When you are ready to taper?
Have you noticed a question keeps surfacing more often than before: “Why am I still taking this medication?” If that thought has been echoing lately, and you're starting to re-evaluate what these meds are doing to your body, your mind, or even your long-term future, this article will help you sort through it.
Why Do You Want to Stop?
Before making any changes, it’s crucial to understand your own reasons. Over the years, I’ve heard countless motivations from patients: some want to reconnect with themselves after feeling medicated for so long; others struggle with emotional numbness or disconnection from life. Many bring up concerns around sex drive or dependency. Lately, people have become increasingly aware of long-term risks—wondering if these drugs could be altering brain function or leading to future health issues.
Whatever your reason is, it matters. Because tapering, especially after long-term use, isn’t simple. It takes time, intention, and real commitment. You need a personal why to keep you focused through the difficult moments.
What You’ll Need
There are a few essential things to prepare if you’re thinking about tapering:
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Learn before you leap. Tapering isn’t just about reducing a dose every few weeks. It’s a science—and unfortunately, not all clinicians are well-versed in how to do it safely. Take the time to educate yourself.
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Understand the timeline. If you’ve been on meds for years, a safe taper can easily take one to two years—sometimes more. That’s not failure, that’s the norm.
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Make room for life changes. You’ll likely need to replace the role medication played in regulating mood with things like therapy, mindfulness, exercise, or nutrition. These changes require time and consistency.
Without clear motivation and preparation, tapering often becomes overwhelming and unsuccessful.
How Do You Know If It’s the Right Time?
Ask yourself these three questions:
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Is the original reason you started meds still present? If the root cause—like a stressful life event, postpartum issues, or a personal crisis—has passed, you might be in a better position now to try life without medication.
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Are you willing to adopt healthier habits and routines? Tapering will likely bring emotional ups and downs. Are you ready to support yourself with non-medication strategies?
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Can you dedicate the energy and focus required? If your schedule, mental space, or support system won’t allow for this right now, it may not be the ideal time.
Answering “yes” to all three can indicate you’re ready to consider tapering.
When You Shouldn’t Taper (Yet)
There are situations when it’s best to wait:
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If you’re currently under intense stress—whether it’s financial, legal, emotional, or relational—your nervous system is already on overload. Wait until life is more stable.
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If you haven’t done your research. Tapering improperly can trigger serious withdrawal symptoms, some of which can last for months. Many people misinterpret withdrawal as relapse.
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If you’re lacking support. You don’t have to have a psychiatrist on board (though that helps), but you do need at least one person to lean on, whether it’s a friend, partner, or coach. Doing this solo is much harder.
What About the Fear?
Feeling scared is entirely normal. In fact, it's often a sign that you’re being cautious—and that’s good. Tapering is a big decision. You may worry about becoming unstable, losing sleep, or damaging relationships. These fears are understandable. But done right—slowly, with guidance—they are usually manageable.
Another fear people express is the possibility of failing: “What if I try to stop and I can’t?” The truth? Sometimes people do need long-term medication, and there’s no shame in that. But many others never had the chance to try tapering correctly.
And here’s the key—if you do it the right way, the worst likely outcome is that you go down a bit, realize it’s not sustainable, and go back to your old dose. That’s still valuable insight. It means you gave it an honest try.
The real harm comes when people rush, crash, and conclude they’re “broken”—not because they are, but because the process was flawed.
So, What’s Next?
If you’ve thought this through and feel ready, here’s how to begin:
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Start learning. Read up on tapering principles. Watch videos. Study guidelines like the Maudsley Deprescribing Manual.
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Build a support network. Find someone who understands what you're trying to do—even if they’re not a professional.
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