Helping you make more informed choices about all things mental health: diagnoses, drugs, and drug withdrawal.
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About
About ICI
About Laura Delano
Contact
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More ways to get involved
Research Institute
Stories
Resources
Get Involved
What’s New
Read Laura’s Book, Unshrunk
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Resources
Learn –
Psychiatric drugs and diagnosis
Psychiatric drugs and drug research
An Overview of Psychiatry's Diagnostic Manual (the DSM)
"ADHD" Stimulants
"Anti-anxiety" Benzodiazepines
"Antidepressants"
"Antispychotics"
"Mood Stabilizers" and Lithium
"Sleep Aids" Z-Drugs
How Outcomes are Measured in Psychiatric Research
Psychiatric diagnoses
How "Mental Disorders" are Diagnosed
How Psychiatric Drugs are Researched and Marketed
A primer on psychiatric drug dependence, tolerance and withdrawal
Psychiatric drug taper rates: a review and discussion
Prepare –
Readiness for drug tapering
Introduction: the vital role of good preparation
Step 1 – How do I feel about the idea of coming off psychiatric drugs?
Exercise
Reflections: Listening to yourself
Step 2 – Learn about psychiatric drug dependence, tolerance and withdrawal
Reading assignment
Reflections: Grappling with the facts about psychiatric drugs
Step 3 – What is my withdrawal beacon?
Exercise: Exploring feelings and beliefs about psychiatric medications
Reflections: To withdraw or not to withdraw
Step 4 – Managing day-to-day responsibilities and tasks
Inventory exercise: Responsibilities, tasks, and possible solutions
Reflections: Planting seeds
Step 5 – Building a support system
Exploratory exercise: What does “support” mean to me?
Optional exercise: Create an inventory of your needs and possible supports
Reflections: Anchoring in a sense of safety and security for the taper road ahead
Step 6 – Communicating with prescribers
Reflective prompts
Tips and troubleshooting around a difficult relationship with a prescriber
Reflections: To ask or not to ask your doctor?
Step 7 – Listening to the body and its messages
Exercise: How much do I let my body guide me?
Readings: Physical health during withdrawal
Reflections: Coming off psychiatric drugs is about journeying back to our own bodies
Step 8 – Being with pain and darkness
Exercise: How do I manage deep and difficult challenges in my life?
Optional exercise: Create an inventory of your strategies
Reflections: Journeying back to being with ourselves
Step 9 – Is the time right for me to taper?
Taper –
Practical how-to information
Step 10 – Get informed about your psychiatric drug
Gather the key documents
Reflections: Getting empowered through self-education
ICI's guide to the FDA-approved drug label
ICI's key to withdrawal-related information in the FDA-approved drug label
Step 11 – Ensuring that a drug is relatively ‘taper-friendly’
Determine how ‘taper-friendly’ your drug is
Reflections: to switch or not to switch
Step 12 – Interactions, reactions and sensitivities
Readings
Reflections: navigating the unknown
Step 13 – Taper rates
Readings: Getting a handle on slow psychiatric drug tapering and finding the right rate for you
Reflections: Making your chosen rate as safe as possible
Step 14 – Taper schedules
The options: A daily microtaper or cut-and-hold schedule
Discussion: Comparing the pros and cons of daily microtapering and cut-and-hold schedules
Reflections: Make a decision – or hold off for now
Step 15 – Taper methods
Making a liquid mixture
Using a digital scale
Counting beads in a beaded capsule
Using a compounding pharmacy
Using a manufacturer’s oral liquid
Reflections: Which psychiatric drug taper method is best for you?
Step 16 – Preparatory decisions
Making a liquid mixture using immediate-release tablets or capsules
Using a digital scale to weigh powder from a crushed immediate-release tablet or poured-out powder or beads from a capsule
Counting beads from a beaded capsule
Using a compounding pharmacy to obtain capsules and/or liquid
Using a manufacturer’s oral liquid
Step 17 – Gather the gear
Adapter caps
Bead-counting surface
Counting implement
Digital scale
Empty capsules
Graduated cylinders and pipettes
Jars
Labels and pen/marker
Measuring bowl or tray
Mortar and pestle
Pharmaceutical-grade powder filler
Pill bottles
Pill organizer
Refrigerator and/or cooler bag
Slip tip syringes
Transferring implements
Step 18 – Essential skills
Counting and making cuts with beads
Diluting powder when using a digital scale
Understanding the limits of a digital scale's accuracy
Using an adapter cap
Using a digital scale for weighing and making cuts
Using a mortar and pestle for pulverizing tablets
Using syringes
Doing calculations for a taper
Special tips for calculations and liquids
Step 19 – Setting up a taper journal
Section 1 – Tracking calculations and amounts
Section 2 – Listening to your body and tracking symptoms and experiences
Step 20 – Implementing a taper
Review
Sample implementation: Making and cutting a liquid mixture
Sample implementation: Using a digital scale to weigh and cut powder or beads
Sample implementation: Counting and cutting beads
Sample implementation: Using a compounding pharmacy
Sample implementation: Making cuts from a manufacturer’s oral liquid
Heal –
Withdrawal survival
Withdrawal symptoms A to Z
Coping techniques A to Z
Reclaim your health
More
Help Hub – Support articles
Family and Friends – Support your loved ones
Practitioners – Prescribers, coaches, doctors, etc.
Go!
Learn
Psychiatric drugs and diagnosis
Prepare
Readiness for drug tapering
Taper
Practical how-to information
Heal
Withdrawal survival
More
Psychiatric drugs and drug research
Psychiatric diagnoses
A primer on psychiatric drug dependence, tolerance and withdrawal
Psychiatric drug taper rates: a review and discussion
Introduction: the vital role of good preparation
Step 1 – How do I feel about the idea of coming off psychiatric drugs?
Step 2 – Learn about psychiatric drug dependence, tolerance and withdrawal
Step 3 – What is my withdrawal beacon?
Step 4 – Managing day-to-day responsibilities and tasks
Step 5 – Building a support system
Step 6 – Communicating with prescribers
Step 7 – Listening to the body and its messages
Step 8 – Being with pain and darkness
Step 9 – Is the time right for me to taper?
Step 10 – Get informed about your psychiatric drug
Step 11 – Ensuring that a drug is relatively ‘taper-friendly’
Step 12 – Interactions, reactions and sensitivities
Step 13 – Taper rates
Step 14 – Taper schedules
Step 15 – Taper methods
Step 16 – Preparatory decisions
Step 17 – Gather the gear
Step 18 – Essential skills
Step 19 – Setting up a taper journal
Step 20 – Implementing a taper
Withdrawal symptoms A to Z
Coping techniques A to Z
Reclaim your health
Help Hub – Support articles
Family and Friends – Support your loved ones
Practitioners – Prescribers, coaches, doctors, etc.
An Overview of Psychiatry's Diagnostic Manual (the DSM)
"ADHD" Stimulants
"Anti-anxiety" Benzodiazepines
"Antidepressants"
"Antispychotics"
"Mood Stabilizers" and Lithium
"Sleep Aids" Z-Drugs
How Outcomes are Measured in Psychiatric Research
How "Mental Disorders" are Diagnosed
How Psychiatric Drugs are Researched and Marketed
Exercise
Reflections: Listening to yourself
Reading assignment
Reflections: Grappling with the facts about psychiatric drugs
Exercise: Exploring feelings and beliefs about psychiatric medications
Reflections: To withdraw or not to withdraw
Inventory exercise: Responsibilities, tasks, and possible solutions
Reflections: Planting seeds
Exploratory exercise: What does “support” mean to me?
Optional exercise: Create an inventory of your needs and possible supports
Reflections: Anchoring in a sense of safety and security for the taper road ahead
Reflective prompts
Tips and troubleshooting around a difficult relationship with a prescriber
Reflections: To ask or not to ask your doctor?
Exercise: How much do I let my body guide me?
Readings: Physical health during withdrawal
Reflections: Coming off psychiatric drugs is about journeying back to our own bodies
Exercise: How do I manage deep and difficult challenges in my life?
Optional exercise: Create an inventory of your strategies
Reflections: Journeying back to being with ourselves
Gather the key documents
Reflections: Getting empowered through self-education
ICI's guide to the FDA-approved drug label
ICI's key to withdrawal-related information in the FDA-approved drug label
Determine how ‘taper-friendly’ your drug is
Reflections: to switch or not to switch
Readings
Reflections: navigating the unknown
Readings: Getting a handle on slow psychiatric drug tapering and finding the right rate for you
Reflections: Making your chosen rate as safe as possible
The options: A daily microtaper or cut-and-hold schedule
Discussion: Comparing the pros and cons of daily microtapering and cut-and-hold schedules
Reflections: Make a decision – or hold off for now
Making a liquid mixture
Using a digital scale
Counting beads in a beaded capsule
Using a compounding pharmacy
Using a manufacturer’s oral liquid
Reflections: Which psychiatric drug taper method is best for you?
Making a liquid mixture using immediate-release tablets or capsules
Using a digital scale to weigh powder from a crushed immediate-release tablet or poured-out powder or beads from a capsule
Counting beads from a beaded capsule
Using a compounding pharmacy to obtain capsules and/or liquid
Using a manufacturer’s oral liquid
Adapter caps
Bead-counting surface
Counting implement
Digital scale
Empty capsules
Graduated cylinders and pipettes
Jars
Labels and pen/marker
Measuring bowl or tray
Mortar and pestle
Pharmaceutical-grade powder filler
Pill bottles
Pill organizer
Refrigerator and/or cooler bag
Slip tip syringes
Transferring implements
Counting and making cuts with beads
Diluting powder when using a digital scale
Understanding the limits of a digital scale's accuracy
Using an adapter cap
Using a digital scale for weighing and making cuts
Using a mortar and pestle for pulverizing tablets
Using syringes
Doing calculations for a taper
Special tips for calculations and liquids
Section 1 – Tracking calculations and amounts
Section 2 – Listening to your body and tracking symptoms and experiences
Review
Sample implementation: Making and cutting a liquid mixture
Sample implementation: Using a digital scale to weigh and cut powder or beads
Sample implementation: Counting and cutting beads
Sample implementation: Using a compounding pharmacy
Sample implementation: Making cuts from a manufacturer’s oral liquid
Looking for something specific?
Joint/Muscle pain
Pain in your joints and muscles
Your joints feel arthritic and your muscles hurt
Muscles feel like they’ve been rigorously exercised
Pain that might lead you to get a “fibromyalgia” diagnosis
Coping
techniques
that
may
help
with
this
withdrawal
symptom
Acupuncture
Biofeedback
Craniosacral therapy
Cupping
Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT)
Epsom salt bath
Flotation tanks
Massage
Reflexology
Withdrawal-induced pain: quick tips
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– Psych drugs, the medical system
Prepare
– Readiness for drug tapering
Taper
– Practical how-to information
Heal
– Withdrawal survival
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Read Laura's book, Unshrunk
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