Subscribe
The latest psychology and neuroscience discoveries.
My Account
  • Mental Health
  • Social Psychology
  • Cognitive Science
  • Psychopharmacology
  • Neuroscience
  • About
No Result
View All Result
PsyPost
PsyPost
No Result
View All Result
Home Exclusive Psychopharmacology

More than half of people suffer withdrawal effects when trying to come off antidepressants

by Eric W. Dolan
December 12, 2019
in Psychopharmacology
(Photo credit: Tom Varco)

(Photo credit: Tom Varco)

Share on TwitterShare on Facebook
Don't miss out! Follow PsyPost on Bluesky!

New research suggests it is common to experience withdrawal effects when coming off antidepressants, especially when the medication has been used for a long time. The findings have been published in the journal Addictive Behaviors.

“Human distress has become increasingly pathologised and medicalised, due primarily to the influence of the drug companies, and the inability of psychiatrists and general practitioners to maintain a proper boundary between themselves and the industry,” said study author John Read, a professor of clinical psychology at the University of East London.

“This frightens me because the dominant bio-genetic paradigm and label-and-drug approach to treatment masks the main causes of human suffering, such as poverty, abuse, war trauma, loneliness etc.”

For his study, Read surveyed 867 people from 31 countries who had previously taken antidepressant medication continuously for at least one month for any reason.

About 62% of participants reported experiencing some withdrawal effects when they discontinued antidepressant. Approximately 31% described the withdrawal effects as mild, 25% as moderate, and 44% as severe.

The severity of withdrawal effects was strongly associated with treatment duration. Anxiety or panic was the most commonly reported withdrawal effect, followed by irritability and dizziness.

Only six participants — or 0.7% of the sample — said they recalled their doctors telling them anything about withdrawal from or addiction to antidepressants.

The results of the survey indicate “that antidepressants are often difficult to withdraw from, and that this should usually be done very slowly,” Read told PsyPost.

All research includes some limitations, and the current study is no exception.

“One potential limitation of the study is that it was an online survey and may have attracted a disproportionate number of people dissatisfied with their drugs; but 70% reported that their antidepressants had reduced their depression. More research is needed into the most effective support for people when they are coming off these drugs,” Read explained.

“Hopefully studies like this, and the recent Public Health England Review, means we are finally on the verge of GPs being provided with evidence-based information, and patients being offered appropriate advice about gradual tapering and being provided with long overdue withdrawal support services.”

The study was titled: “How common and severe are six withdrawal effects from, and addiction to, antidepressants? The experiences of a large international sample of patients“.

TweetSendScanShareSendPin3ShareShareShareShareShare

RELATED

Use of mescaline may facilitate unintended improvements in several psychiatric conditions, study suggests
Ayahuasca

Many ayahuasca users report challenging experiences—yet some are linked to better mental health

July 4, 2025

Are challenging ayahuasca experiences always harmful? Not necessarily, finds a new global survey. While some effects predict poorer mental health, others like visual distortions are linked to positive outcomes, highlighting the crucial role of context and individual vulnerability.

Read moreDetails
Taking medicinal cannabis oil for insomnia does not impair cognition on the following day
Cannabis

Cannabis oil might help with drug-resistant epilepsy, study suggests

July 2, 2025

Nineteen patients with drug-resistant epilepsy experienced seizure freedom after cannabis oil treatment, with a median seizure-free duration of 245 days. Five remained seizure-free for over a year, and most reported improved quality of life and reduced seizure frequency.

Read moreDetails
Psychedelic compound blurs boundary between self and others in the brain, study finds
Ayahuasca

Psychedelic compound blurs boundary between self and others in the brain, study finds

July 2, 2025

A recent study found that a DMT/harmine formulation blurs the brain’s distinction between self and other faces, disrupting self-referential processing while preserving recognition of familiar faces, suggesting a neural basis for psychedelic-induced ego dissolution.

Read moreDetails
Researchers identify neural mechanism behind memory prioritization
MDMA

New study reveals how MDMA rewires serotonin and oxytocin systems in the brain

June 30, 2025

Researchers found that MDMA reduces anxiety and enhances social behavior in zebrafish by altering key neurochemical systems. The drug suppressed serotonin signaling, boosted oxytocin receptor expression, and modulated brain signaling proteins involved in emotional regulation.

Read moreDetails
Stimulant medication improves working memory of children with ADHD, study finds
ADHD

New study exposes gap between ADHD drug use and safety research in children

June 30, 2025

A nationwide Finnish study shows that children with ADHD stay on medication for over three years on average. Yet, controlled safety data for these medications in children exists for only one year, highlighting a gap in long-term evidence.

Read moreDetails
Regular psychedelic users exhibit different brain responses to self-related thoughts, study finds
Neuroimaging

Regular psychedelic users exhibit different brain responses to self-related thoughts, study finds

June 28, 2025

A new study suggests that regular users of psychedelics may process self-related thoughts differently at both psychological and brain levels, revealing altered patterns of brain activity during self-reflection compared to non-users who intend to try psychedelics.

Read moreDetails
Can Acacia catechu and Scutellaria baicalensis extracts enhance brain function?
Dementia

Ashwagandha extract boosts memory and cognition in people with mild cognitive impairment, study finds

June 27, 2025

Researchers found that a standardized extract of ashwagandha improved memory, attention, and spatial reasoning in adults with mild cognitive impairment, outperforming a placebo in a two-month clinical trial with no reported side effects.

Read moreDetails
Psychedelic use linked to increased risk of unusual visual experiences
Ayahuasca

Study links moderate awe in psychedelic ayahuasca journeys to better well-being

June 21, 2025

A new study published in the Journal of Psychoactive Drugs suggests that while awe can be transformative during ayahuasca retreats, there’s a limit. Experiences marked by excessive vastness were linked to lower well-being, challenging assumptions about awe’s universal benefits.

Read moreDetails

SUBSCRIBE

Go Ad-Free! Click here to subscribe to PsyPost and support independent science journalism!

STAY CONNECTED

LATEST

Neuroscientists decode how people juggle multiple items in working memory

Inside the bored brain: Unlocking the power of the default mode network

Choline imbalance in the brain linked to with cognitive symptoms in young depression patients

Scientists who relocate more often start Nobel research up to two years earlier

Sedentary time linked to faster brain aging in older adults, study finds

People with short-video addiction show altered brain responses during decision-making

New study uncovers a surprising effect of cold-water immersion

Being adopted doesn’t change how teens handle love and dating

         
       
  • Contact us
  • Privacy policy
  • Terms and Conditions
[Do not sell my information]

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Add New Playlist

Subscribe
  • My Account
  • Cognitive Science Research
  • Mental Health Research
  • Social Psychology Research
  • Drug Research
  • Relationship Research
  • About PsyPost
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy