The Long Way Back: A Psychiatric Medication Recovery Podcast

In this sixth episode, I talk about one way to view your struggles: limited capacity.It can be shocking and confusing to suddenly lose interest in things that you once had passion for. You may no longer feel connection with loved ones. That long morning walk you used to enjoy may now feel like a slog.Eventually, you might start wondering whether you're now dealing with depression, anxiety, panic disorder, etc. Of course, that's certainly a possibility, but what makes the framework of capacity

In this fifth episode, I talk about how, after nearly 12 months off of all medications, I've re-evaluated how I measure progress.At first, I was fixated on feeling better and used that as the sole measure of recovery progress. However, over time I learned to reassess what "recovery" really means for me. I've come up with different models: sometimes I compare recovery to a jigsaw puzzle slowly coming together, other times I compare it to a video game-like process where "points" are being allocated to

In this fourth episode, I talk about a frustrating, persistent, and sometimes debilitating feature of tapering, withdrawal, and readjustment. Head pressure, headaches, and migraines may not be completely avoidable, but it's possible to eliminate certain triggers as well as create conditions that give us the best chance to feel relief. I talk about different factors to consider such as exercise, activity levels, neck tension, food, supplements, heat, stimulation, and medicine.One thing to keep in

In this third episode, I talk about my experience going down the rabbit holes of ChatGPT and medication withdrawal/recovery forums when seeking answers and assurance for the truly bizarre, upsetting, and scary symptoms that occur when trying to come off meds. (And honestly, they happen when starting meds and even when at a stable dose!)Of course, it's completely understandable to seek help and assurance. For me, it wasn't until Month 9 (I'm two weeks shy of one year off as of this recording) that I

In this second episode, I talk about another tricky part of recovery: sleep. It was something I struggled with at times even before taking medication (or tapering/stopping), but it wasn't until being prescribed meds that sleep became such an issue, which is ironic because good quality, consistent sleep is one of the best recovery tools available!Although I was fortunate enough to never have "classic" insomnia when tapering and eventually stopping meds, my sleep quality was often poor, with a few

In this episode, I talk about my struggles with and solutions for a dilemma that has plagued me throughout this recovery journey: reaping the benefits of staying out of the home without creating unnecessary friction.From the very beginning, I recognized that I almost always felt better when I left the apartment and usually felt worse when returning, mostly because I was stuck inside most of the day due to fatigue and other issues.Little by little, I found ways to stay out of the apartment, sometimes