Story thread · 2 reports / 2 sources

Quitting Antidepressants: From Withdrawal to Tapering One Step at a Time

whyy.org · 2hShare

Erica Gerard tried to find the right antidepressant for over two decades, one where the positive impact on her mood outweighed the debilitating side effects like fatigue or emotional numbness. Finally, she decided to get off her medication altogether. What followed was a harrowing journey that she was not prepared for. Millions of Americans take antidepressants, and many have been taking them for years. On this episode, we’ll explore why people want to get off these medications, and what they should consider before quitting. We also explore why finding the right antidepressant can be so challenging — and whether new tools could help doctors better match patients with medications. And we hear from a writer with obsessive-compulsive disorder who was hesitant to take an antidepressant because she worried it would affect her creativity.

First report: One in Six of Americans Takes an Antidepressant. Almost No Research Explains How to Stop Taking Them. — mindsitenews.org, 1d