of other healthy things to make it easier, which wisely is what you're here asking about.


So, winter light has excellent advice with her shared experience of using EMDR and EFT, and I'm sure neurofeedback but I'm not familiar with what exactly that is. But EFT is incredible and scientifically validated too. And a variation I have a book about also includes some EMDR, which involves eye movement. (The book is called Instant Emotional Healing in case you're interested, and the variation is ESM Emotional Self Management whereas EFT stands for Emotional Freedom Technique. Both are great and you can make your own unique version of the techniques too)


Besides that, I would definitely pay attention to your diet if you aren't already, and eat a lot of fresh organic fruit because it is the most detoxifying and regenerating food. All sorts of raw foods will be helpful though. The lymphatic system is the body's waste management system and fruit stimulates and cleanses it the best, so extra fruit will help your body clear out the medications and resulting toxicity quicker. Make sure you try to eat fruit apart from other foods though (except some leafy greens if you want) because since it digests so rapidly you don't want other slower digesting foods to interfere with that. If you like the idea or find it one of the easiest options which I do, you could start by having fruit as your first meal of the day.

All sorts of foods are healing and have a lot to offer, but fruit is by far the best for detoxifying and rejuvenating which will help you in a number of other ways.


Besides that there are a lot of herbs you could take, and combinations of them often work well together. Since there are so many I like to suggest that you do a little search and choose the one or ones that seem most appealing to you. Your intuition may have a better idea than I might, but some of the herbs I'm drawn to recommend are skullcap, milk thistle, dandelion leaf & root, chamomile, stinging nettle, rose hips, alfalfa, and comfrey leaf.


Then there are essential oils which if you don't already use them, you could probably appreciate them and adopt them as part of your everyday life. There are a lot that you've surely heard of which are also herbs, like lavender, and peppermint or spearmint, or food and spices such as citrus oils like lemon and pink grapefruit, and ginger and cinnamon and so on. So many options to use as oils or also as their food or spice version too.
One of my top favorite oils which is also I think less commonly used as an herb, with a lot of research proving its healing efficacy and usefulness, is frankincense. There are different varieties of some plants or essential oils so you may like one much better than another. My choice for frankincense is the boswellia serrata strain. I use it for my skin and aromatherapy of course and also I love eating it lol, you obviously have to be careful when ingesting essential oils and many advise against it, but if you are educated and mindful about it then it doesn't pose a threat, and frankincense is one of the oils that is not harsh so it's unlikely to be irritating at all. You don't even need to eat a whole drop though, but it's up to you and you may choose to not ingest oils at all. Anyway, the herb also comes in powder and pill form, and as resin called frankincense tears, which is an all right substitute for chewing gum.
My other favorites which also have a lot of scientific research supporting their use, are helichrysum (italicum or immortelle variety, it's a more expensive oil but worth it and there are a couple great companies online that offer tiny sample sizes for a small price, so you can try it before deciding to invest in a whole bottle, and their full bottle sizes cost a lot less than you will probably see popular companies advertise. if you want to check out the couple companies I have in mind and spent years hoping to find before I finally did let me know, cuz it's important to get oils from trustworthy places and not have to pay your life savings in the process), myrrh, and german chamomile which is blue and a bit more funky smelling than the clearish yellow roman chamomile. I love a lot of other oils, including rose, but those are my top choices of versatile and delicious smelling essential oils.

Even if you just apply an essential oil to your feet, preferably with a carrier oil, it can reach the entirety of your body and cells within about 20 minutes it's estimated. The science behind them and plants in general is amazing. Essential oils are sort of just the concentrated soul of a plant.. and not every plant has an extractable true essential oil, but I digress. They can help you reverse the damage of the medications and improve your mood and such for sure. Frankincense is renowned for how beneficially it effects the brain as well as the body.


So if it were me I would use herbs, and essential oils, and eat as much fresh food as I could, do the EFT and other good advice winter light has said, and for some other enlightening and healing exercises, you may be glad to check out Donna Eden and her Energy Medicine. If you can listen to her being interviewed and look at some of her more specific videos about the exercises too. She understands and explains energy and being human in a marvelous way, which was life changing for me when I found her.
Another easy yet powerful exercise is the 5 Tibetan Rites, which are said to be effective for all the main chakras and bodily systems and organs. You can start by doing only 3 of each of the 5 movements a day, and the most you're supposed to do is 21 of each so it's something good to begin with and progress at your own pace.

I also think that art, and other forms of expression such as writing of course, are pivotal for evolution and healing. Well I am just glad that you've realized you don't need these drugs and you're finding yourself more and more. hope something of my jumbled rambles can help you further lol, bless you aragonite
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  #4  
Old 09-04-2019, 03:51 AM
winter light winter light is offline
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Actually I'm a he but that's ok. I also forgot to mention flower essences, homeopathics, and Reiki and other energy work. Still use them all occasionally. These were all very important especially when I started making changes. The Reiki really helped me to see the possibility to move beyond the medication.

Neurofeedback reprograms the brain unconsciously. Disrupts the patterns that keep one stuck. It is very unknown and underrated considering what it can do.

Sapphirez you seem to have certainly done your homework. Appreciate your perspective.
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  #5  
Old 10-04-2019, 04:42 PM
Sapphirez Sapphirez is offline
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Thank you winter light, I appreciate your informed insight and advice too. I also have a little experience with flower essences and homeopathy, though it's a bit limited I actually had some life altering achieved with those, so it's good you bring them up. Of course in retrospect it's easy to be doubtful, but at the time they apparently were very successful and helped me achieve my goals.

I worked at a Vitamin Shoppe store so while there I started learning about the more alternative healing substances and gave those mentioned a try. Now I would look for other options because the brands I use have ingredients I wouldn't take now, but I am sure there are purer forms available. Anyways, I used a homeopathic remedy for pms and also had one for menstrual cramps lol and not too long after I started taking them, I pretty much never experienced cramps or period pain the way I used to. Most months I have little to no pain, except interestingly I had a couple cramps like I used to just last week, which may or may not be related to something else that is slightly relevant.
The other great success I had with homeopathy was with this spray my boss got me from an expo or something, for quitting smoking. funny thing is I started smoking again about a month ago, just for a temporary time for various foolish reasons.. and so I am guessing that is at least partially the reason I got a couple cramps again, but I digress. So I used this oral spray while I was still smoking and made up my mind to quit, and finally I did, after smoking for about ten years, from age 14 to 24. I did some other things which I think helped so again I'm not sure how much the homeopathy deserves credit for, but I imagine it does more than I think. I wrote a poem (and blog on my myspace) while I was smoking my last cigarette and tried to stay conscious writing about it afterward (writing is another excellent way to heal and help all sorts of situations) but found I didn't really need further assistance. I kept using the spray til I lost the rest of the bottle and then never looked back.. well until a month ago lol. But I quit cigarettes for almost a decade. It'd be ten years this August which is funny I quit right before that milestone mark but whatever, as I said it was far easier than I thought to quit in the first place so I figure I'll be able to do it again. So I'd say even though I decided recently to be silly and start for a little while again, it was an awesome success. I'm thinking about using homeopathy again just to solidify my intention and will about it. Now I am smoking different cigarettes without all the additives or genetically modified tobacco which unfortunately most brands have, but anyways I know it is still bad, and I do feel unwell because of it haha. I think becoming conscious about things we do or don't do is important for overcoming something or starting new healthy habits, so I am going to research more about it again to arm myself with information that will help me hold myself responsible better.

Then there are the flower remedies, which I used the brand Bach and had several but the main one I credit is the Mustard. side note now I would like to try flower essences again but seek one that doesn't use alcohol. I do have a couple books about the Bach ones though so at first I thought it was the only brand that could make genuine ones but now I am over that narrow false belief. Sorry for all the tmi lol. So I was using the Mustard, and one day I read the bottle label again, and it said "for depression that comes and goes for no apparent reason" and it was at that time that I had an epiphany and it dawned on me that wait a minute, this depression doesn't just come and go for no reason, there are reasons.. Now years later I know there are a lot of factors that contribute to such disorders which I no longer believe in labeling one with, but anyways back then it helped me see that depression is caused by us not doing what we really want to do or know we should. I realized that there were a variety of things I could and should be doing for myself and in life that would ease the depression and basically render it non-existent. I guess that may have been pivotal for me understanding the truth of diseases and disorders and how they are just mainstream labels that don't reflect the true reality of life here.

Reiki I have been interested in for years but haven't really gotten into that. I do like different kinds of energy healing and such though so I'd like to learn more about it and try it.
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  #6  
Old 27-04-2019, 07:31 PM
aragonite_11 aragonite_11 is offline
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Wow thanks so much for your responses! I have been on this medication for about 4 years and felt it was time to find a different approach. They have made my memory awful as well as not really helping that much! I've also been experiencing sleep terrors. I'm already a vegan but I'm thinking that being more raw could help a lot. I am also very keen to try more EFT.

I will definitely be having a look at all of your suggestions and will keep you posted on how I get on! <3
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  #7  
Old 07-05-2019, 01:16 PM
Gemini46 Gemini46 is offline
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Hi aragonite_11

First I wanna say I support you fully through this process.

Second and most importantly be VERY VERY careful, that cannot be stressed enough. One of the most common things people do, including myself (a few times) is they will feel like they are ok not realizing that the medications play a big role in that sense of stability.

I don't know what meds u r on but just be careful, some are way harsh to get off of so my advice would be to take as much time as needed to wean yourself off. I would recommend talking to your dr beforehand to get his input. I'm not a medical professional or anything but I have been on more psychotropic meds over the years than I can name and some have been awful to quit.

I admire ur spirit though and wish u the best. I am on 4 types of psychotropic medicines right now that I have been on for about a year and a half now and I share your desire to walk away from them. I have tried to get off my antipsychotics a few times because they make me eat in my sleep but each time I quit I end up having a mild episode of psychosis so unfortunately it's not my time yet.

Keep me updated on how it's been going. Any advice you may have found to help u get off them easier would be greatly appreciated for whenever I take that journey

Best wishes <3
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  #8  
Old 09-06-2019, 02:36 PM
TerraS TerraS is offline
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Hi aragonite_11,

It's great that you are trying to get off psychotropic medications. Wishing you the best of luck. <3 Please be gentle with yourself. Peace and Blessings to you <3
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  #9  
Old 11-06-2019, 01:43 PM
LoveAllBeings LoveAllBeings is offline
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Join Date: Apr 2017
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I was on every psychotropic medication known to man for about 8 years and came off everything. Which meds were you on? I had a few seizures when I came off xanax too fast so you have to be careful when abruptly stopping certain meds. I still came off it really fast and transcended the withdrawal symptoms with inner body meditation and within two months I was in a really good place mentally. First time I came off drugs was a living hell, last time was easy cuz I been spiritually purified in such a way I dont attach to things like I used to.

Inner body meditation has transformed my existence but its one of those chicken or the egg things, maybe theres no explanation to how I been liberated other than Im waking up spiritually. Im not just free from drugs, Im free from so much addictive activities and behaviours. Im in a real good place mentally, emotionally and spiritually right. I dont know how it happened exactly, inner body meditation, ayahuasca, plant medicines, relocating myself to the jungle in South America but all these things are on the surface, it seems to be the healing all comes from coming to peace with yourself and life and from the peacce comes the love
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Old 14-06-2019, 08:59 PM
Miss Hepburn Miss Hepburn is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by winter light
Hopefully you are in active counseling or psychotherapy.

I would strongly recommend that so that you have someone to talk with while you go through the process.

I've done it twice. First time abruptly. I was on amytryptaline for a couple years and in therapy for life-long depression. The side effects were awful and it felt like I was zoned out all of the time. Then the SSRIs came out and I wanted to switch.
But the only way to do it was to go off the first one for a couple weeks before switching over. That was the longest scariest two weeks of my life as I just wanted the pain to stop and could not do anything but wait. The started the SSRI and at least I could feel like I had some hope. The SSRI took a while to kick in after that.

It was essential for me to do tons of personal growth work ever since then. I had to change my whole life and it is an ongoing process. Gradually changing everything including stopping drinking, better diet, sleep, relationships, work, praying. Everything. I had to rebuild my life and then maintain it. Used every self-treatment I could find. And I needed to return to therapy years after but found new approaches so that I am still not on any medication.

Currently in therapy recovering from PTSD symptoms using EMDR, EFT and neurofeedback. And I also rely on several amino acids and herbal remedies to maintain things.
You're smart...you know a lot...but it's what i know, too.
Does that make me biased..LOL
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Prepare yourself for the coming astral journey of death by daily riding in the balloon of God-perception.
Through delusion you are perceiving yourself as a bundle of flesh and bones, which at best is a nest of troubles.
Meditate unceasingly, that you may quickly behold yourself as the Infinite Essence, free from every form of misery. ~Paramahansa's Guru's Guru
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