Why Get off Psychiatric Medicines?

Over 35 years ago in jr. high school, I remember our health teacher saying that 1 out of 10 people have a psychiatric illness or disorder. That's changed. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, an estimated 26.2 percent of Americans ages 18 and older — about one in four adults — suffer from a diagnosable mental disorder in a given year. Though not every person seeks medical treatment, that still means there are millions of Americans on some form of psychiatric medicine, whether it be antidepressants, mood stabilizers, antipsychotics or something else that is supposed to alter out-of-balance brain chemistry. And many people take more than one med to help find balance, so there are an awful lotta meds being taken by a significant percentage of the population.

If psychiatric medicines are so popular, why would someone want to get off of their meds? Well, I've read numerous bulletin boards and forums focusing on people getting off psychiatric medicines and the main reasons people want to discontinue their meds are:
1) They don't work for their specific problem - ie. it doesn't help their depression for example
2) Debilitating short-term and long-term side effects
3) They want to try something natural to control their symptoms, such as nutritional supplements and/or cognitive behavioral therapy

From what I've read, many psychiatrists are reluctant to have someone go off of their meds unless it is being replaced with a different med. I'm fortunate that my psychiatrist, Dr. Will Van Derveer of Boulder, Colorado is open to me reducing and/or completely discontinuing one or all of the three meds I'm on. He is an integrative psychiatrist, meaning that he "combines the best practices of conventional western medicine with effective healing modalities which have not fully reached acceptance in the medical mainstream, with a specific focus on patient choice in decisions about treatment." 

Coming off psychiatric meds is something someone should always discuss with their psychiatrist or other health care professional, for it can be dangerous to taper off too quickly. That's one reason I'm writing this blog, because I want to share my experiences with others. I've found folks who have gone before me who have tried to get off of their meds and done so successfully with or without their doctor's help. This has given me hope that I too can eventually be psychiatric drug-free and approach my bipolar disorder with natural alternatives.