This book was written for individuals who are planning to discontinue, are currently tapering, or have already stopped taking psychiatric medications and are struggling with the challenges of protracted withdrawal.

What does gradual tapering of psychiatric drugs involve, and why is it so crucial? How does protracted withdrawal differ from acute withdrawal? How long does recovery take, and what can you do to help your body restore the balance disrupted by medication?

These questions—and many more—are answered in this comprehensive guide, designed not only for those navigating withdrawal but also for their families and support networks.

In this book, you will learn:

• Why the biomedical model of psychiatry is deeply flawed
• What hyperbolic tapering is and how to implement it safely
• The stages of withdrawing from psychiatric drugs such as antidepressants, benzodiazepines, and antipsychotics
• How psychiatric medications remodel the nervous system, and how homeostasis and compensatory mechanisms function during withdrawal
• How to support the nervous system to speed up healing
• The importance of ketosis, the gut microbiome, the gut-brain axis, and the role of mitochondria in psychiatric drug recovery
   

You’ll also explore the critical role of emotional and social support during the healing process, learn to distinguish between relapse and withdrawal symptoms, and read inspiring stories from individuals who have successfully come off medication and reclaimed their lives.

The book includes a symptom-tracking journal and a variety of practical tools for coping with crisis situations.

Written by Polish neuroscientist and neurobiologist Tomasz Starczewski, who specializes in psychiatric drug withdrawal, this book is rooted in both scientific knowledge and personal experience. Having endured the devastating effects of antidepressants himself—medications that derailed his life instead of helping—Tomasz brings a unique perspective that combines academic rigor with deep empathy. His work focuses on developing safe and effective tapering programs to support recovery from protracted withdrawal syndrome and post-SSRI sexual dysfunction (PSSD).