SUSIE's ANTIDEPRESSANT withdrawal success story

In 2001, I began to experience anxiety for the first time. I suffered panic attacks, waking with my heart pounding out of my chest and crying spells that I couldn’t explain. I was desperate and afraid. Saliva testing that I had done with a chiropractor who specialized in female hormones showed that I was experiencing estrogen dominance, and I knew that was part of the problem. However, the primary care doctor and OB/Gyn I met with at the time told me that the saliva tests I had done were unreliable. They refused to do any testing and insisted that I had a chemical imbalance. I was told that I would need to be on medication for the rest of my life. When I finally took the anti-depressant, Serzone, they had prescribed, I could not sleep for weeks. Later, the benzodiazepine, Klonopin, was added to help. I had no idea at the time what I was getting myself into.

Over the next 13 years, taking meds along with regular visits to the psychiatrist became part of my life, because I had learned that just stopping them wasn’t an option. But, in 2014, I decided I was ready to make a change. My husband and I moved to a new city for his work, and I took time off as an elementary school teacher to focus on my health. I researched a plan to slowly taper my medications on my own. For the first six months, things were going well, but then they quickly turned. Ultimately, I ended up in a psychiatric hospital to try to stabilize. I came out 12 days later layered in meds. I felt like a zombie; my brain and my heart felt completely cut off from one another. I was no longer myself. For the next couple of years, I did everything I could to survive, but outpatient care, group therapy, and alternative care practitioners could do nothing to lift the deep fog and turmoil I was living under.

The way that the truly caring and compassionate people at Point of Return helped me was nothing short of amazing. It became clear to me that they were experts, and I learned to trust them immediately. I submitted a list of supplements that I had been taking in addition to my meds, many of which well-meaning practitioners had added to try to help me feel better. The POR team advised me concerning the supplements that were interacting with my meds, and they directed me to safely taper those before I could begin tapering my meds. The Point of Return Interaction guide also pointed out foods, herbs and other items that I should avoid. At that time, POR informed me that a supplement I had been given called Travacor contained an ingredient that acted similar to a benzo, and it would have to be tapered over a longer period as well. Very thankfully, during my second med taper, the Point of Return experts got word that the formulation of Travacor that I was taking was about to be taken off the market. They worked with me as I procured enough of the supplement to begin a slow, compounded taper right away. If Point of Return had not been keenly aware of this change, my health would have been in jeopardy, but instead, because of their dedication to knowing everything about these meds and supplements, I was able to slowly and safely taper off Travacor.

From the moment I began POR welcomed me as a family member and supported every step of the way. With their assistance, I completed four tapers including Zoloft, Klonopin, Travacor and Seroquel. In my lifetime, I will never be able to say thank you to the POR experts enough. They truly poured their hearts and souls into helping me become med free. Alesandra was always so gracious to answer my questions and my concerns. Her understanding and kindness always put my mind at ease. Andrea took the time to share with me, listening and offering advice when I most needed it. She monitored my progress carefully and helped me adjust my taper schedule as needed so that I could be successful. Terry was always quick to offer sound advice about how to exercise carefully on my journey off meds, and he made the effort to make sure I received my Point of Return nutraceuticals with care.

The Point of Return nutraceuticals worked tremendously and made it so that I could function during my taper. I could not have made it through the daily (sometimes hourly) challenges without them. Most people who saw me from day to day (even my mother) said that they would have never guessed that I was going through so much, but I was able to keep going because my brain and my body were so well nourished.

I became active on the POR forum very early in my journey, and my friends there became my lifeline as well. There are very few people in this world who understand what it’s like to be unintentionally addicted to these meds and so easily trapped by what they do to the brain and the body. I will be forever grateful to my forum mentors. Each one of them kept things real and encouraged me to persist especially with the ups and downs of tapering. Athena helped me find laughter during a time when it was difficult to discover. Karole intelligently guided me in healing what I could with diet, sleep hygiene, daily exercise and other modalities. This made a notable difference in my ability to taper successfully. Elisa-Ruth ministered to me in many ways, especially helping me to cling to God’s promises as I struggled to feel Him near-by.

When I was tapering, there were times that I looked longingly at pictures of myself from the past. At the time it seemed like all I wanted was to go back and be that happy person who loved life and felt so in love and connected to my husband, my family, my friends and my Lord. Now when I look at those pictures, I don’t want to be that person, because “she” was on meds through no fault of her own. Instead, as I work through my healing, I deeply appreciate my freedom from these drugs, and I am learning how to love myself and be happy in ways that I never imagined. I would not be in this place if it weren’t for the absolute Angels on Earth at Point of Return. They have given me the opportunity to create this new life for myself and my family, and I am forever grateful. They will ALWAYS have a very special place in my prayers and in my heart.

SUSIE (USA) ANTIDEPRESSANT WITHDRAWAL SUCCESS