The Road Back Future Events Ireland June 27-29

How to Get Off Psychiatric Drugs Safely

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A Note From James Harper, Founder, The Road Back

Table of Contents

Part One

Chapter

1. The Road Back Basics

2. The Four Simple Steps

3. Suggested Nutritionals for The Road Back Program

4. Things You Need to Know

5. Things to Be Aware Of

6. General Pre-Tapering and Tapering Instructions

7. Daily Journal

8. Graph Your Success

9. Pre-Taper For: Benzodiazepines, Anti-Convulsants, Anti-Anxiety & Sleep Medication

10. Pre-Taper For Antidepressants, Antipsychotics, and ADHD Medication

11. How to Taper Off Benzodiazepines, Anti-Convulsants, Anti-Anxiety and Sleep Medication

12. How to Taper Off Antidepressants, Anti-Psychotics and ADHD Medication

13. Once Off All Medication

14. What to Do If You Have Already Started to Taper Off Your Medication or Quit Cold Turkey

15. How to Taper Off Multiple Drugs

16. What You Can Do If You Have Never Taken Psychiatric Drugs

17. Science Behind The Road Back Program

18. Additional Taper Reduction Schedules

References

Additional Testimonials

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Chapter Thirteen

Once Off All Medication

Congratulations! If anyone ever deserved a celebration party for an accomplishment, it is you! Not only have you made it off your medication, but you also kept a schedule like most other people have never had to confront. Only you can possibly know what I mean.

As stated earlier in this book, you should continue taking all supplements for 45-days after the last dosage of the medication. It takes about 20-days for the enzymes used to metabolize the medication to return to a normal state, and depending on your own DNA, a certain amount of time for the medication to fully clear your body.

           Continue writing in your Daily Journal during this ending of the program.

The supplements are not addictive and there is no withdrawal from these natural products. However, if you were lacking the nutrients found in a specific supplement and you discontinue using it, you may feel a let down or a negative change. This would be the same feeling any person would have, though, even if they have never used these medications.

Omega 3 is needed in our diet. The human body needs an adequate amount of vitamins, minerals, and amino acids from a food source to work at an optimum level.

           All of the psychiatric medications affect our hormones, adrenals, and glucose tolerance. Read the chapter, “The Road Back Science” for additional information.

Once off all medication for 45-days, it is advised that you have a complete physical exam with specific attention to hormones, adrenals, and glucose: an all-natural treatment, by a healthcare provider who fully understands that this intricate system is needed.

Have your hormones, adrenals, and glucose in balance before taking the next step for a complete recovery, a Stage 2 Detoxification.

You have completed a Stage 1 Detoxification by coming off the medication. A Stage 2 Detoxification can now be done to remove the remaining toxins from your body. There will still be drug toxins in the body, as well as other toxins we pick up by living on planet Earth. These environmental toxins may have been part of the original problem that caused you to use the medication in the first place. Toxins can cause anxiety, depression, and virtually all symptoms of “mental illness.” 

           In the book, Detox or Die, by Sherry A. Rogers, M.D., a Stage 2 detoxification program is outlined. This author has visited several facilities that are using the Stage 2 detoxification program Dr. Rogers states her book is based on. After interviewing hundreds of people who have completed this Stage 2 detoxification, The Road Back highly recommends that you take your next step toward total well-being and complete this Stage 2 detoxification program.

            Please check The Road Back Web Site, www.theroarback.org, for a complete listing of locations where this Stage 2 medical detoxification program is available.

What to Do With Supplements

After you are off the medication for around 20-days, you may need to begin reducing some of the supplements.

Body Calm and Body CalmSupreme – If you begin to feel tired during the daytime, it may be time to lower the amount of Body Calm or Body CalmSupreme used during the daytime.

If you are going to lower either of these supplements during the daytime, lower the Body Calm first. Reduce it slowly until the tiredness goes away. Make sure to keep your Daily Journal filled out each day. If the tiredness goes away by reducing or eliminating the daytime use of the Body Calm, keep taking the Body CalmSupreme exactly as you have been.

If tiredness persists, take the Body CalmSupreme every 6 hours, instead of every 4 hours during the daytime.

The other option you have is to begin taking or increasing the amount of Power Barley Formula during the daytime for tiredness.

If you were not able to take the Power Barley Formula during the pre-taper or were only able to take less than the highest amount indicated during the pre-taper, increase the Power Barley Formula instead of lowering the Body Calm or Body CalmSupreme.

Go back to the pre-taper chapter that applies to the medication you were taking and increase the Power Barley Formula as outlined in that chapter. Remember, this is powerful barley, so you should only increase it until the positive change takes place. Continue with the Power Barley until you have finished at least one complete container.

Ultimate Omega 3 – If you are taking 4 of the Ultimate Omega 3 in the morning and at noon, you can reduce the Ultimate Omega 3 down to 3 softgels in the morning and 3 softgels around noon.

If any head symptoms reappear, increase the Ultimate Omega 3 back up.

Essential Protein Formula – Continue taking the Essential Protein Formula as you did during the pre-taper and taper process for 45-days.

Power Barley Formula – Keep taking the amount established during the pre-taper for the entire 45-days unless you begin to feel anxiety during the daytime. If you begin to feel anxiety during the daytime, decrease the Power Barley Formula by the same amounts it was increased during the pre-taper. Just reverse the process.

Vitamin E  - Continue taking the 200 i.u. of vitamin E for the entire 45-days.

Beta 1, 3-D Glucan – If you had anxiety and or insomnia before tapering off the medication, the beta 1, 3-D Glucan can be used as a maintenance supplement as needed.

After the 45-Days Have Passed

You can keep taking any and all of these supplements for life if you wish. Many people do for their general health who has never taken psychiatric medications.

You will probably find in time that you do not need to take as much of a supplement, or take a supplement as often, to maintain the good feeling you now have.

Trauma Caused by the Psychiatric Medication

Psychiatric medications are often prescribed for traumatic stress. However, these same medications cause traumatic stress.

The complete road back needs to include handling the trauma caused by the medication or an earlier attempt that caused withdrawal side effects.

The Stage 2 detoxification program mentioned earlier in this chapter is one vital piece of the equation; however, this would still leave part of the complete recovery to well-being incomplete.

Mayor Bill White of Houston, Texas, has formed a citywide wellness initiative to promote wellness. This initiative is to include physical wellness, as well as mental wellness. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is one area being addressed in Houston and this author is proud to be a part of that committee seeking non-drug solutions.

At the writing of this book, viable solutions are being tested and results will be available on The Road Back Web Site when complete.

Being able to handle the trauma caused by these medications once a complete taper is accomplished will be a reality.

Our goal is to not have you traveling a road back, but have you arrive at the end of the road and have that ending be a place of complete physical and mental wellness.

A lofty goal, but so was the idea of developing a program to safely assist people to taper off psychiatric medication eight years ago.

The claims, information and products mentioned through this site or within the book, How to Get Off psychiatric Drugs Safely have not been evaluated by the United States Food and Drug Administration and are not approved to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent disease. The information provided on this site or within the book, How to Get Off Psychiatric Drugs Safely is for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for advice from your physician or other healthcare professional. You should not use the information on this site for diagnosis or treatment of any health problem or for prescription of any medication or other treatment. You should consult with a healthcare professional before starting any diet, exercise or supplementation program, before taking any medication, or if you have or suspect you might have a health problem.

Copyright 2006 The Road Back. All rights reserved. No part of this Web Site may be reprinted or distributed without permission.
Copyright 2006 -  How to Get Off Psychiatric Drugs Safely by James L. Harper used with permission.

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