Deprescribing: Reclaiming Health, Reclaiming Power

In the world of psychiatry today, we hear a lot about starting medications.

Less often do we hear about stopping them.

We live in a culture that sees suffering and immediately wants to silence it with a prescription. It’s understandable. We don’t want to see people hurting. But over time, this approach has turned into something else: a system where lifelong prescriptions have become the expectation, not the exception.

This is why we need to talk about deprescribing.

Deprescribing isn’t about “going off meds” recklessly. It’s not anti-psychiatry. It’s not anti-science. And it’s certainly not anti-human. It’s pro-human. Pro-agency. In my integrative psychiatry practice in St. Louis, Missouri, I pose a simple but powerful question to patients:

Is this medication serving me well?

Why We Must Question the “Forever Prescription”

SSRIs, SNRIs, benzodiazepines, antipsychotics — many psychiatric medications were never studied or approved for indefinite, lifelong use.

Yet millions of people have been kept on them for years, even decades.

When you dig into the research, you realize something shocking:

• There’s no strong evidence that SSRIs need to be used for life.

• Long-term studies often show more side effects, not better outcomes.

• Tapering can be safely done — and for many people, it should be.

We were never meant to outsource our mind, our spirit, our resilience to a pill forever.

Medications can have a rightful place, especially in acute crises. They can save lives. But long-term dependence was never the goal.

When the goal becomes permanent chemical maintenance, without addressing root causes, without building internal strength, without healing, we have to ask:

Is there a better way? Who are my prescriptions serving?

The Risks No One Warns You About

Here’s what rarely gets discussed in the rush to “stay medicated”:

• SSRIs can cause emotional blunting.

• Benzodiazepines can increase cognitive decline.

• Antipsychotics can cause metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular risk.

• Polypharmacy (being on multiple psych meds) can compound side effects dramatically.

• Withdrawal symptoms can be brutal if not handled properly.

None of this is said to scare you. It’s said to empower you.

When you know the risks, you can make decisions that put you back in control.

Holistic Psychiatry: A Different Road

In my integrative psychiatry practice, we believe in a radical idea:

You deserve options beyond lifetime prescriptions.

We ask:

• What are the root causes of suffering?

• How is your sleep? Your diet? Your movement? Your relationships?

• What’s happening with inflammation, micronutrients, gut health, trauma?

• What kind of spiritual or community support is (or isn’t) in place?

We’re not chasing symptoms. We’re building resilience.

Psychiatric medication can be one tool. But it should never be the only tool. And it should never be the permanent ceiling placed over a person’s potential.

When the body and mind are truly supported, the need for medications often lessens.

Sometimes it disappears altogether.

Tapering with Skill and Respect

If you’ve been on psychiatric medications for a long time, this doesn’t mean you just throw them away tomorrow.

Tapering must be strategic.

• Slow, individualized tapers — not “cut it in half and see what happens.”

• Supporting the nervous system with nutrition, sleep, movement, and mindfulness.

• Addressing the original root causes that may still be lingering.

• Working with a provider who respects the process and doesn’t rush you.

There’s no shame in taking your time. There’s no shame in needing support. You are reclaiming sovereignty over your health. That deserves patience and honor.

Suffering Isn’t a Symptom to Erase

One of the deepest lies modern psychiatry has accidentally spread is the idea that suffering itself is pathological. That if you’re struggling, it’s because you’re broken. Deficient. Diseased.

What if that’s wrong?

What if suffering is a teacher?

What if it’s a sign that something in your environment, your choices, your body, or your soul needs tending to?

Suppressing suffering might numb the pain temporarily. But it also numbs the opportunity to change.

Pain often points the way to healing. If we silence it without understanding it, we miss the map.

A New Philosophy of Mental Health

Deprescribing isn’t about “anti-medication” dogma. It’s about restoring a right relationship between medication, healing, and personal agency.

• Use medications, like SSRIs, as bridges, not destinations.

• Use holistic healing as the foundation, not the afterthought.

• Trust that the body and mind, when supported, know how to heal.

Our ancestors didn’t survive thousands of years because they were delicate, fragile beings. They survived because resilience is built into our DNA. It’s still there.

Modern living may have eroded parts of that resilience, but it can be rebuilt.

You don’t have to choose between “suffering endlessly” or “being medicated forever.” That’s a false dichotomy.

There’s a third way: Heal. Strengthen. Rise.

We Deserve Better than Lifelong Prescriptions

We deserve a mental health model that isn’t built on the assumption that we are sick for life.

We deserve doctors who believe in our ability to heal.

We deserve a system that treats us as whole people — not just diagnoses on a billing form.

And most of all, we deserve to feel empowered, not trapped.

It’s time to reclaim our health. It’s time to rethink what it means to be “well.”

If you’re ready to walk that path — to ask better questions, to find better answers, to trust your body’s wisdom again — know this:

You are not alone. We are building a new way forward, one choice at a time. One brave step at a time. One free human at a time.

If you’re ready to explore a healthier, freer path — you don’t have to do it alone. Work with a provider who honors your story, respects your pace, and builds a plan around you — not just your symptoms.

If you’re interested in holistic support for tapering, healing, and building real resilience, reach out. It’s time to reclaim your mind, your body, and your future. You can book a free intro with me here.