Care Opinion

Coming off anti-depressants

Posted By A Catherine Wheel

"Coming off anti-depressants"

About: Adult Mental Health Community

(as a service user),

I use the Stonebridge Centre to access my mental health services in Nottingham.  This might be called Nottingham Central or Nottingham East, but I'm not sure.

I wonder if our Trust could have a coming off anti-depressants service, and indeed coming off other medications that psychiatrists ask our gps to prescribe for us?

 I am having a dire time coming off Seroxat and have been trying for ages to come off by reducing the doses etc bit by bit.  I have had to find out all by myself how to do it, and as my bad luck would have it, what on earth all the physical feelings, and a host of other things I'm experiencing are all about and how to deal with them.  I would so value some help, and indeed someone assigned to me as a touch base, back up, and support when needed, person to help me through. It's a very lonely thing to tackle on my own.

In my case there is no medical imperative to come off.  I just would like to have a go at the anti-depressant free life, as I've been on anti-depressants since 1979 except for about 4 years within that time and feel I'd like to see if what I've learned about myself and the strategies I've learned to enable me to have a better quality of life can work for me.  I won't know this, unless I come off anti-depressants.  I never knew though how dire coming off would be!!

I realise that the Stonebridge Centre can't even offer a basic service for us to see a psychiatrist at the moment as the Locum Services aren't even available just now.  So that might be a factor for me.  I haven't seen a psychiatrist since the beginning of June 2017.  But even if I had, I don't think there's a coming off service that I could have been referred to.  So if the Trust could have one, it would benefit a lot of people.  I know a couple of people struggling with coming off, who do have a medical imperative to come off Lithium, as its long-term use has seriously damaged either their kidneys or liver, sorry can't remember which!  So it would help more than anti-depressant withdrawal.

Perhaps the Nottingham Mental Health Services could think about this for us.

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Responses

Response from Sarah Toone, Service Manager, City LMHT East & South, 145 Thorneywood Mount, Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust 6 years ago
Sarah Toone
Service Manager, City LMHT East & South, 145 Thorneywood Mount,
Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust

Submitted on 10/04/2018 at 14:45
Published on Care Opinion on 11/04/2018 at 13:10

Dear A Catherine Wheel

I am sorry to hear that you are having such a difficult time coming off your antidepressant medication. I know many will empathise with your experience and the East LMHT staff would be keen to understand how they can best support you.

Thank you for taking the time to post, we are always keen to have feedback on our services so we can try and ensure that we are meeting the needs of our service users.

Can I advise that you make contact with Stephen Laird, the Team Leader for City East on 0115 8760153. Stephen is aware that you will hopefully be contacting him and he is keen to see what service he can offer your to improve your current well being.

  • {{helpful}} {{helpful == 1 ? "person thinks" : "people think"}} this response is helpful

Update posted by A Catherine Wheel (a service user)

Have received a very quick response to my suggestion about a service for coming off psychiatric medications. That in itself has made me feel that there is someone out there!

I have a person to contact who will see what can be offered to help me. I am now looking forward to taking my concerns further.

Many thanks to Sarah for taking the time and trouble to read my post, and for replying in such a respectful, caring and positive way. That is much appreciated. A Catherine Wheel.

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