Comments on: Helping Reduce Medications http://recoveryfromschizophrenia.org New understandings of the mind and of madness can open new doors to full recovery - thoughts from way outside the straightjacket of the "medical model." By Ron Unger LCSW Sat, 04 Feb 2012 12:43:28 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v= By: Ron Unger http://recoveryfromschizophrenia.org/therapists-guide-to-reducing-medications/comment-page-1/#comment-10305 Ron Unger Thu, 24 Feb 2011 20:00:45 +0000 http://recoveryfromschizophrenia.org/?page_id=47#comment-10305 Hi Max, I'm not aware of a network of therapists specifically oriented around getting people off medications. However, the ICSPP http://icspponline.org/ is a group of mostly mental health professionals who are very critical of medications and who frequently help people get off, and ISPS http://www.isps.org/ is an international group of mostly mental health professionals who are interested in psychosocial approaches to psychosis, and many frequently help people reduce or get off medication as part of that. Hi Max,

I’m not aware of a network of therapists specifically oriented around getting people off medications. However, the ICSPP http://icspponline.org/ is a group of mostly mental health professionals who are very critical of medications and who frequently help people get off, and ISPS http://www.isps.org/ is an international group of mostly mental health professionals who are interested in psychosocial approaches to psychosis, and many frequently help people reduce or get off medication as part of that.

]]> By: Alan http://recoveryfromschizophrenia.org/therapists-guide-to-reducing-medications/comment-page-1/#comment-10303 Alan Thu, 24 Feb 2011 14:38:10 +0000 http://recoveryfromschizophrenia.org/?page_id=47#comment-10303 We couldn't locate support in Canada for withdrawing the medication and therefore undertook the task without support. The key is gradual reduction and where there are multiple drugs eliminating them one at a time. It is important to understand that reduction and elimination of psychiatric drugs causes withdrawl effects. The question becomes is the effect one of withdrawl or one that was intending to be treated with the drug in the first place? We are now two years drug free and two years from the last (recent) psychosis to the second to last one. The last psychosis was experienced unmedicated and now appears to have passed. Unfortunately, it is considerably more difficult to overcome the effects of the context that all of this experience has created. If the context was as easily withdrawn (reshaped) as the drugs the task would be a whole lot simpler. The residual effects of the drugs are temporary. The residual effects of the experience and the context that develops as a consequence last considerably longer. We couldn’t locate support in Canada for withdrawing the medication and therefore undertook the task without support. The key is gradual reduction and where there are multiple drugs eliminating them one at a time. It is important to understand that reduction and elimination of psychiatric drugs causes withdrawl effects. The question becomes is the effect one of withdrawl or one that was intending to be treated with the drug in the first place?

We are now two years drug free and two years from the last (recent) psychosis to the second to last one. The last psychosis was experienced unmedicated and now appears to have passed. Unfortunately, it is considerably more difficult to overcome the effects of the context that all of this experience has created. If the context was as easily withdrawn (reshaped) as the drugs the task would be a whole lot simpler. The residual effects of the drugs are temporary. The residual effects of the experience and the context that develops as a consequence last considerably longer.

]]> By: Max Spencer http://recoveryfromschizophrenia.org/therapists-guide-to-reducing-medications/comment-page-1/#comment-10301 Max Spencer Thu, 24 Feb 2011 09:33:58 +0000 http://recoveryfromschizophrenia.org/?page_id=47#comment-10301 . You've done all the groundwork! First time I've seen this kind of thing. Thanks for the guide. The only problem is to find therapists to pass it on to for the people that ask about going off meds. (temporarily not considering the question of funds). Is there a network of therapist such as yourself. For years people have asked me for recommendations. The group I knew disbanded in the 90's the head guy died, I don't even know if anyone anywhere practices what they practiced. So I cannot recommend anyone to anywhere. When I find someone practicing psychotherapy, I try to find out if it matches when I have known, but I haven't had the opportunity to ask anyone beyond the superficial. They ran two groups a day morning, afternoon and night (maybe one one at night depending)), I am only familiar with group psychotherapy as effective though I had some one on one , it was incidental or supplemental. I see groups as being far more powerful and with more functionality. . You’ve done all the groundwork! First time I’ve seen this kind of thing. Thanks for the guide. The only problem is to find therapists to pass it on to for the people that ask about going off meds. (temporarily not considering the question of funds). Is there a network of therapist such as yourself. For years people have asked me for recommendations.

The group I knew disbanded in the 90′s the head guy died, I don’t even know if anyone anywhere practices what they practiced. So I cannot recommend anyone to anywhere.
When I find someone practicing psychotherapy, I try to find out if it matches when I have known, but I haven’t had the opportunity to ask anyone beyond the superficial.

They ran two groups a day morning, afternoon and night (maybe one one at night depending)), I am only familiar with group psychotherapy as effective though I had some one on one , it was incidental or supplemental.
I see groups as being far more powerful and with more functionality.

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