I was talking with a therapist this week. He said, "It's a crime that psychiatrists don't know how to help patients withdraw from these [psychiatric] meds. They don't even know the basics like using vitamin D."
"It's because they don't know about nutritional supplementation or energy medicine that they can't help patients safely withdraw from their meds, " I replied. "The only way I can help patients get off their medication is through a combination of both functional and energy medicine."
As the country roils in conflict over police brutality and the rallies for Black Lives Matter spread throughout the country, I think about all the patients on psychiatric medications who don't have freedom from being a patient and are dependent on their medications. It's indeed a crime to humanity that so much medication is prescribed with so little concern about medication withdrawal. It's as if psychiatrists have inadvertently become an arm of the pharmaceutical industry.
Today, I will share all that I know about SSRI withdrawal in a nutshell. I hope this will help offset the scales in some positive way in favor of freedom. Have a wonderful week!
Navigating SSRI Withdrawal in a Nutshell
An updated summary of a holistic approach
Helping patients off SSRIs is the bread and butter of my practice. I've become quite good at it when the patient is open to integrating both functional and energy medicine interventions. Though this summary is not meant to replace proper medical care, it may help you avoid rushing into a process that you are not ready to face. Here is the updated summary in a nutshell:
1. Prepare the field. Support yourself nutritionally and energetically before you try to lower your SSRI. Do Energy Breaths twice daily. Take high-quality nutritional supplements in highly absorbable forms that will support you in these eight areas: vitamins, minerals, essential fatty acids, amino acids, GI support, antioxidants, anti-inflammatories, and detoxification. Begin drinking a delicious 8 oz. smoothie filled with fruits and vegetables daily. Minimize wheat, dairy, and refined sugars in your diet. Start exercising if you haven't been doing so. Strengthen the foundational aspects of your health.
2. Begin to build sufficient serotonin. You can use a supplement like SeroPlus by Pure Encapsulations or other similar products. When I use SeroPlus, I will begin usually with one capsule at bedtime and increase it to 2 capsules at bedtime after four days. Serotonin gets converted to melatonin, so as the levels of serotonin increase, your sleep will improve and your dreams will become more vivid. 90 to 95% of serotonin receptors and neurotransmitters are in the GI system, so your GI system will become more active as your serotonin rises.
3. Heal from medication dependency and underlying causes. Use the Minimizing Withdrawal Problems guided visualization technique long version once per week or the short version daily. If you do the long version, you may need to lower your medication faster than expected. Do the EET + Logosynthesis (for homeostatic reactions) once or twice a week to inform the body of how you will be withdrawing the medication.
For example: The co-dependent reactions of my body that keep Zoloft at a homeostatic dose which interfere with my ability to safely, easily, smoothly, and gradually reduce my need for Zoloft from 100 mg to 90 mg by June 30, 2020. (stick this problem in the EET + Logosynthesis template and do it once or twice per week before you lower the Zoloft from 100 mg to 90 mg).
It is important to heal underlying causes through energy work, so use the energy techniques section to heal from traumas and use the Star Trek Guided Visualization for Toxins and Infections to reduce harm from these sources. You can also use Smart Silver solution by DesBio and Liposomal or buffered vitamin C powder to decrease infections, and systemic enzymes (I like using SerraCor-NK by AST Enzymes) to decrease inflammation.
4. Lower your SSRI medication. Usually I will lower it by anywhere from 10-25% depending on how well I've supported the patient functionally and energetically. You may want to use a liquid solution to help you lower it. Or, if you can't tolerate the liquid forms, then use a clean nail file to gradually and slowly decrease the amount of the tablet you take daily. If you can afford a compounding pharmacy, they can make any concentration of medication you will need. Your psychiatrist will still need to call in the prescription.
If you start noticing brain zaps, depression, or insomnia, go back up until those symptoms stop. Wait until your sleep and appetite are back to normal before you try to lower the dosage again. Do not try to "white-knuckle" the withdrawal symptoms. They are signals that your withdrawal is stressing your body and should not be ignored.
5. Careful monitoring should be provided for at least three months after the medication has stopped. This three month period is a vulnerable time for patients and should be used for continued healing and recovery. Use of functional and energy supports is important to continue to help patients release their dependency on the SSRI.
In summary, you need to heal the underlying causes, build serotonin levels, lower the medication slowly, and follow up closely for at least three months afterward, all while avoiding withdrawal side effects along the way.
Have a great week!
I'm excited to share some more wonderful, creative comics from Sara Bloem. I hope you'll enjoy her humor as much as I do. To enjoy more of Sara's art, visit her Instagram account: Sarabloemart.