The regular use of drugs could have negative impacts on your health and wellness. And for many people looking to quit the use of psychoactive substances, going through the withdrawal stages can be challenging. This is because the body system may be used to a particular substance when it is used regularly.
And discontinuing the use may have negative side effects that are not desirable. Need to know the steps to take with antidepressants withdrawal? This link https://genesight.com/blog/antidepressant-withdrawal sheds more light on the best methods used presently. You can learn about some of the clinically proven methods to do so below.
What are Antidepressants?
These are medications used to treat depressive disorders in patients suffering from anxiety and depression. Most people rely on such medications to get out of stress and cope better with life challenges.
For a larger percentage of people on antidepressants, they do so to deal with addiction, manage chronic pains, and in some cases find sleep. But while they may get relief from such medications, the tendency to abuse them and go over the legal dosage is always high.
Common Antidepressants Medications
Over the years, there has been an extensive list of both legal and unlicensed antidepressants that have been used by many people to manage their health challenges. While many have proven to be helpful with their conditions, some others have shown negative effects with providing the desired relief. Some of the notable ones to mention include
- Sertraline
- Escitalopram
- Citalopram
- Paroxetine
- Fluoxetine
- Milnacipran
- Reboxetine
- Buproprion
- Venlafaxine
- Duloxetine
While the options above are some of the legally prescribed by therapists and medical experts, some others are more illegally sourced options with minimal available data to back their claims. Ideally, you want to speak with a medical expert to discuss more your condition and use antidepressants. They will be in a better position to guide you on the right medication to take.
Why Consider Antidepressants Withdrawal
Ideally, using a particular medication for an extended period harms your health. And except you are dealing with a major health challenge that you need constant relief for, you should consider other treatment options to manage the condition. Some of the reasons why you want to get out of using a particular antidepressant always include
Better Physical Health
There is a good chance that you will enjoy physical benefits when you get out of regular drug use. This is by way of avoiding the side effects of everyday use. And it doesn’t matter how safe the drug is, you could be harming your body system by way of increased toxic levels.
Some of the physical problems you risk encountering include sexual dysfunction, weight gain, and difficulties sleeping. All these can be avoided if you choose to withdraw from the use of antidepressants. This page has more on how to improve your physical health and wellness.
Enjoy Better Mental Health
Another issue why you want to consider getting off antidepressants is the role it plays in your mental health. Already, if you are depressive or suffer from anxiety or stress, having to take drugs that affect your emotional state may not be in your best interest.
Of course, it may help with temporary relief, but there is a strong tendency that you could suffer a major drawback when you use the medication constantly. There is also a high probability that you will suffer withdrawal symptoms the longer you use the medication.
Steps to Take with Antidepressants Withdrawal
When it comes to quitting any specific medication, you just don’t want to wake up one morning and stop taking them. While this is something you will eventually do, planning for it may be the best way to make sure that you don’t get back to using it again.
Plan for It
“If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.” This saying is true when it comes to addiction. And most drug users, are known to relapse and fall back to their old ways with no plan on how to stop using and follow through with their plan.
So you want to conclude how you intend to make it work this time. It could help if you have a stop date on your calendar where you will discontinue using the drug, but you want to get there slowly than quitting cold turkey.
Start Slowly
A slow start may be the best way to make sure you never go back to where you are coming from when you eventually reach the promised land. You can choose to reduce your dosage and how many times you take the medication. For example, you take 20mg of a specific drug twice daily, you can choose to switch to 10mg twice daily and then gradually cut by another 10mg.
This means after a while, you start taking 10mg once daily till you no longer have to use it again. You surely will suffer some withdrawal symptoms as your body slowly gets rid of the drug from your system, but with strong therapy and determination, you can achieve your aim.
Get Motivation
Motivation is a sure-fire way of reaching your goals. And If you aim to stop using a particular drug, there is a good chance that you will make it work. You want to set reminders that help you stay on course, and it helps if you choose therapy to back your moves to never go back down that road.
There are many therapy programs and experts who assist people who need to withdraw from antidepressants, and you can speak to a medical expert to refer you to a professional, you can also go online to search for someone to assist you.
Final Note
Using antidepressants can help with offering temporary relief to depression, anxiety, and stress. But there is a good chance that prolonged use of such medications can have negative effects on your health.
You will surely benefit from improved mental and physical health if you do so. It may be best to consider therapy and engage the services of experts if you are finding it challenging to withdraw from regular drug use by yourself.
