I don't expect any of you to give a shit, but I would like to share something with all of you. This is kind of a cautionary tale for younger person in my audience. For the love of God: DO NOT FUCK AROUND WITH BENZODIAZEPINE. Like it was a plague, don't do Xanax, or Klonopin, or Valium, unless it is under strict medical supervision and you're well educated on the drug. When I was 18 I had severe anxiety. My anxiety was so extreme I was afraid to shower, put gas in my car, etc. Once I was so afraid to shower I didn't bathe for 8 months. My anxiety was debilitating. I was eventually given a narcotic called Klonopin. The doctor didn't warn me about the drug. Klonopin is an extremely effective anti-anxiety medication. It was like a breathe of fresh air. I was able to function. It saved my life. However, what the doctor DID NOT tell me is that Klonopin is like rat poison and is INCREDIBLY DANGEROUS. I cannot stress this enough: INCREDIBLY DANGEROUS. The long term effects of Benzodiazepine is catastrophic. General speaking, physicians only want you taking drugs like Klonopin for 90 days MAXIMUM. I've been taking it for over 15 years. My brain and body are both heavily dependent on the drug. If I don't have my Klonopin I physically cannot function. My arms shake, I get headaches, I get confused, I get overwhelming anxiety, I get physically sick, it is absolutely awful. It feels very similar to having the Influenza virus mixed with extreme sleep depravation mixed with being hung over. Additionally, whenever I told other physicians I take Klonopin I am treated like a drug addict and they scoff at me. Several times in the past, when in an Emergency Room or whatever, and I mention I take Klonopin, I've had doctors directly tell me, "Well, I'm not going to give you any Xanax", or "Why are you really here?". It's terrible and embarrassing. Anyway, to make a long story short I've decided to begin the journey of quiting the drug. I can't quit cold turkey, because it can kill you .. because it can cause death by stroke, heart attack, seizure, ... whatever. Instead I am working with my physician to slowly taper off the drug. I'm day five into a 25% reduction, which in some cases is fast, but I agreed to try it. I've had mild insomnia and mild irritability. Besides this though I'm doing pretty good. Once I've kept at this 25% reduction for about 8 weeks I will try to reduce by another 25%. Seriously though, don't fuck around Benzos like Xanax, Klonopin, Valium, etc. This shit will fuck you up bro

As a Democrat and someone who is not affiliated with MAHA, I want to continue to reiterate that antidepressant withdrawal is a nonpartisan issue. People are suffering and need our help. It shouldn't matter what side of the fence you are on to come together on this. I posted this video over a year ago but it still seems highly relevant today.

For decades, those of us speaking about the harms caused by taking and coming off psychiatric drugs have been ignored, denied or dismissed. I’ve been labeled everything from “antipsychiatry,” “anti-science,” and “Scientologist,” to “right-wing fascist” and “anti-vax,” to simply “too mentally ill” to understand what was happening to me. Now the APA’s own annual meeting is full of panels on deprescribing, overmedication, withdrawal, and psychiatrists openly admitting they regret not helping patients come off these drugs sooner. The hundreds of thousands of personal stories of psychiatric iatrogenesis have become impossible to keep waving away as meaningless anecdotes. I have deep compassion for how hard it must be to face the possibility that you’ve been inadvertently causing harm to patients you’ve been trying to help. But fear is the master distorter of truth, and the only way out is through. We are eager to build a big-tent coalition to begin work on these changes we all know are necessary. I hope you’ll join us.

People I care a whole lot about rely on SSRIs to make their lives work. I don’t know where I would be without SSRIs. Get your fucking hands and your crazy conspiracy theories out of our medicine cabinets.

Just to be clear, banning SSRIs is an extremely bad idea. SSRIs have a sort-of 'hatedom' online, but the NNTs are still very low. These drugs save lots of lives and pulling them is a horrible idea that will result in immediate death with little upside.

People I care a whole lot about rely on SSRIs to make their lives work. I don’t know where I would be without SSRIs. Get your fucking hands and your crazy conspiracy theories out of our medicine cabinets.

New - WASHINGTON, May 8 (Reuters) - U.S. health department ​officials last week explored whether they could ban certain drugs in a widely prescribed class of antidepressants as Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy ‌Jr. prepared to roll out a plan to reduce their use, according to two people familiar with the discussions. w/@yabutaleb7