Online Experts on Withdrawal
Online forums have emerged to help people who are navigating withdrawal alone
Online peer support forums offer people taking psychiatric medication valuable information and advice about withdrawal. Such online communities help us understand withdrawal as an integral part of mental health treatment and recovery. This article argues that it is necessary to validate this new resource so that this content is accessible not only to patients, but also to prescribers.
Many patients who choose to discontinue psychiatric medication end up pursuing withdrawal without their prescriber’s guidance. Some patients start the withdrawal process with their clinician, but, when these attempts are unsuccessful, they end up pursuing withdrawal without professional help. Others try to withdraw without ever seeking their prescribers’ assistance in the first place. Some people are eventually able to get off their medication, although often with difficulty. Others are no