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

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.

SHOW NOTES:

• A new federal initiative aimed at getting Americans off antidepressants has put a spotlight on this issue. Psychiatrist Jonathan Slater joins us to discuss the complexities of de-prescribing these medications. He says there’s a lack of training and guidelines for tapering off safely, adding that the process requires individualized, monitored care with psychological support.
• When a mental health issue made it impossible for British author Madeline Dyer to focus on her writing career, a physician suggested she should try an antidepressant. She was reluctant to give it a shot, fearing it would make her less creative. The medication ended up helping her a lot, but she says it impacted her genre of choice.