Podcast

This week we interview Dr. Gary Sidley. Dr. Sidley worked within NHS mental health services for 33 years in a variety of nursing, psychological and managerial roles. In the 1980s he was employed as a psychiatric nurse at a large asylum in Manchester, commencing his clinical psychology training in 1987. Subsequently, he worked as a clinical psychologist in community mental health services, inpatient units and GP practices, as well as with Senior Management positions. Gary

This week we talk to Meghann from the USA. Meghann describes starting antidepressant drugs for OCD at the age of 9, how she came to consider her withdrawal after 17 years and how she feels now, 2 years after finishing with the drugs. In this episode we discuss: How Meghann was first prescribed Paxil for OCD at the age of 9, partly because therapy was ineffective. How she took those drugs until the age of

This week we interview David who has taken antidepressant drugs on and off over the last few years. David talks about his experiences of the mental healthcare system, how he has been supported by his medications and how and why he went about stopping his drugs. In this episode we discuss: How David feels that it is important to be open-minded about antidepressant medications. How David initially resisted help for depression partly because of the

This week, I interview Doctor Peter Groot from the User Research Center of the Maastricht University. As some of you may know, I have been running a petition for some time to raise awareness of something called ‘tapering kits’. Very simply, tapering kits are tablets in decreasing dosages that would help users who wanted to withdraw from their psychiatric drugs to do so safely and in a controlled way. Recently, I was contacted by Dr.

This week we interview Sinead who has taken antidepressant drugs for the last 16 years. Sinead has attempted to withdraw on several occasions and describes the challenges that she faced. In this episode we discuss: How Sinead at the age of 23 visited her doctor because she felt depressed. How she was searching for answers and support from her GP but was put onto Paroxetine. How ironically just being listened to made Sinead feel better

This week we interview Judy Meyer. Judy is a holistic mental health practitioner, mental health advocate and founder of the Alternative Health Revolution. We talk about Judy’s experience of the psychiatric system, her excellent and informative website alternativementalhealthrevolution.com and her advice for those struggling with antidepressant withdrawal.         In this episode we discuss: How Judy was prescribed Prozac at 19 years old. That there were no discussions with her Psychiatrist about adverse

This week we interview Elaine who has taken antidepressant and stimulant drugs for anxiety issues such as OCD. She describes her experiences with the drugs, how she approached her withdrawal and describes feeling humiliated and judged by her psychiatrists rather than helped. In this episode we discuss: How Elaine came to be taking Prozac for anxiety issues. How she became troubled by anxious thoughts and fears while in college That she stopped Prozac cold turkey

This week, we talk to Chaya Grossberg. Chaya shares her own experiences of the psychiatric system and psychiatric drugs and also tells us how she now helps and supports those struggling to withdraw from their psychiatric medications. Chaya promotes a naturopathic approach to supporting people with their health and wellbeing. Her website is https://chayagrossberg.com         In this episode we discuss: How Chaya was in therapy from a relatively young age to help

This week we interview Stevie who describes her experiences taking antidepressant drugs and her severe and protracted reaction to trying to withdraw. She also tells us about the help and support she received and what approaches she took to support herself during the most difficult times. In this episode we discuss: How Stevie started to find that work stresses and strains were affecting her and leading to anxiety and intermittent insomnia, particularly when travelling with

This week, we talk to Holly Higgins. Holly shares her own experiences of the psychiatric system and psychiatric drugs, how she approached withdrawal from the drugs and talks about how she became a nutritional therapy practitioner. Holly now supports others in managing their mental health using nutrition and her excellent website Pills to Paleo provides a wide range of helpful resources for those that want to improve their mental health without resorting to psychiatric drugs.