1 hour ago, AZAD said:

Does buspirone also need to be tapered according to forum guidance, even though it is not an SSRI? And does it also need hyperbolic tapering if tried for a week or 2?

I think you are considering taking it...I thought about it too...it is as dangerous as all the rest and could worsen your situation since you are sensitized with WD. We can not recommend it.

1 hour ago, AZAD said:

Maudsley Deprescribing Guidelines book or know how to access it in the UK? I understand it has detailed guidance on antidepressant tapering that would be helpful.

As far as the Guide...it has various suggestions...most are too fast for many. Everything proposed there is followed up with listening to your body and adjusting the taper accordingly. 

46 minutes ago, Chippy said:

Paroxetine is not who you are. At best it would have given you some detachment from your emotions. Maybe that allowed you to be more confident in situations. But that confidence really all came from you. Tolerance builds and over time being on the drug that ‘benefit’ will have worn off. Only leading to one conclusion. It was you all along!

You are not the same person you were in 2014. You have grown. I would concentrate on finding resources to build confidence and self-esteem. 

https://antidepressantrecovery.org/topic/265-self-help-resources-for-mental-health/?do=getNewComment

 

 

Edited April 1Apr 1 by LostinCanada

3 minutes ago, LostinCanada said:

think you are considering taking it..

Oh I see! No I wouldn’t recommend that at all if this is the case. @AZAD

 

 

Hey buddy

 

here‘s the thing about neurotransmitters vs pathways. Pathways are things that you build over time, and neurotransmitters are what fire those pathways. You’ve built all those pathways. Thats who you are, truly. The brain changes over time, thats neuro plasticity for you. When we get withdrawals and lack the transmitters to fire the pathways that we know we have, we can feel like a completely different person. Neuro emotions can crop up, etc. 
 

the best thing that i can say is to keep trying to walk those pathways. Keep working on those things and they will stay with you, and on the other side of withdrawal, like a series of irrigation channels that you have worked hard at keeping the weeds from growing over when the water flow was low, as soon as the water comes back it will flow through those channels enough to keep the weeds from being able to take hold. 
 

strength my dude

Hi everyone,

Long time since I posted. Wanted to share where I am and ask for help.

I tried really hard not to go back on any medication. But it has been a long and difficult road. I'm still experiencing what I believe is PAWS — very low productivity, no energy, and I've been losing weight. It's been hard to function.

I recently consulted a holistic psychiatrist, Dr Rani, who has worked with Dr Mark Horowitz and understands protracted withdrawal deeply. She confirmed she believes this is PAWS and has recommended reinstating at 0.5mg of paroxetine — the original drug — and then coming off very slowly once stable. She has written to my GP to support this.

I'm seriously considering it. Still in two minds, honestly. But symptoms are making daily life very difficult and I feel I've given it a real try without medication.

One thing that's making me hesitant is even the practicalities feel overwhelming right now. With the anxiety and low energy, the idea of carefully breaking down a tablet each time already sounds complicated. So I need guidance on what's actually the simplest and most accurate method at this dose — dry cutting with a scale, shaving powder off the tablet, or dissolving in water. What would you recommend for paroxetine at 0.5mg specifically?

If I do go ahead, I want to do this right — the correct dose, the correct method, and a very slow, careful taper when the time comes.

Any support, experience, or advice would mean a lot right now.

Hey @AZAD

Thanks for the update.

I’m sorry you are struggling at the moment.

I hope ri the original drug at a low dose can help if you choose to do this.

We can help of course.

You’d need to use a liquid.

I’d suggest making it out of your original tablet same brand.

To get started you’d just need some syringes really that’s it.

You can be economical and weigh small bits of the drug with scales and make a liquid from that. But for simplicity assuming you can get a tablet a day you can make up a full dose worth of liquid and just draw your dose from that and dispose of it and make fresh the next day. Paroxetine will store for a few days in the fridge but I think fresh each day is better.

The alternative is to get liquid Paroxetine supplied and make your dose from that. We can help with that too if needs be.

It’s all your choice and there are a bunch of variables so ask away if you have questions.

THANKS @Chippy

Thanks for this — really helpful and reassuring.

A few things I wanted to flag:

On the tablet — the ones I have from India are called Prexep CR, 12.5mg. I looked them up and they seem to be coated for controlled/slow release. Would crushing or dissolving these in water still work, or does the CR coating make them unsuitable for liquid titration? Do I need to get plain IR paroxetine instead? Also aware that getting liquid paroxetine supplied would be the cleaner option but probably more costly — is that right?

On reinstatement — I'll be honest, I'm still cautious. These symptoms have dragged on for 11 months now. Since our last discussions on the forum I've been quite scared and apprehensive that reintroducing any drug after this long would make things worse rather than better. But my symptoms are moderate — not extreme. I've only ever had one drug in my system, I've been keeping as healthy as I can, so I'm hoping a very small dose might work well without destabilising things. Still weighing it up.

On hyperbolic tapering — one thing I've always been uncertain about is whether reinstating and then tapering off actually works, and whether doing it hyperbolically significantly increases the chances of coming off without withdrawal in the future.

Would appreciate your thoughts on that.

---

30 minutes ago, AZAD said:

Thanks for this — really helpful and reassuring.

A few things I wanted to flag:

Pleasure.

30 minutes ago, AZAD said:

On the tablet — the ones I have from India are called Prexep CR, 12.5mg. I looked them up and they seem to be coated for controlled/slow release. Would crushing or dissolving these in water still work, or does the CR coating make them unsuitable for liquid titration? Do I need to get plain IR paroxetine instead? Also aware that getting liquid paroxetine supplied would be the cleaner option but probably more costly — is that right?

The CR version doesn’t dissolve into liquid.

You could do either here then. Get a standard tablet and make a liquid or get a manufactured liquid version.

Either is fine as it’s a change of brand for you anyway which is what I was wanting you to avoid.

How easy with a manufactured liquid depends on the concentration of the liquid you get. You might be able to just dose straight off the bottle but you may need to make a dilution to get 0.5mg dose.

If cost is a factor for you then the pill is the way to go.

Are you based out of India then? It says London in your profile?

35 minutes ago, AZAD said:

On reinstatement — I'll be honest, I'm still cautious. These symptoms have dragged on for 11 months now. Since our last discussions on the forum I've been quite scared and apprehensive that reintroducing any drug after this long would make things worse rather than better. But my symptoms are moderate — not extreme. I've only ever had one drug in my system, I've been keeping as healthy as I can, so I'm hoping a very small dose might work well without destabilising things. Still weighing it up.

We have no way of knowing how you’ll react. Time off the drug and a different brand add to the risk. You have to weigh it up. If your symptoms are manageable you may just want wait to heal.

36 minutes ago, AZAD said:

On hyperbolic tapering — one thing I've always been uncertain about is whether reinstating and then tapering off actually works, and whether doing it hyperbolically significantly increases the chances of coming off without withdrawal in the future

RI is just to cushion your symptoms. Your injury still needs to heal. Which it’s doing now. Will do once you ri and will continue to do once you finish your taper. How you’ll be once your off the drug if you ri and taper we don’t know. For many ri settles symptoms enough to be more bearable. Then a long hold to settle the system followed by a careful taper off. It’s not a magic cure.

Sorry there are so many unknowns in all this. All we can do is make some informed choices and hope for the best unfortunately.

If your symptoms are moderate and not extreme, I think it would be better not to reinstate, however in other descriptions you've said that you're really struggling to function.

Ultimately, whether the risk/reward of trying reinstatement is worthwhile is a decision only you can make as only you know how you're coping.

On 6/5/2026 at 4:09 PM, Chippy said:

Are you based out of India then? It says London in your profile?

Right now I'm in London. But I do spend 6 months of winter in India.
So you are sure I should not take the CR tablets – even dry cutting them wouldn't work ?
And you think the best and easiest way is to dilute the tablet in water and take the dose.

On 6/5/2026 at 4:09 PM, Chippy said:

Time off the drug and a different brand add to the risk.

how big is the different brand variable observed in the cases ?

On 6/5/2026 at 4:09 PM, Chippy said:

RI is just to cushion your symptoms. Your injury still needs to heal. Which it’s doing now. Will do once you ri and will continue to do once you finish your taper. How you’ll be once your off the drug if you ri and taper we don’t know. For many ri settles symptoms enough to be more bearable. Then a long hold to settle the system followed by a careful taper off. It’s not a magic cure.

so is it right to assume that, if the brain is not kindled and reacts positively to the reinstatement - the healing would continue to happen even when I'm on a low dose in the background. SO, it's not that healing happens once one is off these medicines?

since im not on any cocktails of drugs , only one medicine would be reinstated, if there any case studies or from the mentoring on this forum, where people have had ri successfully with good exercise and lifestyle to support ??

why do I get a feeling like @Luke it's suggesting that 99% of the time ri would only make things worse and its not worth putting the drugs in the body or Ri , even at small dose in the case of Wd , and it will make things worse and further the injury . if its even a 50 -60 % chnace that if the body reacts negatively than stop immediately and if not staying on a small dose would make things better and to taper off good.

Are there any successful stories where people have done successful hyperbolic tapering, without any WD after RI of microdose on this forum?

I respect and accept that it's all case-to-case and varies differently. However, I want to make an informed choice.

8 hours ago, AZAD said:

Right now I'm in London. But I do spend 6 months of winter in India.

Cool!

8 hours ago, AZAD said:

So you are sure I should not take the CR tablets – even dry cutting them wouldn't work ?

They won’t dissolve in water from what I understand they just make a messy paste. I think the dose is too low to be dry cutting. You could try but then tapering off will be impossible for you.

I like the simplicity of a pill and water. Easy to access, cost effective. But it’s fine either way.

8 hours ago, AZAD said:

how big is the different brand variable observed in the cases ?

It’s impossible to measure this. Some don’t do well with the switch. However those who have come off ct for example and were taking a pill we would suggest ri a diy liquid snd it generally seems ok for them. Going to diy liquid from a pill for those already on the drug can be destabilising but those off and ri it seems ok normally. Obviously changing brands and diy liquid is two variables. We literally have no way of knowing how you’ll react.

8 hours ago, AZAD said:

so is it right to assume that, if the brain is not kindled and reacts positively to the reinstatement - the healing would continue to happen even when I'm on a low dose in the background. SO, it's not that healing happens once one is off these medicines?

Kindling is just a process of worsening your situation through drug changes.

Healing happens all the time regardless of if you are on or off the drug.

8 hours ago, AZAD said:

why do I get a feeling like @Luke it's suggesting that 99% of the time ri would only make things worse and its not worth putting the drugs in the body or Ri , even at small dose in the case of Wd , and it will make things worse and further the injury . if its even a 50 -60 % chnace that if the body reacts negatively than stop immediately and if not staying on a small dose would make things better and to taper off good.

I’ll try to speak for Luke. Luke doesn’t not like RI he feels you have to risk assess. If you are doing somewhat ok he would judge it not worth ri. I might agree with him tbh in most cases. This is just a personal judgement that you have to make for yourself. Low dose ri mitigates the risk.

8 hours ago, AZAD said:

Are there any successful stories where people have done successful hyperbolic tapering, without any WD after RI of microdose on this forum?

This sites very new. You would need to look on sa to find this. We don’t know how you’ll be if you ri and taper off. But it won’t fix you just it may address your body’s need for the drug which could cushion wd. When you get to zero I suspect you’ll not be symptom free. Ri isn’t to cure wd just to help make it more bearable.

8 hours ago, AZAD said:

I respect and accept that it's all case-to-case and varies differently. However, I want to make an informed choice.

That's fair enough. I hope my answers have been helpful.

13 hours ago, AZAD said:

why do I get a feeling like @Luke it's suggesting that 99% of the time ri would only make things worse and its not worth putting the drugs in the body or Ri , even at small dose in the case of Wd , and it will make things worse and further the injury . if its even a 50 -60 % chnace that if the body reacts negatively than stop immediately and if not staying on a small dose would make things better and to taper off good.

I didn't say that.

Reinstatement helps some people a lot, and it can also cause significant issues for others. It's difficult to predict, especially once you've been off the drug for some time. If you search through people's stories here (although this site is quite young), or on SA, you'll find stories of both. If you're lucky, it will do the first, if you're unlucky, it can be really bad. It may be somewhere inbetween.

I simply said that only you are in a position to evaluate whether your symptoms are intolerable and whether it is worth trying. I can't live your experience and tell you how well you're coping with symptoms and whether it's worth taking the risk or not.

We're just other human beings harmed by medicine, we don't know any more than you, other than having spent a lot of time in support groups and seeing what happened to others.

6 hours ago, Chippy said:

I’ll try to speak for Luke. Luke doesn’t not like RI he feels you have to risk assess. If you are doing somewhat ok he would judge it not worth ri. I might agree with him tbh in most cases. This is just a personal judgement that you have to make for yourself. Low dose ri mitigates the risk.

I hope I'm understanding the risks properly ?
The three scenarios as I understand them

1. RI works — 0.5mg anchors the system, symptoms become more bearable, I hold for a long period until stable, then hyperbolic taper off slowly. Best case.

2. Paradoxical reaction — system reacts badly, increased anxiety or agitation in first days. Stop immediately. Minimal exposure at this dose means damage limited.

3. Neutral — no benefit, no harm — would you suggest holding at 0.5mg longer to observe, or trying a modest increase to 1mg before abandoning RI entirely? Not sure what the right move is here.

   6 hours ago, Chippy said:

   This sites very new. You would need to look on sa to find this. We don’t know how you’ll be if you ri and taper off. But it won’t fix you just it may address your body’s need for the drug which could cushion wd. When you get to zero I suspect you’ll not be symptom free. Ri isn’t to cure wd just to help make it more bearable.

   Not a cure. Just addresses the body's remaining need for the drug, which may cushion symptoms enough to function better during the healing period. The underlying injury still runs its own course.
   
   but it makes me think after ri and slow taper, and suffer chemical induce effects - i would be back on square one , where im starting ?? or much of the healing would be done, but still some symptoms to be dealt with .
   
   If RI works, would there still be the trade-off at microdose that I have to consider?
   

   1 hour ago, Luke said:

   Reinstatement helps some people, it can also cause significant issues for others. It's difficult to predict, especially once you've been off the drug for some time.

   I simply said that only you are in a position to evaluate whether your symptoms are intolerable and whether it is worth trying.

   Thanks. I want to know what significant issues it causes – so I can weigh the trade-off in an informed way.
   
   well, i can go bear the symptoms. HOWEVER, due to high anxiety, I can't be productive and make strategic decisions . given a high time in my life - I'm evaluating the ri risks and benefits. Still, I can't understand them fully well. Sometimes it looks like a good solution, not a magic cure. Other times I'm in my gut a bit anti-medicine and want to avoid it .
   
   So please help me make the informed choice about ri - the right dose, the variable, cautions, when to continue, when to stop, and what benefits or harm to accept even at a microdose ?
   

1 hour ago, AZAD said:

I hope I'm understanding the risks properly ?
The three scenarios as I understand them

1. RI works — 0.5mg anchors the system, symptoms become more bearable, I hold for a long period until stable, then hyperbolic taper off slowly. Best case.

2. Paradoxical reaction — system reacts badly, increased anxiety or agitation in first days. Stop immediately. Minimal exposure at this dose means damage limited.

3. Neutral — no benefit, no harm — would you suggest holding at 0.5mg longer to observe, or trying a modest increase to 1mg before abandoning RI entirely? Not sure what the right move is here.

Essentially, obviously we can't know it won't worsen you significantly, just a low dose is less likley to than a big dose. RI often take time to take effect, so in option 3 you would at least hold and observe, you might consider a small updose.

1 hour ago, AZAD said:

but it makes me think after ri and slow taper, and suffer chemical induce effects - i would be back on square one , where im starting ?? or much of the healing would be done, but still some symptoms to be dealt with .

If RI works, would there still be the trade-off at microdose that I have to consider?

Im not really sure what you mean here. I think broadly you have it nailed in your 3/4 options above. You just have to think are you bad enough that you feel risking RI is worth it. If you are improving and your symptoms are moderate I would say you probably should not RI.

1 hour ago, AZAD said:

So please help me make the informed choice about ri - the right dose, the variable, cautions, when to continue, when to stop, and what benefits or harm to accept even at a microdose ?

We only really suggest small dose RI anyway.

Just to Pwd is very serious. Debilitating for most, causes serious disruption on lives. If you can some what function but just not at the level you would like Im not convinced it is for you IMO.

Here for you either way as ever.

21 minutes ago, Chippy said:

Im not really sure what you mean here. I think broadly you have it nailed in your 3/4 options above. You just have to think are you bad enough that you feel risking RI is worth it. If you are improving and your symptoms are moderate I would say you probably should not RI.

im not able to assess the intensity of the RI risk? If it would cause a reaction, I will stop immediately, if it works its good .
If the RI works , what are the risks to be considered ?

29 minutes ago, Chippy said:

You just have to think are you bad enough that you feel risking RI is worth it. If you are improving and your symptoms are moderate I would say you probably should not RI.

Obviously, I have had a bad last 2 months, with waves of high and low . But my body is in flight and fight mode. anxiety, thinking from the center of fear, and worst-case scenario. I have had no productivity. My relationship is suffering. doubting all my choices. still, I'm getting up, meditating, weight training, cleaning, etc., every day. fighting for a year now .

But the holistic psychiatrist Dr Rani Bora suggested RI. AND SINCE THEN I'M THINKING OF RI, and my girlfriend and everyone around me wants me to try it.

Therefore, I'm trying to understand the risk assessment of RI and seeking the help of you guys in making an informed decision.

I think of trying the Ri, but when you guys say one is better off without RI, I doubt again .

Also, in Pwd, I'm more indecisive and more confused in general, and can't make decisions with confidence

3 minutes ago, AZAD said:

im not able to assess the intensity of the RI risk? If it would cause a reaction, I will stop immediately, if it works its good .
If the RI works , what are the risks to be considered ?

Obviously, I have had a bad last 2 months, with waves of high and low . But my body is in flight and fight mode. anxiety, thinking from the center of fear, and worst-case scenario. I have had no productivity. My relationship is suffering. doubting all my choices. still, I'm getting up, meditating, weight training, cleaning, etc., every day. fighting for a year now .

But the holistic psychiatrist Dr Rani Bora suggested RI. AND SINCE THEN I'M THINKING OF RI, and my girlfriend and everyone around me wants me to try it.

Therefore, I'm trying to understand the risk assessment of RI and seeking the help of you guys in making an informed decision.

I think of trying the Ri, but when you guys say one is better off without RI, I doubt again .

Also, in Pwd, I'm more indecisive and more confused in general, and can't make decisions with confidence

Oh we get it and we are telling you all we can. Ultimately you have to choose.

It might make things easier. It might make things worse. Can you cope if you don’t ri. Can you cope it you do and it worsens you? We can’t tell you any more than that really.

5 hours ago, AZAD said:

Thanks. I want to know what significant issues it causes – so I can weigh the trade-off in an informed way.

Well, the risk is that this:

5 hours ago, AZAD said:

Paradoxical reaction — system reacts badly, increased anxiety or agitation in first days. Stop immediately. Minimal exposure at this dose means damage limited.

Does not necessarily just die right back down if you stop again within some days.

It may well do, but it can also cause significant/severe issues for weeks, months or even years.

It's not a reinstatement, but @Chippy is here a couple of years after 6 weeks of one drug. Reinstatements can go similarly wrong. Uncommon? Probably, but it's happened to some.

I think @LostinCanada had a difficult time after reinstatement at one point.

Having said that, reinstating a small dose, as you're discussing, likely does lower the risk of this, and may also help bring symptom relief.

Other than this, your 3 outcomes are likely broadly correct. As for reinstatement not having much of an effect, if you do raise the dose it is best to do this slowly and in small stages to see what effect it has. Too little can be solved with continuing to increase slowly. Too much is sometimes not so easily reversible and can cause some unlucky people major issues.

It looks like I'm choosing between two unknown and imperfect paths. Natural healing — with no certainty of how long it lasts or how bearable it stays. Or reinstatement — with its own risks and no guarantee of working.

Neither is safe. Neither is certain. Both carry a cost.

18 hours ago, Luke said:

ther than this, your 3 outcomes are likely broadly correct. As for reinstatement not having much of an effect, if you do raise the dose it is best to do this slowly and in small stages to see what effect it has. Too little can be solved with continuing to increase slowly. Too much is sometimes not so easily reversible and can cause some unlucky people major issues.

But, is there a risk assessment given my medical history and background of If there are probabilities – a 50 or 60 percent chnace ot lets say 20 percent chance of things getting better or worse , maybe I can make a decision.

Also, the doctor has recommended, as a third option- Propranolol 5 - 10 mg daily. which i dont agree . i guess? Anything other than the reintegration of the microdose of the original drug should be out of question right ?

44 minutes ago, AZAD said:

It looks like I'm choosing between two unknown and imperfect paths. Natural healing — with no certainty of how long it lasts or how bearable it stays. Or reinstatement — with its own risks and no guarantee of working.

Neither is safe. Neither is certain. Both carry a cost.

You summed it up well! Im sorry. I wish there were certainties but there are not. We are all dealing with the same unknowns.

45 minutes ago, AZAD said:

But, is there a risk assessment given my medical history and background of If there are probabilities – a 50 or 60 percent chnace ot lets say 20 percent chance of things getting better or worse , maybe I can make a decision.

Just grasping at straws here. There is so many variables, no research into the subject and only anecdotal evidence to go on.

Essentially if life is unbearable, then a low dose RI is worth considering. It comes with risks. There is no way of knowing how it will pan out. If life is bearable, not ideal, or good even, just bearable, it makes most sense imo to stay off and wait to heal. But this is only something you can decide apon.

47 minutes ago, AZAD said:

Also, the doctor has recommended, as a third option- Propranolol 5 - 10 mg daily. which i dont agree . i guess? Anything other than the reintegration of the microdose of the original drug should be out of question right ?

Doctors love to throw drugs at a situation. There is no evidence ADs (im aware Propranolol is a beta blocker but it is psycho active) are safe and effective in the first place. The human brain needs to not be meddled with. Now your nervous system has been irritated anything psycho active will IMO very likley make all this worse. They are litterally clutching at straws. When it all goes wrong they will blame your mental health and offer you another drug, and then another. So unfortunately IMO out of the question!

Sorry, I know you are desperatley searching for the perfect solution to all this, but trust me when I say it doesn't exist. Your brain and body is way smarter than any doctor or medical professional. It's complex and it needs to be left to do it's own thing. The only caveat to that is low dose RI can cushion things.

20 hours ago, AZAD said:

It looks like I'm choosing between two unknown and imperfect paths. Natural healing — with no certainty of how long it lasts or how bearable it stays. Or reinstatement — with its own risks and no guarantee of working.

Neither is safe. Neither is certain. Both carry a cost.

That is the choice I think you are facing as well.

That is why, if symptoms are bearable, I suggested that the risk/reward of reinstatement this far out doesn't seem good enough to me. Most people do seem to improve and heal in time.

20 hours ago, AZAD said:

But, is there a risk assessment given my medical history and background of If there are probabilities – a 50 or 60 percent chnace ot lets say 20 percent chance of things getting better or worse , maybe I can make a decision.

I'm a guy on the internet who got badly harmed by a drug. I don't know any more than you do.

There has been next to no objective medical research done on any of this.

There are no probabilities that anyone here wouldn't just be totally making up.

Hello everyone. I wanted to give an update and ask a few questions.

I have updated my signature with my full history so it is easier to update with new developments. More so, of last 6 months - where i have tried herbal medicine , buspironeand than i left my system alone , and didnt do RI s well . just sticking to breathing , dancing etc .

The recovery is happening but very slowly. Waves and windows. Less fatigue now and body weight stabilising. But still unable to work properly or get back into life in any meaningful way.

I have a few questions.

First, I noticed on Luke's profile that it mentions being a bot. Can anyone clarify whether any of the admins or moderators here are AI? I just want to know who I am speaking with.

Second, on herbs. From December 2025 to February 2026 I took a herbal mix including St John's Wort, ashwagandha, valerian, chamomile and liquorice. It genuinely helped, especially with sleep and morning panic. Should I consider going back to herbs to support recovery, or would that interfere with the nervous system healing on its own?

Third, how do I know when the worst of protracted withdrawal is over? I have had no SSRI or any other medicine since May 2025, and nothing at all for the last four months. Is there a way to tell whether I am through the hardest phase?

Fourth, I am thinking about treating the underlying anxiety with homeopathy. Would that risk kindling the nervous system in any way?

Fifth, when protracted withdrawal eventually resolves, will the original anxiety symptoms return as they were before medication, or does recovery from withdrawal also bring some resolution of the original condition?

Thank you for everything so far. This community has been more helpful than any doctor I have seen.

1 hour ago, AZAD said:

Hello everyone. I wanted to give an update and ask a few questions.

Hey! Thanks!

1 hour ago, AZAD said:

I have updated my signature with my full history so it is easier to update with new developments. More so, of last 6 months - where i have tried herbal medicine , buspironeand than i left my system alone , and didnt do RI s well . just sticking to breathing , dancing etc .

Appreciate the update.

1 hour ago, AZAD said:

The recovery is happening but very slowly. Waves and windows. Less fatigue now and body weight stabilising. But still unable to work properly or get back into life in any meaningful way.

Amazing it hasn't been long. Hold the line mate.

1 hour ago, AZAD said:

I have a few questions.

First, I noticed on Luke's profile that it mentions being a bot. Can anyone clarify whether any of the admins or moderators here are AI? I just want to know who I am speaking with.

Nope no bots or AI here. When we first started the site we have an auto response to members before a Mod could get to them and give them a proper response. We have not used that for months now and isn't part of the new site. It wasnt AI.

1 hour ago, AZAD said:

Second, on herbs. From December 2025 to February 2026 I took a herbal mix including St John's Wort, ashwagandha, valerian, chamomile and liquorice. It genuinely helped, especially with sleep and morning panic. Should I consider going back to herbs to support recovery, or would that interfere with the nervous system healing on its own?

Have a read of this. General advice. Avoid supplements especially psycho active ones like St Johns Wart. Medications, Supplements and Other Substances in Withdrawal

1 hour ago, AZAD said:

Third, how do I know when the worst of protracted withdrawal is over? I have had no SSRI or any other medicine since May 2025, and nothing at all for the last four months. Is there a way to tell whether I am through the hardest phase?

Really early days for you as I said. We tend to see over time (can be many months or years) things eb and flow in a pattern of waves and windows slowly reducing in severity. I would work on taking it one day at a time, be encouraged by your postive signs you have seen. Keep living nice and healthy and avoid additional drugs and substances, and let your body do what it is good at. Heal. Even when you think things have settled, my additional advice is be careful still. Maybe consider not drinking. Certainly for a long time to come. I have seen folk get carried away and try to do these things and have a set back. Even recently a member when on some fareground rides and has caused her problems.

1 hour ago, AZAD said:

Fourth, I am thinking about treating the underlying anxiety with homeopathy. Would that risk kindling the nervous system in any way?

I think understanding what is and what isn't your underlying condition in WD is tricky. Keep things drug free. Don't add in supplements. I am always tempted to lean more towards mind set techniques rather than anything else. Diet, exercise too.

1 hour ago, AZAD said:

ifth, when protracted withdrawal eventually resolves, will the original anxiety symptoms return as they were before medication, or does recovery from withdrawal also bring some resolution of the original condition?

You will in WD learn lots of coping skills, that I suspect will help you manage the very normal feelings of anxiety that life and being a human can bring. Not broken, all functioning as normal. Mindfulness is so key to a happy life imo. Big subject, would put energy there for sure rather than seeking treatments.

1 hour ago, AZAD said:

Thank you for everything so far. This community has been more helpful than any doctor I have seen.

Glad it's been helpful and thanks for the update.

22 hours ago, Chippy said:

Have a read of this. General advice. Avoid supplements especially psycho active ones like St Johns Wart. Medications, Supplements and Other Substances in Withdrawal

Thanks for the reply @Chippy

I know the caution against St John's Wort, but should one not even try if it has helped me before (the herbs I have mentioned)? Because I'm not able to sleep, my health is struggling and the recovery is very slow.

22 hours ago, Chippy said:

Fourth, I am thinking about treating the underlying anxiety with homeopathy. Would that risk kindling the nervous system in any way?

I think understanding what is and what isn't your underlying condition in WD is tricky. Keep things drug free. Don't add in supplements. I am always tempted to lean more towards mind set techniques rather than anything else. Diet, exercise too.

im following diet and exercise, etc - however, do we have anything specific about homeopathy? They say it may be a placebo. However, I want to be sure from the experience of others that it doesn't cause any kindling or adverse reaction, if it's not even a medicine. Therefore is it safe to try in PWD?

11 minutes ago, AZAD said:

but should one not even try if it has helped me before

My advice would be not to mate. These kinds of things often make things worse. The choice is and will always be yours.

11 minutes ago, AZAD said:

Because I'm not able to sleep,

Most of us have this problem and so we fully understand. Time and patience is the best cure for WD sleep. Not adding to it with second fear is key.

12 minutes ago, AZAD said:

the recovery is very slow.

This is very typical. Slowly we move in the right direction in windows and waves, trying to find ways to speed it up only has the opposite effect in my experience.

14 minutes ago, AZAD said:

m following diet and exercise, etc

Good

14 minutes ago, AZAD said:

however, do we have anything specific about homeopathy?

I don't think anyone has started a thread on it. My advice mainly to learn to stop seeking cures, this path keeps the brain away from peace and acceptance. Others find this hard to do and continue in their mission to find something that helps. I've seen it lots. Main thing is if you are going to try something just make sure it's natural and psychoactive. As I said my advice is to avoid generally.

Some people tolerate things like Acupuncture I have seen others react to it and find it activating. So one person might find something is helpful, another might find it does nothing and someone else might react badly to it. Roll of the dice. We all must choose what we are willing to risk. For me as little as possible.

@AZAD I would avoid St Johns Wort. Very psychoactive. So much so, it can cause serontonin syndrome when taken together with SSRIs. It interacts with a multitude of other medications too, including the oral contraceptive pill, statins, PPIs etc. It is heavy duty stuff.

Regarding homeopathy: probably safe because it is just water. Seriously, it is the most ******** pseudo science. The chosen substance is serially diluted. And diluted, and diluted. Homeopaths hold that the more dilute the preparation, the stronger its therapeutic effect. Common remedies are a dilution of 10 to the power of 60, which is far beyond Avogadro's limit, so there is statistically no detectable molecule of the original substance left. They then claim that the water holds a "memory" of the molecule, and this is how it works. If you know anything about basic chemistry and dilution of solutions, you will realise what a crock this is. You may as well drink a glass of water and pray.

Hello @AZAD ! I have heard quite often that homeopathy is only water and of course it makes a lot of sense. Still, the fact that we cannot explain something does not necessarily mean that it doesn’t exist. Like the effect of diluted medicine. (I highly respect @Sminismoni , just wanted to throw in my own experience here. Concerning psychiatry questions, I would always follow her advice! ) However , I had quite remarkable successes when I tried battling infections with homeopathy , like sinusitis, for example. Recently, I got rid of a bladder infection without antibiotics. but I did not only take the homeopathic medicine, I took also “normal “ plant medicine .

I think, though , it is quite complicated to find the medicine that will work for you personally. If you have an experienced professional, you could try it, I think. It probably is safer than throwing those classic drugs into your system , especially when you are sensitized, and to this sminismoni would agree, as far as I understand .

I want to add : I do take homeopathy for acute infections and not for my withdrawal problems. Since I do believe that it can have an actual effect, I’m even cautious with this to take it for psychological purposes. And besides, I have tried it for psychological purposes before I started SSRIs, but the effect it had on me was not strong enough (or so thought) and I did not have a trustworthy professional to work with.

Take care!

Edited October 2Oct 2 by Nemina