Being at Risk for Psychosis and Coming off Antipsychotics
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- Опубліковано 11 жов 2024
- Peter Simons recently wrote an article for Mad in America about antipsychotics and their general lack of benefit for patients who are at a clinically high risk of psychosis. In fact, they often lead to a worsening of the patient’s situation over time. The article had me thinking about my own situation, years ago, when I first talked to my psychiatrist about coming off my psych drug cocktail.
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Link to Peter's Mad In America article:
“For People ‘At Risk for Psychosis,’ Antipsychotics Associated with Worse Outcomes”:
www.madinameri...
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Resources:
Hearing Voices Network: www.hearing-voi...
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About Russell B:
I was 11-years-old when I was first taken to a psychiatrist. Like so many children, I was struggling to deal with a stressful home environment. Rather than embarking on the complicated, difficult, and delicate task of thoroughly exploring all of that and attempting to solve the problems at their origins, the psychiatrist instead gave me a diagnosis of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and promptly prescribed the antidepressant Luvox to treat its “symptoms.”
This sequence of events kickstarted nearly two decades of wandering through psychiatry’s labyrinth of symptom management and prescribing cascades. By the time I was 25, I had received a half-dozen diagnoses, taken countless psychiatric drugs - including ten straight years on antipsychotics - and had more side effects than I could keep up with or manage. I weighed 400 lbs (181 kg), had out-of-control Type 2 diabetes, and felt like I was dying. And honestly, I had felt so bad for so long, I sometimes welcomed it.
I didn’t know where the DSM labels and all the treatments for my supposed “disorders” stopped and I began. I was sad, broken, and worst of all, someone I’d never had the chance to know.
But then I experienced a spark of hope. A light bulb-over-the-brain moment. Maybe I didn’t have to live that way. Even though the belief had been drilled into me for so many of my developing years that coming off the meds would surely seal my doom, something deep inside told me to take a chance and bet big on Russell B. Using this internal guidance, I began a psych drug taper and slowly started coming off every single one of the drugs in a psych drug cocktail: Lexapro, Concerta, Ritalin, Geodon, Klonopin, and Rozerem. None of them were safe. All were on the chopping block.
It took 5 god-awful years to complete the taper and with almost no help from the docs who’d put me on them. But I succeeded.
I’ve been off all meds for 10 years now (as of August 2023) and haven’t seen a psychiatrist since way back in 2009. It’s been a brutally long journey down a nightmarish path. One that was often too dark to see in front of me and littered with steep drops and soul-testing trials. But you know what? I survived. And my life has been improving, slowly but surely, ever since I escaped the house that psychiatry built.
If you’re wandering down the same path, please know you’re not alone. You’re not fated to lose your way - or yourself. You can succeed. We all can.
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Support Calls:
Support Call appointments are not currently available, but you can send an email to RussellBYT@gmail.com if you would like to be added to the list of folks who will be notified as soon as more Calls are being scheduled.
Just put “Support Call Notification” in the subject line and you’ll be added to the list!
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Disclaimer:
Any advice given on this channel is not a substitute for medical advice. Please consult with a licensed medical professional before coming off psych drugs.
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Russell B’s videos are made using the following software: Adobe Premiere Pro, Adobe After Effects, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, and Adobe Audition
I feel like psych hospitals just put everyone on antipsychotics, no matter what they’re dealing with.
They do trust me I’ve been in a pysch and they put everyone on them
@@ktx.110 I have too
yes.
Yup
So much easier 2 medic8 than communic8; a BLATANT VIOLATION OF HUMAN & CIVIL RIGHTS!!!!!
I know exactly what you mean when you stated that they suck the life out of you. It's like you cant get the motivation to even get angry abiut the situation your'e in.The scare stories that get told to patients are very unessacary and only serve to propell fear into them while obligating us to stay on the drugs.
@@russellbyt you nailed it!
its like one's mind is in a creative vice, like the type that has a handle and squeezes something. like a fake think....with side effects! Getting mad in the only fake alternative or the horrors of withdrawals,,, that the Doctors denied and claimed as illness. so sad we threw our lives to this
OMG
I am so sorry this happened to you. As a psychiatrist, I feel so angry and sad. Thank you for responsibly presenting this. We need to stop this chemical warfare on people.
I really really spend time with my patients to avoid meds. Sometimes people don’t like hearing that meds are not the solution to this issue. We have brainwashed people to believe meds treat suffering. They can suppress chaos when absolutely needed. That’s so different that taking them for 10 yrs straight.
All the best to you.
Thank you for your thoughtful and supportive comment. And your perspective is very much appreciated!
What you can do is check for vit b deficiencies if you are not already aware of this.
B12 is deficient in 56% of people with mental/emotional issues.
If it's not detected, the system takes a lot of damage and people can end up in wheel chairs or develop psychosis.
B1 causes Wernicke-Korsakow syndrome.
Those are conditions that are totally avoidable and often go undetected even by physicians.
You can also check how the patients hold their heads, atlas bone dislocation can also lead to issues.
We need more psychiatrists like you. I believe we should not hate the profession, but reform it heavily
Been on Zyprexa for two years. Sadly, I will taper off on my own because my psychiatrist thinks I should take it. I know the risks and adopted a slooooow tapering schedule. From 5mg to 0mg in 4 months. That med sucked the life out of me. I'm still taking sertraline but that didn't cause many problems. Cognitive behavioral therapy is the best shot. I feel so much better now
It's difficult not to hate psychiatry, especially after the damage that has done to young adults like me, but medicine is medicine, and we need to keep a lucid mind
@@giovannicastiglioni4084Likewise here.
Hi there I have been on olanzapine and venlafacine for about 10 years now and I was told by a head physiatrist that you didn't withdraw from it what a joke no reduction was taken straight off it was a complete joke what's that about
Gaslighting is a type of psychological manipulation where someone makes another person doubt their own reality, memory, or sanity. The person doing the gaslighting may lie, twist facts, or deny things they said or did, making the other person feel confused or unsure about what’s real. The goal is to gain control or power over the victim by making them question their own perceptions.
"It is just tragic what all the system can do and get away with and have no accountability for"
Thanks 😘 I'm in the process of coming off antipsychotics, and it feels so lonley. I'm swimming against the stream. After 15 years of medicated, and after diagnosed with bipolar disorder and being told that I will have to take meds all of my life😱
Good luck for you all, be brave, and listen only to yourself 🦋
those medications are poisonous
@@ItismehhCompletely agreed.
Know God loves especially you and is with you. I will vouch for His love. I was lonely and desperate for years. Finally surrendered to the Healer. He makes all the difference. Trust. All the best let our God in he is right near you. Waiting the best part no matter He will not leave your side.
😅
That smile snuck in. It is hard to smile when your fighting. Just do it.
May if say if you ask God to help He will. It took me many years to get that into my head. No pun. Began at 25 after a miscarriage but it was always there. The doctor told my Mom whenever I seemed jittery to give me phenobarbital. It is a path most would not chose. I know you understand. Bipolar at 25 and now trying to stop 3 anti.. . I think anti is a appropriate description. Now 71. As you know life is a roller coaster.I turned my life around when I said to the one who loves me the most,"God I can't do this anymore HELP and gave it all to Him." The process of healing takes time. God can do it faster than any of us. My son is now a recovering alcoholic and his cousin recieved a liver transplant. The transplant was available on Easter Sunday. I'm so proud of them. They killed the demon with God leading them. The demon has been through the family generations for years. Where was I? Never ever ever ever quit. My son is in his fortys. Gods time is not our time. He will give you all the help to be joyfully alive. That is a what God wants for you. He has a given you a life to love as well. And His love never ends. Wow! It has been hard to loose the ones we love. They are ok and praying for us. My Dad died at 58. Whiskey cigarettes and not realizing what a great person. He was kept from recovery why I don't know. Although I didn't see him much. He taught me alot. He always said, " I love you but God loves you the most." Sorry I was carried away. I know you will be well and better than ever. Joy seems so far away at times. Oh. I just want to tell you about being disliked for being Catholic. The Eucharist is is being in total Holy Communion with Our Lord and Savior Jesus. Prayers and love
I’m on quetiapine since a breakdown in 2015 after a breakup from an abusive relationship......my fear became so huge that I didn’t sleep for days and than I went into a first time manic episode with some hallucinations. Once the monster was out of my home, I was calming down but than he called the police to have me committed. A few friends thank g-d were there because they convinced me to go to the hospital, I hadn’t slept more than 2 hours a night for a week or longer. I was to afraid to sleep and thought my abuser was going to get me. I imagined him and heard him in the roof. I was locked in a state hospital with the most severe mental patients. I refused all medication until day 3 and than they put me on 3 meds which made me walk like a corpse. I still could not sleep. The treatment of the nighttime nurses were abusive. I watched a nurse push a patient named ZARA after she refused medication. Zara was about 18 and never spoke to anyone until I was there and I became I mother figure to her. I was the first person she opened up to about her mother abusing her. That night I couldn’t sleep and was walking at 4 am and Zara’s roommate came out of the room with a stunned look on her face, I went to Zara’s room and she was lying on the floor with a sheet around her neck. She hung herself from the bathroom door. I screamed. Code blue. They lied .... I knew she was gone. I blame that nasty nurse. She was so awful to the patients. That night, the nasty nurse was on of the first to start chest pumps. Rest In Peace my beautiful Zara.
Anyhow after I left the hospital I got off all meds. I was so drugged I hated it. But still no sleep snd still I was very manic or suffering PTSD from years of narcissistic abuse. When I went to the dr they were concerned because I wasn’t sleeping and could not sit still. They asked,if I would try one more medication and I said yes. So seroquel was prescribed. The first night I took it, was the first time I slept in months. 5 years later and I can not get off it. I refuse to accept that I have to be on this medication for life. I believe the medication really helped me though an extremely difficulty time in my life. I am thankful for the sleep. They medication does not impact my creativity or energy level. I lost my brother to suicide in 2012, widowed in 1999 and in a narcissist relationship for 16 years. Now every time I reduce my dosage I feel the anxiety amp up. I get scared. I definitely do not want to end up back in the hospital. I’m 56 years old and until age 51 never had a manic episode. I am on a low dosage but still really want to get off of it.
Just wanted to share and hear some thoughts....did anyone else experience nasty nurses? Lots of amazing ones too but this place had some evil people in the wrong profession.
Russel, I truly appreciate your kind response. I really love your videos and enjoy your UA-cam channel. I. Also super proud that you overcame the meds and living a more alive snd awakened life. I own a landscape design company #gardensbyrachel and also paint kindness rocks, #rocksbyrora. Rora is my warrior and the part of my soul that is the survivor/thriver and creator of art. I stand proudly for TRUTH, mental health awareness and narcissistic abuse awareness. Most people claim low energy and lack of creativity when on seroquel but for me, even on the meds(100 mg at night), I am still super high energy during the day and still have my creative mind. However, I am curious to see where my creativity would take me off the meds. I have one more private art account #rorawarrior where I post my art journaling which speaks more of truth of what I survived. My Ex, the narcissist comes from a wealthy family so I keep that account private for my safety. Send me a request if u want to take a look.
As an additional note, In 2012 when I was going to leave the narcissist, my brother Jonas and only sibling ended his life. Saddest time of my life. I stayed 4 more years in an abusive relationship and those 4 years were very rough. In 2016, I went to a therapist who said, “Rachel, I believe you are with a covert narcissist and you may be codependent. Search on UA-cam snd educate yourself.” That was when I had my awakening and the chaos of my,life made sense. My mother is bipolar and a mean narcissist and I was neglected as a baby. Recently my mother said, “I didn’t even notice you until you were 9 months old.” My brother was the golden child and I was a bitch. My mother destroyed everyone of my brother’s loving relationships. She has no idea what loving kindness is. Never told me I was pretty and the worst part was as a child and until I moved put at age 20, she convinced my whole family that I was a bitch and they all called me a bitch and treated me that way. Now I have strong boundaries with my mother who now blames me for my brother’s death. F.....K her! Anytime she says that to me, I hang up on her snd don’t speak to her for weeks or months.
When we were young, I shared a room with my brother and I was the one comforting him to go to sleep, not her. My brother only called me when he couldn’t handle my mother. He devoted and sacrifice his life for my mother, the bitch.
I am sad, I lost a great brother but now, I live my life free. Narcissists are still attracted to me but I run like Forrest Gump! I survived years of darkness including eating disorder, cutting and suicide ideation. But now, I am free like a butterfly and I am thankful and blessed. Throughout it all, as much as the narcissists (mother snd ex) tried to knock me down, I kept working and creating. My creativity saved me which is why I believe that creativity is the language of our soul. One day I hope to finish my memoir which will hopefully help someone else.
Sending you and all the beautiful people out there blessings, peace and love.
🙏🌻🦋🌺💕
My dad went from 200mg Seroquel 25 years ago to 100-50 mg now , anger jealousy drugs alcohal are the cause of insanity , try not to falll in love , dont ever take weed coke crack, exercise , work less ,
Nature and in a few years you might be able to reduce
It's tough cause if you go into psychosis they put you back on the medication you worked so hard to get off even tho the medication withdrawal its self can put you into psychosis doesn't make sense.
So I’m basically hopeless then
@@russellbyt so I’m hopeless then..
@@crazyassboybum not hopeless bud it's just made very difficult for people on them its basically made that way so your quite in the hospital. Plenty of things you can do to stay well and keep yourself healthy. Till you get off them and you will get off them eventually. So chin up and keep on trucking .
@@danielcarney3487 so what about the people who are permanently damaged with nerve damage and diabetes and stuff what if I come off these go through some withdrawals then later find out I’m permanently damaged
@@danielcarney3487 and what if I stay disconnected from my self and the world even when I come off.. I’m done for it’s game over
"When I took antipsychotics I felt they sucked all the life out of me [...], it felt the vitality was taken out of me and given to someone else, maybe an industry, you might say."
Are you off of them?
@@Miguel-st9bd yes. Wasn't easy to come off. But I am myself and free again.
How long where you on them?? Are you able to sleep?
I was on them for almost 6 months. Half of that was the struggle with trying to taper and come off. Being on it was hell, tapering it was hell, and after finally quitting came another few months of hell. While trying to come off and once off there were weeks of zero sleep. It took 4 months after quitting that I began to sleep somewhat acceptably. Now I am 10.5 months off. My sleep is around six hours a day.
Before drugs my sleep was 8 hours a day. That hasn't recovered yet.
Are you on an antipsychotic presently? Or are you trying to come off?
Hey russell ! i just wanna say that you're doing a great job this topic is really complicated since for exemple (science dosn't really understand schyzophrenia)as a muslim living in an arab country it makes me feel some kind of a relief that there are still some people who can talk about how much wrong is the system doing and yes antipsychotics can be really harmful
Thank you for your comment. I have been on these drugs since I was 25. I'm now going off of 3 drugs at 71. Thank you God bless you. He has seen me through the system and now I have a chance at being totally His creation. It has been a long
battle. Keep on keeping on.
Innocent people should know this: An agent provocateur is a person who secretly incites or provokes others to commit illegal or violent acts, often on behalf of authorities or groups, in order to later report or harm them. The goal is to create trouble, discredit, or incriminate those involved, acting covertly to manipulate the situation.
I went to 7 doctors telling them i suffer from body tremors that sometimes pressure my head and ruin my thought.
every single one of the 7 doctors gave me anti-psychotics (tried all of them at different doses: olanzapine, risperidone, Invega,...) and god, anti-psychotics are 10 times worse than my original status:
-It begins with disconnection from your surroundings. like when there's a someone or a car behind me, i feel numb and unresponsive towards it.
-Makes your brain freeze from thoughts. makes you lose your memory. i couldn't remember anything and i couldn't think of anything (even can't think of a song)
-No desire to eat or drink. my stomach felt locked. i couldn't put a spoon in my mouth. but forcing myself to drink wasn't as much of a problem.
-No desire for anything: for tv, for playing, for studying, for talking, ..
-The worst part: very severe depression, it made me sad, cry all day all night, my chest was killing me and lastly, the depression was so severe that i was about to end it all. I was trying to jump from balcony. but held myself.
my mom was with me and she decided to stop them. I've been trying to cope for 7 years but i still EFFING HATE WHEN PEOPLE LOOK AT ME WHEN I'M TWITCHING
stay strong. @@stay in the fight
This is exactly what happened for me after I took those medications, I feel nothing my hobbies are gone so I made decision to come off and look what happens.
How are you doing nowadays?
@@nimcomohamed2858 did you succeed?
@@Blackmoonsoulx it's shitty I feel bad still, I stopped 3 weeks ago.
strong man, what a story 10 years on the drugs.
I've been in this struggle 9 years so far, on and off of Olanzapine.
I deeply wish to be free of it one day.
If anyone needs someone to talk and share their experience, just let me know.
I wish everyone here can heal and win their battle 🙏
How long have you gotten off Zyprexa???
I've been taking olanzapine for two years because of "anxious depression." I started to taper sloooowly. My psychiatrist increased my dose from 5mg to 10mg even though I was feeling better (I think it's cognitive behavioral therapy that helped me). I am now on 5mg and started the taper, wish me luck
@@giovannicastiglioni4084 are you fine right now? Plz Tell me your experience
@@giovannicastiglioni4084How is or was your taper? Please let me know where you are in this...what did help, how was it?
How do you feel rn? You recovered all your functions or not, and feel like something permanently?
i come back to this video every now and again as i prepare to come off risperadone next year, hopefully, if i can plant this out right. I always end the video amazed and stunned by your story, simply because of the level of recklessness and carelessness that those doctors who originally put you on meds demonstrated. meds for truancy? psych meds always seem to be the answer! crazy incompetent shit. makes me so angry and honestly rightfully distrustful of the guessing game that is psychiatric treatment
I wish you the best for your Risperdal taper! It’s not easy to overcome the obstacles prescribers put before us but it can be done. Feel free to provide updates on how things are going for you when the time comes. Much love.
Hey man I’m also on risperadone, how did it go?
Thank you, hearing this means so much to me right now :)
Really glad it’s helpful!
Thank you Russell. You are helping others. Probably by the time Im free of a these drugs I will be
Heaven bound. I have been going off abilify almost conquered. 1 down 2 to go..
Hey, sorry I'm late replying again! Thank you for your supportive words :)
You can succeed. It's never too late to try and be free of something that you no longer wish to be a part of your life. I wish you the very best with your taper. Much love to you.
I have OCD and my psychiatrist wanted me to take small doses of anti psychotics besides SSRI, but i said no to it and now after a few months im doing better, not because of the meds but because of chanels like OCD recovery which help with the mindset instead of the symptoms caused by the mindset and illness.
Also the SSRI helped for about 3 months, it was more to get me back on my feet from the anxiety symptoms
You have taken right decision. I have taken this drug for only one month .in one month it ruined my life. I dont know about these drug
@@honeyarora1131how you're feeling rn? You recovered from it?
@@alfredoadice8331 now fine.
I'm really sorry you had to go through this, it's so unfair. I just came across this video, and imagine my surprise because I did not look up anything related to this at all yet the title speaks directly to my experience this past month. I live with bipolar, borderline and PTSD. I've historically been terrible at staying on medication and following 'expert advice'. Due to the frustrating and dehumanising side-effects of taking the antipsychotic I'd been taking for years, I quit cold turkey. What followed was pure hell, I would never wish it on anyone. The psychosis and physical anguish wrecked me. I was immediately put on another antipsychotic, which made the physical side effects worse. I'm struggling to find my footing again. It scares me to think that I may have to live like this my whole life. I became someone I could never be around and hurt my loved ones. It's difficult to think that anyone could ever see any worth in me when I go through this. And everything feels very singular amd unique to me. Videos like yours prove that so many of us are going through and surviving the same shit.
Accha, acchan aanu innu ee video enikyu aayichengi thank you
I don't think you'll be like this forever. This is a baby-steps kind of a journey and the great thing is that we don't have to get everything figured out and solved in a single step. Nor do we have to rush to find our footing. Healing takes time, and I really believe that you'll eventually make huge progress and start to see how much value you have as a human being. And the new people who come into your life will see it too. Stay hopeful, and much love to you!
@@russellbyt thanks so, so much for your comforting and kind words. I really needed to hear this. I already have the loveliest people in my life but I push them away every single time. As you said, I'm going to take it one day at a time and make it out of this mess. I guess there's no permanent healing, we keep healing again and again and again, and that's ok. Thank you, and I'm sending love and strength your way! 🫀
Wow...You are awesome. I'm to tired to talk about what I went through right now but I'd just like to say that I'm glad your speaking out. I went through absolute hell too😖
@@russellbyt I think having gone through such hell I'm living at a higher vibration. There really isn't anything mentally and physically more painful than what we experienced. We are soldiers that made it back from a war few people talk about and yes it was war. We know real pain. Somehow I'm stronger today for it. Not many people will ever get but that's ok.
How are they getting away with this? My life was ruined. 13 years on antipsychotics. Off now. Why can I do nothing about it?
Exactly lost my beautiful new marriage my heart is destroyed, my best friend ginger after 6 months of meds
You're off antipsycotics?
i did 28 years, talk about insanity. Im glad to see that at 68 yrs old i see this topic flooding the internet. I knew way back in about my very first year that there was something seriously wrong here in this junk science. I started in the mid 1970's. Its not the age of Aquarius, not the age of information, nor the age of complication. This era will probably simply be called the Age of Drugs.... someday, maybe. Ive been 22 years of no Docs of Psychiatry or medication. i was able to easily quit at 48 yrs old. Nothing surprises me anymore. Today is the first day i searched this online and usually dont speak online, but feel this is worthy of great outcry, Take care
How are you feeling now?
Thank you for this video. I appreciate your courage, time and guidance.
Joanna Moncrieff (British psychiatrist) is doing brilliant research and work on antispychotics, in particular her RADAR programme. Worth listening to her videos (on youtube).
Heather Ashton Protocol (another British psychiatrist) is helpful to slow taper off benzos and psych drugs - information on this well-known approach is freely available on internet.
i fear the damage is irreversible
While I can't speak for 100% of cases since there are always extremes, we tend to get dramatically better as the days, months, and years go by. It all seems permanent in the beginning but just give it time :)
@@russellbytby the many comments you surely read, you would say the emotions turn back exactly like it used to, or its always like emotions are hard to feel like before and and flatter?
Hey man good video this is a topic that needs to go viral. I’m 20 I had my first psychotic break in February. I was smoking weed through out the hole time so I’m hoping it was drug induced. I was studying jazz guitar at the university of Toronto in my third year and I can honestly say that I’ve lost everything except family. Lost my girlfriend, my creativity, my skills, my internal dialogue, I can’t read well, my brain feels like mush. They said there going to take me off the drugs in 6 to 12 months. My fear is relapsing while off of them. If I do relapse I may take my life because I’m not willing to live this artless life. Is it worth it? Waiting it out.... I can’t imagine loosing 10 + years to that and because of this I’m sorry. But where your at now seems like bliss in comparison. Should I stick it out? Fuckkkkkk....
It was drug induced,, on what meds are you on?
Stick it out. The negative thoughts or voices in your head are not yours. You know your truth. Take your meds and if you want to get off make sure you speak to your dr. And figure out the safest way to do so. Don’t give up. There really is a light at the end of the tunnel. I know it may be easier said than done but, anything is possible with god. Real talk. I promise you!❤
Thanks for this video. I was wondering if you might be able to recommend any online places we can connect with others while tapering antipsychotic drugs?
Bluelight.org, Reddit
Depends on what drug your tapering bluelights good for Invega
Russell B Thank you!
The thing that sucks about meds is, you’re 100% right they suck the enthusiasm right out of life, drives you suicidal. However coming off them, the effects of schizophrenia can be hard to tack you wish you were on them again just to make the delusions and voices go away. There’s no in between state for me where I can still feel the beauty of life and also be in a good state of mind.
It’s a tough choice for so many. I’ll add that people have found that coming off meds too fast can worsen “positive symptoms” like hallucinations and delusions, whereas a slower taper can make them more manageable. And by worsen, I mean in comparison to how disruptive they might have been before meds, or while taking psych drugs without being in the middle of a taper.
It’s something that pumps a lot of noise into the signal so to speak. Makes it hard to know how bad the problem truly is.
But we also need more ways to frame and manage people’s relationships with reality when those relationships branch off from the norm. The current default way of doing things leads to too much isolation, despair, countless psych drug side effects, and too many bad outcomes overall. Definitely need a better path forward.
And speaking of paths: I hope you’re able to find your own, whatever it may look like. You deserve a good life and some peace of mind!
I've gone cold turkey on my abilify for psychosis for about a week now without telling anybody but i've been informed by my school that they checked my search history for looking up withdrawal symptoms and that i should talk to my mum about what i've been doing. I stopped because the meds make me feel kinda numb, nothing is interesting to me as they shut off my dopamine and adrenaline receptors. Basically a speedrun to depression. Also, i have like barely any energy to get out of bed lol. I'm going to carry on taking them tomorrow.....
Many of us here can relate to what you’re going through and how impossibly hard it can be to just feel awake, let alone enthused and energized about life. Really sorry you’re struggling so much.
If there’s a silver lining in what’s happened, it’s that this might give you a chance to taper off more slowly instead of a cold-turkey quit. Tapering can be extremely helpful for anyone with a history of psychosis.
And since you do have people in your life who can monitor you so closely, it might not be possible to avoid getting them involved in your plans. At least for the time being. So maybe you could show your mom a resource like The Withdrawal Project:
withdrawal.theinnercompass.org/
You’ll find a pretty comprehensive guide to tapering on that site, and the two of you going through it could maybe put her mind more at ease and get her on board. Or at least open the door for you to tell her how you feel with some info that reinforces your case.
It’s hard when we’re at the mercy of our parents but no matter what happens in the near future, there’s reason to have hope that this won’t last. Just believe that your life _will_ go from a game you can’t stand playing - to one that you actually love.
@@russellbyt I had a conversation with my mum and we agreed I'd keep on taking them until I finish school and then I can taper off. Thanks
@@russellbyti am ok now
APs ruined my mind, life and body. I'm sorry that they did that to you. I feel you
And I’m really sorry this has happened to you too. Thankfully we're capable of making a pretty dramatic recovery from the harmful effects of APs. I certainly never thought I’d come so far. Others have come a long way too. So there are reasons to be hopeful for the future. But that doesn’t excuse any of the harm APs can do. They can make us feel like we’re buried alive - and there’s no quality of life in that. Much love to you!
@@russellbyt
ik neem olanzapin sinds 21 j, 5 mg
@@GiselaIwensand now how you're doing/feeling?
You are very brave and hope you are doing well today.its an economical pandemic, guided by interviews
Thank you, and I hope all is well with you too!
Si vous pouvez faire une vidéo concernant les effets secondaires sexuels induit par les antipsychotiques
My psychiatrists idea of helping me take less medication was removing my antidepressant of kver 5 years and lower my antipsychotic dose as well. -_- they just dont care to help people off them where I live or even know how
Yeah, it’s really a failure at the education and training level. That, combined with a reluctance to change even when presented with information and evidence that contradicts that education and training. There are multiple points of failure and unfortunately patients are left paying the price for it.
I’m getting ready to start a slow taper off of Geodon next month. I’ve been on it since 2015 or 2016. Don’t remember when it was first prescribed. My then psychiatrist put me on it for depression, imagine that.
Russell B Thank you
How you doing on your tapered?
So what do you do if you actually have schizophrenia (Schizoaffective Disorder bi-polar type was my diagnosis)? I had a psychotic episode several years ago, and have had to be on medicine ever since. I really hope for an alternative to medication.. even the benzos I was given recently because of the insomnia caused by Abilify are terrible to deal with coming off of.. and I just want to feel like myself again and be free of the meds and their side effects. I'm trying out an improved diet, exercise, Omega-3s, CBD, Niacin and b vitamins etc plus bacopa, ashwagandha and stuff while tapering the Abilify - Aristada shot (was on Invega before that for several years - sexual side effects.. weight gain etc - and Geodon and Depacote at first). I'm especially afraid of the Clonazepam withdrawal effects, and getting into a psychosis again. Also, my psychiatrist has been really nice over the years and helpful in a way, but certainly is not okay with me coming off medicine, and now that I missed my shot appointment a couple times in a row, wants me to take Abilify pills plus Lithium, and get a new psychiatrist and case manager again.
I really hope for the best, but it's a neverending nightmare, and I'm afraid of developing tardive dyskinesia or any other bad side effects/withdrawal effects. Your videos are inspiring, I just want to be free of the slavery of meds, be skinny again, and feel alive.. as well as stay out of the hospital. I remember when I used to enjoy life, and be happy, and had so many fun times and good things that I did, X-Girlfriends, and trips to Japan.. where my friends and brother live. Hope things will get better, thanks! 😀
Hey, glad the videos have been helpful!
As most of us have had to find out the hard way, the biggest obstacle to finding an alternative to the medication - is coming off the medication. Especially doing it in a way that’s safe and will have lasting results. But you’re already putting some great practices in place. And sounds like you’re intuiting what will and won’t work for you. And that’s really what a lot of it comes down to. It’s how we find our own _individual_ alternatives to meds.
There is a need to be careful if one has a history of psychosis. But really, everyone should be careful and taper in accordance with the 10% reduction recommendation and so on. When people try to hurry the process, or they’re hurried by an outside force (a doctor for instance), the results tend to be what anyone would reasonably expect. They’re not good because everything was set up to fail.
It’s also important to not panic due to the fears of what could happen if you were to remain on the meds for a little longer. Some folks rush their taper, or even quit cold turkey, because they’re worried about the dangers of the drugs and it ends up landing them back on the meds, and potentially on more medication than they were on in the first place.
Check out the resources I mentioned in my latest video, if you’re not already familiar with them, and learn as much as you can about tapering safely. The speed at which we taper plays a huge role in limiting withdrawal symptoms.
Don’t let what you’re going through break your spirit. It is indeed a nightmare, but you’re strong enough to endure it. I believe in you. Much love.
P.S. Typed all this out on my phone, so I’m not sure if it reads super well. But hopefully it’s at least coherent and somewhat helpful!
@@russellbyt Thanks Russell! That is indeed helpful, and thank you for taking the time to reply to me with such a thoughtful reply. So, now the doctor wants me to start Invega (again) and Lithium. 💉 Hmm, that will bring back the sexual side effects and certainly won't help the weight loss goal. I also feel like I'll be even more less able to feel like myself. I have more hope that bacopa for instance would turn out better that way, as many regular people who don't take psych medicine even find it helpful. I will be sure to watch your video about tapering though. And catch up on some of your other videos too. I have it admit, the recent times have been hard for me, so I haven't even made it onto UA-cam much at all, and wish to get back into watching UA-cam videos and studying Japanese that way again! 😀
You're right about the doctor deciding to prescribe even more meds than I was on before, which my brother also said was likely to happen if they found out that I wanted to quit. Hopefully I can make a good enough choice about what to do next, I really don't like having my D2 receptors blocked so that I can't feel like a real person. To be honest, I was just starting to remember some of the feelings I had from the past, like going camping when I was young, and different stuff. It's a sad shame to have to quite possibly have to undo the progress I've made in coming off the meds so far. But I'll have to see what's best. Thanks for your encouragement and support! Wish you a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! 🎄🎁
PS: You know what sucks, I just checked my waist measurement, it seems to be finally going down despite all the extra food I've been eating due to stress & anxiety! @@
Does not exist just depression.
Great video!
this hits home. so damn hopeless
I'm coming off alot of mine, I can barely function, I'm coming off an antidepressant that I've been on for 30 years,
I'm very proud of your efforts. 30 years of effexor and clonazapam together with drinking
and smoking and have been tapering now almost finished. I plan to die knowing who I am. How are you feeling ?
I had a psychosis 2 years ago and I highly doubt it was because of all the antidepressants I was taking for years, it took one emotional incident to ruin my life
I’m so sorry you’ve had those experiences and I hope things have improved!
@@russellbyt Yes thank God it's much better now Thank you
Hey russ,
I'm on zuclothenpixol, I'm interested in coming off drugs altogether but am prevented due to the system I'm in, I think I'm on the same side of schizophrenia, the negative side you mentioned in the video, have you any advice on how to talk to the doctor?
Do you take supplements upon discontinuation?
when do the feelings come back after stopping?
The feelings come back in about 3 weeks.
@@rebeccadobbins7519like before or something may change?
I can't stop walking, 12 hours straight walking. I'm on invega.
I think antipsychotics are really only needed for those that already had psychosis and need to get back into reality
An excerpt from a blog on Dr. Joanna Moncrieff’s site comes to mind:
“More recently, a small, but well-conducted study from Australia showed that antipsychotics had no advantage over placebo in people experiencing a first episode of psychosis who were receiving high quality psychosocial support (Francey et al, 2020).”
Link to the blog:
joannamoncrieff.com/2020/10/06/how-little-we-really-know-about-psychiatric-drugs/
Link to the study mentioned above (blog also contains a link):
academic.oup.com/schizbullopen/article/1/1/sgaa015/5810294?login=false
Whatever one thinks about when, and/or if, it’s appropriate to prescribe antipsychotics, I think most of us can agree that there are some really important conversations to be had on this topic.
@@russellbyt so antipsychotics don't do anything? I had psychosis for the first time and was put on antipsychotics, I quit them by myself and relapsed. After that I never went off them again until now and I haven't had a full blown episode ever since. I'm schizophrenic, so I still have some symptoms but I haven't been completely out of touch with reality on my antipsychotics..
How antipsychotics “work” is still very poorly understood. This is true for all psych drugs. They are doing _something_ when we take them. We just don't know enough about the what and how of it all.
As far as the relapse goes, people with a history of psychosis have to be extra careful when discontinuing their meds. A good starting point for most folks who are tapering is to reduce their med by 10% of their current dose. See this Surviving Antidepressants article for more on that:
www.survivingantidepressants.org/topic/1024-why-taper-by-10-of-my-dosage/
But if there’s a psychosis history, then it can be beneficial to be even more cautious with the reduction rate. There’s an important section in that linked post:
“(If you are taking an antipsychotic or other drug that might cause a movement disorder, you are in a difficult position, because if you taper too fast, "dopamine supersensitivity" might bring on or aggravate a movement disorder or cause symptoms that might be mistaken for psychosis. You will need to taper at a rate that does not cause you to be hospitalized for psychosis, where you probably will be given more drugs. To substantially reduce an antipsychotic, you probably will not be able to rush a taper -- unless you have life-threatening adverse drug effects, where you might need to consider options 2 or 3.)”
So it’s entirely possible for a med to help someone who’s having a psychotic episode, and then have the med effectively cause another psychotic episode later because it was stopped too suddenly. But when this happens, it’s often misattributed to the patient’s disorder symptoms and not to the medication. This can lead to both the patient and doctor alike thinking the meds are “needed” when in reality, they’re not. The patient might’ve been just fine if the med had been reduced at a slower rate.
Apologies for the word wall, just want to emphasize that it’s a complicated topic. With all that aside, I hope you’re doing better now!
Ik had psychoses, 20 j geleden,
Ik stopte met olanzapine en kreeg het terug, ik neem nu 5 mg
Hi Russel, thanks for your vidoes. May I know for the 10 years what dosage of which antipsychotic did you take?
Hey, Off the top of my head, I remember taking Abilify, Geodon, Seroquel, Zyprexa, Risperdal, and Mellaril. But I was only on that last one for a very short time.
Unfortunately, it was so long ago that I can’t say for sure how much of each one I was on. Except for Geodon. I’m pretty sure I was on 160 mg of it (total daily dose) when I started tapering.
@@russellbyti also take melleril , 6 years , 20 tears ago, before.that clopixol, 7 years
Now only 5 mg zyprexa,
Before zyprexa,
Melleril excist no more,
@Giselalwens Did you find the Mellaril helpful during those 6 years?
@@russellbyt may I know what dosage of resperidone did you take for how long?
Any natural remedies for sex drive to return after taking abilify and risperidone?
Tyrosine and a good choline source
What is sex drive? We have been without for many years. Also was told no more children. Began after a miscarriage at 25. I lost my trust in the doctors and after 50 yrs. I attribute making it this far to my best friend Jesus. He is helping the young on a better path to healing. Through every suffering there is light. All the best and may God bless your precious life.
When did you had your psychotic episode or psychosis ?
Aside from a few very brief instances that were caused by psych drugs, I haven’t experienced any psychotic symptoms. I’ll give an example to show what I mean when I say they were caused by the drugs:
For about 5 minutes after taking an Ambien, I thought the news reporter on TV was talking directly to me. It’s like I was in a trance. There was another time where I had visual hallucinations off and on during a 24-hour period, but it followed a Geodon and benzo overdose that happened the night before. The hallucinations had completely stopped by the next day.
I say all that because I have _technically_ had psychotic symptoms. It would be slightly inaccurate to say that’s not the case. But these sorts of things only happened a few times and none of them ever came about naturally. They were always preceded by taking one or more meds and were short lived. They also never factored into any of my diagnoses over the years, since the diagnoses (aside from ADD) had already been given before those things happened.
I’ve been on abilify for nearly 10 months, I shall begin the stop in 2 months as the recommended dosing period is 1 year. My psychiatrist and psychologist do not know I’m going to stop however my psychologist has been speaking with me a bit about the possibility to discontinue the antipsychotics…
I do not know how this will go, just want to take it slow but in UK
I wish you the best, Dylan! If you want, give the page below a look. It's called "Why taper by 10% of my dosage?" and it's on the Surviving Antidepressants website (the page/site deal with all categories of drug).
www.survivingantidepressants.org/topic/1024-why-taper-by-10-of-my-dosage/
It discusses the recommended taper rate for psych drugs. Following the recommendations on that page will ensure that things go as smoothly as possible regarding the reductions.
@@russellbyt thank you for sharing!
I shall share this with my friend. He has schizophrenia, I haven’t been diagnosed with any diagnosis yet besides one psychiatrist mentioned his suspicion says I have schizoaffective Disorder… I’m curious to see how life post antipsychotic meds will be.
Unsure if you have any advice or tips you’ve learnt through going post antipsychotics. I am very scared as even when I go off mine cold turkey for 2 days due to meds being too slow to prescribe, I feel some positive symptoms such as Anxiety, Depression, Intrusive thoughts and some paranoia.
Is this just the normality of being 23 years old or is this due to my underlying condition which may be schizophrenia?
@Dylan Jackson We’re typically experiencing withdrawal symptoms any time we cold turkey meds. Even if it’s just missing a dose or two. Tapering too fast can also cause withdrawal symptoms and that’s why doing it at the right speed is so important.
Our bodies become dependent on psych drugs after being on them for a relatively short time, often around a month at most. (Though a lot of prescribers have yet to learn this and therefore will not acknowledge it.) So take away the meds and our body will start going haywire because it’s missing something it’s become reliant upon.
Withdrawal symptoms can manifest as problems we’ve never had before and/or a worsening of problems we’ve had in the past. That’s why a lot of prescribers think we’re having a relapse while discontinuing meds, or after quitting them, when in fact we’re just going through withdrawals. Docs will increase our meds in response, or even put us on additional drugs thinking they’re stabilizing us. This is how most people get stuck in the trap of never being able to quit their meds, and thinking that they need to stay on them for the rest of their lives.
The main tip I can give in your situation is to not treat coming off meds as a race. As something that you need to finish up as quickly as possible. Just see it as part of a much larger process of finding yourself and figuring out what’s “normal” for you, as well as what you want your life to look like (this includes all the people, places and things within it).
I flat out told them I don't like it and don't want to be on them as we tried two more after an initial overdose of invega, which eventually made me "moldable" or easily manipulated. Of course I'm open to options like antidepressants and sleep meds but he just walked too. I might have to commit myself again? I'm always third party regulated. Never actually done it myself?
Hey you are ok. The best advice from a psychiatrist was to keep you feet planted on the ground. Im glsd your are turning to a better way of treating your anxiety. My only suggestion is let your worries and fears go into the heart and hands of God. He is the Healer. I was told by a Holy man pray,hope and don't worry. Trust in God who gave you a gift of life. That Love for you has never left. God will never stop loving you. Just let him into your whole being. It is time to give him all you are and will become. He waits for you. He loves you like no other. Just ask and put everything into His hands. Our God will never let you down. Even in the worst of times He will bring you out of the pit. I have lived my life for 71yrs and just now trying to stop medication . Im so joyful for the people who are younger than I. Sometimes it takes the us a while to see. You are Gods joy. Hang in and Know that He is the Lord God Almighty. Let Him in ask and Trust. He gave up heaven and became a helpless child to show us the way to a eternal future that is beyond anything we can imagine. Know He cares. I will say some prayers for you.
Thank you for your very supportive words 💜 And I apologize for the delayed reply. I wish you much peace and love as you start your own psych drug-discontinuation journey!
Russell and anyone who would like to comment I have recently gone from Geodon 40mgs to Risperidone .375mgs. Because I was having heart problems. And I thought the heart problems (high and low blood pressure, arrhythmias, tach and Bradia Cardia) were from the Geodon. I did this myself without a doctors help. Because psychiatrists will not help you tapper. There deperscribing procedures are a joke. 50% off the first week and then 25% off the second and then cold turkey. It's taken me a year on Geodon to be able to go back to Risperidal at a lower than .5mgs dose. Anyway my question is how long does an anti-psychotic taper take? And how much percent should someone reduce safely. I was given the medication for bi-polar symptoms but I take other meds for bi-polar and had been for years and they worked just fine. So what percentage off would you all recomend? To reduce or tapper. I am doing so very well for the last 12 days. The first six were uncomfortable but I slept really great the whole time. Thanks for listening.
Thank you so much for providing this resource. I’ve been looking for something like this. I’m currently tapering off of 20 mg of Latuda, and it’s been hell. My psychiatrist told me to cut my pills in half and take 10 mg every day for two weeks, and then take 10 mg a day every other day for two weeks. The first two weeks were hell and I decided to slow down the taper myself. They should really teach these psychiatrists about tapering off these psych meds before they’re allowed to prescribe them. Thanks again!
Are you able to sleep?
@@russellbyt do you take anything to sleep?
HELPP!!!! PLEASE HELP!! GOD, PLEASE READ THIS I NEED HELP!!!
I'm a 19 year old who had a temporary anxiety. My physician offered another anxiety medication like it was nothing, (i've previously been on chlonodine hcl which helps for both hypetension and anxiety). I found out it was a psychiatric(Buspar/Buspirone) :/
No talk about how to use it, side-effects, how it works. And never told me it mitigates the brain. Never said it was a psychiatric drug.
The first time I took it, I definitely noticed a decline in cognitive-faculties. As I kept taking it however, I seemed to regain the ability to think, however, my memory
and the way I read (I tend to be VERY high in IQ, and read chunks ultra fast instead of slowly linearly from left to right) were downgraded.
I will admit I took them all over the place. I tried to stick with taking it at morning (4am when I wake up) and then another in the afternoon. But honestly sometimes I'd
forget and only ingest one. I made a follow up with my doctor once after the prescription and he told me it's until my brain adjusts. He had some point in there because i did kind of start seeing to regain my ability to think creatively but my way of reading was still changed from fast to slow and my memory was still bad.
I had a realization realizing wtf I was taking and realizing it alters my brain and noticing my memory not as good and reading linearly instead of how I normally read. I then decided to search this thing up. I found out it's a psychiatric drug that mitigates the brain and I just got
so fucking scared. I started searching up "buspar lowers intelligence." I've read some posts on quora about people feeling as smart as they were before and on when going on even more powerful
things such as SSRI's (but then everyone is different). And other people saying "well if we define intelligence as the neurochemistry which is impacted by these drugs..." you get the point.
Generally I'm hyper-aware with my eyes always looking everywhere and ever since this medicine, it has gone away. Also, I stumbled upon these videos claiming that psychiatric medicatinos can be the devil for some
people: ua-cam.com/video/qTfuhKWWbGU/v-deo.html
They say that it impedes cognitivie abilities, but what makes me think I can stay this sane is because my very High IQ (Stanford Binet 149) took the hit and I'm still
able to cognitively function.
I quit cold turkey. 10 days ago was the last time I took it, after taking it for 3weeks/month. However, I did not know that quitting cold turkey was a bad thing. No one ever had these conversations
with me, and I really do feel like a victim :(
I'm scared that quitting Cold Turkey will do brain damage, but I searched it just lists the withdrawal side effects as more severe. I just don't know what to do man. Please someone just tell me what to do to get out of this mess.
I don't want to feel hopeless. Please don't put any blame on me, I admit that I was ignorant. In fact, I grew up in a bubble of my ethnic community (Mexican) and
didn't really find out the difference between an entree and an appetizer til like a month ago or two.
I've also seen other posts on reddit about brainfog on buspirone/buspar, and no one believing them. But I do.
I'm just so scared.
How are you doing nowadays??? I hope you are doing better! :'(
Everything will get better, my friend.
@@Blackmoonsoulx I'm doing fine. My psychomotor executive functioning is still at 85% NOT 100%, and is clearly evident by my slowed down horizontal saccadic eye movements. Emotions are reuperating. I'd say 88%-95%. The thing is, My nipples are numb and I'm less ticklish - I don't mind however, but not minding seems like a disrespect to myself, so I should be angry.