When we asked you to share your experiences with stopping antidepressant medications, more than 700 readers responded. They told us about the withdrawal symptoms they experienced and what they found useful or problematic about the medications. We found many people were given little information about the potential side-effects from coming off the medications and suffered withdrawal effects they described as worse than the initial symptoms that led to the medication being prescribed.
Clinical guidelines endorsed by the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners in July recommend a much slower, safer approach to antidepressant withdrawal than previously recommended by doctors. While there were readers who said the drugs ultimately helped them, and some people described the drugs as lifesaving, most people wanted more information at the time of prescribing. Here are some of the stories chosen from readers (minor edits have been made for clarity and readability).
• In Australia, support is available at Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636, Lifeline on 13 11 14, and at MensLine on 1300 789 978. In the UK, the charity Mind is available on 0300 123 3393 and Childline on 0800 1111. In the US, call or text Mental Health America at 988 or chat 988lifeline.org.
