Discontinuing the use of prescription psychiatric medication can be significantly different from quitting other types of substances or alcohol. The quitting of psychiatric medication needs to be handled very carefully, whether these drugs were initially prescribed to the abuser or not. The effect of quitting a psychiatric medication can potentially cause mental instability and depression, and can influence thoughts of suicide.
Quitting psychiatric medication can also have the potential to reveal latent psychological problems. Some people who are on psychiatric medications have the urge to end the use of these medications even when they are useful because they feel that the medications dull their emotions or make it difficult for them to concentrate. However, this doesn't always mean that a psychiatric drug should actually be discontinued.
You May Want to Consult a Physician or Psychiatric Professional
Psychiatric medications are one type of drug that should usually never be stopped cold turkey, even if they are the subject of substance abuse. This is because it the results of stopping this class of drug can be so unpredictable. While a patient does not always have to go into rehab to stop psychiatric drug abuse, they usually need to do it under the guidance of a psychiatric professional. Some psychiatric drugs do not have a chemical dependency the way that other drugs do, but this does not mean that they aren't having a significant psychiatric effect on the patient.
Most Should Only Cease Taking Psychiatric Medications if Necessary
Patients interested in stopping their psychiatric drug regimen may wish to ensure that they have the correct reasons for doing so. As noted in
Psych Central, there are many times in a person's life that they may feel compelled to end their psychiatric drug use but it isn't always useful and can sometimes be directly harmful. Patients may wish to discontinue their medication if they find that the medication is making their psychiatric issues worse or if they feel that they cannot manage their lives effectively while on the medication.
Wean Off of Your Medications Slowly
The most reliable and trustworthy way to stop taking psychiatric medication is to slowly reduce your intake on a daily or even weekly level. The schedule of this process is usually made by a psychiatric professional, and you may need to contact this psychiatric professional if you feel any mental symptoms such as depression or anxiety.