Various studies show that more than 70% of people taking antidepressants experience severe symptoms when they decide to stop. This is a fact that often goes unnoticed, or is not even discussed by the medical professionals who prescribe these medicines — which can pose a serious risk to patients who are unprepared for the consequences.
On 19 June 2023 the BBC programme Panorama broadcast a striking investigation titled "The Antidepressant Story". It revealed not only the unwanted effects of these medicines, such as sexual dysfunction and withdrawal symptoms, but also that the idea of a chemical imbalance, so often used to justify their use, lacks scientific grounding.
Dr John Read, chair of the International Institute for Psychiatric Drug Withdrawal, has expressed serious concern about the over-prescription of antidepressants, including to children. The difficulty of coming off antidepressants and antipsychotics deserves emphasis too. Research shows that more than half of those who try to stop taking antidepressants experience withdrawal, and about half of them describe those symptoms as "severe". Unfortunately, only 2% had been given any information about the risks of stopping.
We also need to recognise that antidepressants can cause serious physical dependence. Specialists in psychiatry warn that they can lead to lifelong dependence. Stopping them can cause agitation, headache and flu-like symptoms. Researchers also point to a neglected side effect of long-term use, known as "antidepressant discontinuation syndrome".
Dr Peter C. Gøtzsche is a well-known Danish physician, professor and critic of certain aspects of modern medicine, particularly in psychiatry and pharmacology.
He is known for his criticism of the use of psychotropic medicines and of the pharmaceutical industry, and insists on a more thorough study of their effectiveness and safety. He stresses how important it is to understand withdrawal symptoms and to taper psychiatric medicines safely.
He expresses serious concern about how little most psychiatrists know about withdrawal symptoms. Those symptoms are frequently misread and ignored, with the illness itself blamed for them.
These views and criticisms are part of a wide debate in the medical community about the use and regulation of psychotropic medicines and their effect on patients' health and wellbeing.
In the Netherlands, considerable effort has gone into making it easier to come off antidepressants. A programme using specially developed tapering strips, which allow the dose to be reduced gradually, is a significant step forward. The method allows the process to be adapted to the individual, improving the chances of getting off the medication successfully.
In short, dependence on psychotropic medicines is a serious problem and calls for a broad approach: awareness, education, support and innovation in medicine.
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