Tapering Psychiatric Medications

The medications you are taking helped you with anxiety, depression, or sleep, but you’re ready for a change Maybe you don’t like how they flatten your emotional range, or they may have made you gain weight. The side effects just aren’t worth it.

Or it could be that your mental health is better now, and you might not need medication anymore. You are ready to see how it feels to be medication-free.

But when you’ve been taking psychiatric medications for a while, the idea of coming off them can be scary. You may have heard stories about medication withdrawal, or maybe you’ve already tried tapering without success.

Not all doctors are familiar with tapering strategies. If that’s the case with your doctor, you may have been taking medication for years without knowing if you still need it.

Would you like expert guidance to determine if you should continue psychiatric medication? Would you like to know the best ways to taper off medication safely and effectively?

Please don’t stop medications on your own. Withdrawl effects and mood destabilization are real possibilities. Consulting with a trained professional is the best next step.

During a consultation, we will complete a comprehensive assessment to determine whether coming off or reducing medications is right for you. We’ll look at your clinical history, life circumstances, and how long you’ve been taking medications. We’ll talk about your reasons for wanting to discontinue. It will take time.

Tapering off medications is a highly personal process; and I don’t recommend it for everyone. When tapering is appropriate, my approach is to go as slowly and carefully as possible while using other tools like safer medications to minimize the risk of withdrawal symptoms.

It can take months or even a year to taper off medications.

Along the way we will discuss lifestyle, behavioral, and emotional tools to give you the best chance of success. After tapering is complete, we will continue to monitor your success for several months to ensure things continue to go well.

Though this process, you will hve the support and reassurance you need.