How I avoided relapse after I stopped taking antidepressants

This is a success OCD story which took me a great effort to call it such. I have been on antidepressants for quite a few months, and after I noticed most of their side effects, I decided to stop taking them. I was determined that I didn’t want to experience any relapse and go back to how I was months ago, so I did some essential things to prevent that:

  • I discussed it with my doctor and kept in touch during the withdrawal process. Eventually, we agreed that it is a good idea to keep a diary of how I feel every morning and evening.

  • I was practicing mindfulness when I noticed that the stress levels impact my days, and it helps me till today when I am feeling overly anxious.

  • I limited social media usage and instead focused on my real-life connections. It made me more grounded and aware of where I am at this life stage and increased my happiness levels.

I hope those proven methods help you :blush:

Hi Andrew, and thank you for sharing those fantastic tips. It was sensible of you to continue talking with your therapist along the withdrawal process instead of just quitting what you were taking. I believe this made the bid difference.

Absolutely William. I hear about many people who do things on their own after they quit taking medication, and most of the time, they experience some relapse.

I know about similar cases also, and the smart way is not to quit alone but with the guidance of a therapist. Would you share how long did it take you and more about the process of quitting the antidepressants?

It took me quite some time, approximately a month, as I can remember. I forgot that I was on holiday most of those days and held some of my consultations online and over the phone. Thus, I was more relaxed than the average person who might be busy while quitting.

Those details were important to mention as more people don’t do that in such favorable circumstances. Being happy and relaxed always helps when dealing with an uncomfortable situation like this.

I can’t agree more. I was reading about it, but I can’t remember where that withdrawal process is best done when in peaceful circumstances and without much interference from others. I almost followed the advice and achieved good results.

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