The drugs are no better than placebo ...

To everyone in the prescribed harm community, I would like to hear your stories. In trying to raise awareness about withdrawal, directly relating patient stories to clinicians who will listen can be powerful. Some things that would be helpful if you could include them:

I see that biopsychiatry has arrived at guilt by association. For several decades now, people who paint themselves as ‘reasonable reformers’ have had it in their power to change the broken model of biopsychiatry and improve informed consent. They have failed to do so. Instead,

This misinterpretation of psychiatric drug withdrawal as worsening mental illness is not just cruel & ignorant—it's potentially lethal. As patients attempt to break free from these drugs, they're hit with a tsunami of symptoms that can include crushing anxiety, violent mood

Slightly peculiar that Dr Rege who seems to be very big on his open-mindedness to new ideas has blocked me.

Awais Aftab Carrie Clark I am concerned about the likes of JFK jr spreading misinformation and co-opting public health initiatives for his own agenda. His alignment with the Trump administration is disturbing.

Suicidal on SSRIs? They’ll say it’s “your illness.” Feeling worse? They’ll increase the dose. Still struggling? They’ll add another drug. Side effects? They’ll give you something for that too. Try to come off them and spiral? They’ll say you “relapsed.” “Your illness returned”

For those who say that it's difficult to distinguish between iatrogenic harm and relapse, there's a pathognomic sign: being blocked by Dr Rege. It should be included in the diagnostic criteria of post-SSRI/benzo/AP syndromes.

In response to Dr Annie Hickox, Clinical Psychologist/Neuropsych (though I’m blocked); my email wasn’t on my profile at the time in question. Resorting to the tired ‘anti psych’ smear to discredit harmed patients is predictable and says a lot about you 🥱 Appreciate you boosting the algorithm on my post 👍

Caroline Gail Glass-Malley Dr Annie Hickox, Clinical Psychologist/Neuropsych Robert Howard also on BlueSky as @ProfRobHoward First thing you see searching “Annie Hickox/withdrawal” on X. Not dangerous? Withdrawal can be life threatening. Not her words, but sharing this narrative still makes her complicit in risking patient safety and informed consent. Just one of many examples, sadly.

I think it is a sad sign that people are willing to embrace this as 'balanced'. 8 weeks long trials not designed to examine harms, and discontinuation studies do not justify even the watered-down reassurance Awais has attempted here.