The whole issue of medication discontinuation and drug withdrawal is a study in itself. There are certain recommendations that should be followed, depending on the drug type. Essentially, this should be done under medical supervision. Never think that discontinuing psychotropic medication such as antidepressants is always easy. Withdrawal can be a nightmare, and added to the mental and physiological stresses, is usually the stress of the doctor telling you that your drugs were not chemically addictive, and your current symptoms are "due to a return to exactly why I prescribed them in the first place."

This is by no means the case. Ask your doctor to HONOR and RESPECT your decision to stop or reduce, and if you are not satisfied, find a doctor who will do so.

Let's look at the case of Jane, who fortunately, had a psychiatrist prepared to help.
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Jane was a client of mine. Her intention was to deal with something other than her addiction to antidepressants, as you will read in her story below.

Jane is an architect living in Perth, Western Australia. You’ll read below that for twenty years she had not questioned either her physician’s diagnosis of depression or her dependence on antidepressant drugs. In the interests of this site and program, the telling parts of Jane’s tale are (1) that in the years of her taking antidepressants she gradually became listless and unable to work well – and often, ‘at all’ – in her chosen profession, and (2) that the process of withdrawal from antidepressants was long and arduous.

This letter from Jane was received two years after her clinical affectology treatment, and you will see from my comment following this, that things have changed even more for Jane in the intervening period to now.

_ I was first diagnosed with “clinical depression” as an 18 year old. Over the following 20 years I have more or less continuously remained under psychiatric care and treated with anti-depressants, often prescribed with other medication to increase efficacy.

The different doctors who have treated me have maintained that my depression falls clearly within the indicators for a “major depressive disorder”, attributing my depression to a “chemical imbalance in the brain” and treatable with ongoing medication. It was expected that the medication would be necessary for the rest of my life and a family history of depression, with my father and his brother also under medical treatment, adding further weight to the doctors’ diagnosis.

I dutifully took the many types, combinations and dosages of medication prescribed for me; however I never found long-term relief from the depression. In fact, I have not found the path through depression to be so simple or the treatment with medication to be effective. Consequently, I have, over many years, sought alternate forms of treatment - cognitive behavioral therapy, psychotherapy, nutritional medicine and its many manifestations, even spirituality. Although these endeavors provided varying degrees of comfort and support, I still could not shake the depression sufficiently to attain the life I desired. For example, I could not maintain full time employment and frequently avoided situations where people would rely on me.

About two years ago I embarked upon a huge shift in the direction of my treatment and have finally broken through the constraints of depression and the self-perpetuating cycle that is so much a part of this condition. The turning point came when I underwent Ian White’s Clinical Affectology. This therapy, involving only three brief sessions during two only visits and prefaced with the very welcome directive that “this is not a talking therapy”, has undoubtedly been the most beneficial of any of the treatments I have received for depression in my 20 year journey.

Following the sessions I experienced a subtle yet incredibly deep “shift”. I clearly remember a wonderful feeling of having been told some kind of secret. I have written of this time in my journal that I felt lighter, unshackled. I also felt optimistic. I found I was able to successfully undertake things in my work and home-life that previously would have remained incomplete. Friends commented that I looked and sounded refreshed.

During the sessions, I talked to Ian White about his understanding and opinion on antidepressant medication. This was the first time I seriously contemplated the side effects of the medication, feeling that they may be doing more harm than good.

Although I experienced somewhat of a breakthrough in my depression following the treatment, I remained on medication and under psychiatric care - twenty years entrenched in the “system” and its dynamics are hard to shake. I did discuss with my doctor my desire to withdraw from the medication and he responded positively, but encouraged me to maintain treatment until I had maintained a “good state” for 6 months and then commence a withdrawal programme. After six months had passed, I was again teetering on the edge of depression and after twelve months had passed I was actually taking higher doses of medication. For the first time, I attributed this “backslide” to my decision to not attempt a serious withdrawal of my medication.

Because of the initial benefits, I decided to undertake additional sessions with Ian about 5 months ago. This time I was fully committed and prepared to begin immediate reduction of the medication with a view to complete withdrawal. Having completed these additional affectology sessions I definitely notice a difference in my attitude and I am making good progress. I generally feel calmer, more confident and keen to accept self-responsibility.

I find I can now view my journey through depression with fresh eyes. I am no longer lost in it. Much of this change, I attribute to an understanding of the power of the negative messages that I have previously received regarding depression.

My aim is to be medication free and experiencing the “normal” ups and downs of life. I now have enough distance to see that I had become so sensitized to depression that there was no normal “down time” for me. I would go straight from feeling OK into a depressed and desperate state in one motion. Since completing the additional sessions with Ian, I am now able to accept the down times, knowing that they will pass. This alone is a huge achievement for me. In the past, desperate measures have been taken in desperate times. The ability to “pause” rather than “react” to the signs of troubled times approaching is helping me enormously.

Although I am still under the review of a psychiatrist, my approach to this relationship has also changed. I am now making the decisions on how to proceed with my treatment based on how I am feeling, my past experiences and what I have personally learnt in researching medications and their side effects. I am receiving encouragement and support from this doctor, as well as continued support and advice from Ian White. I remain completely committed to withdrawal from the medication and it seems that each week that passes adds to my resources and confidence.

It is difficult to clearly articulate the changes I have experienced since completing the Clinical Affectology. Although there have been powerful realizations and insights, the overall experience has been on a more subtle but definite level. I have felt at times like little glimpses of sunshine have found their way through a very complex and dense web of resistance and that, in short, my life is blossoming.

_ Jane is now back to being a fully productive and highly successful architect after several years of discontinuation trials involving tapering off medications. She worked well with her sympathetic and understanding psychiatrist, and her latest communication with me was, ...

_ “All going well with me. No docs, no meds just ‘normal’ ups and downs.

I’m happy to report I am a shining example of your wise ways – happy and productive whilst “up against the many pressures of a lot of architectural work.”

Jane’s journey shows us that it can sometimes be a real battle to withdraw from antidepressants; that it can often require the help and guidance of a doctor who honors the desire for a patient to discontinue medication. But it can be done, no matter for how long the medication has been administered.

The CAUTION: always consult a medical doctor when desiring any discontinuation or reduction of psychotropic medications.