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
Media inquiries
More ways to get involved
Research Institute
Stories
Resources
Get Involved
What’s New
Read Laura’s Book, Unshrunk
Join the Exchange community
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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?
Vision blurred or double
Blurry, foggy vision – can be unilateral (affecting one eye) or bilateral (affecting both)
Problems reading and seeing generally
Floaters, halos around light and flashes of light may also be present
Coping
techniques
that
may
help
with
this
withdrawal
symptom
Visual de-stimulation
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Resources
Learn
– Psych drugs, the medical system
Prepare
– Readiness for drug tapering
Taper
– Practical how-to information
Heal
– Withdrawal survival
Help Hub
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Read Laura's book, Unshrunk
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