How to Wean Off Your Prescription Meds

Changing your lifestyle may help you accomplish this.

I was formally diagnosed with depression at the age of sixteen. It was kind of weird because I cried quite often and had zero emotional regulation tactics. I sought refuge in community theatre, my school counselor, and friends. A few years after my father was diagnosed with mild to moderate dementia, my school counselor and pediatrician highly recommended antidepressants. They put me on the lowest dosage I know of — 5mg. Still, I couldn’t wrap my head around only being able to function with the aid of “happy pills,” especially at my age. It was a foreign substance that would supposedly alter my brain chemistry for the better.

Almost ten years later, I am still on Lexapro, an antidepressant. About two years back, we upped my dosage to 10mg in an effort to appease my relentless palpitations I couldn’t seem to soothe. I attribute the added stress to transferring to a new college and being faced with “adult things.”

I was presented with a completely novel lifestyle that was incredibly important for me to succeed at. I felt myself struggling to tread the water beneath me.

After an adjustment period of about two weeks, I was feeling more at equilibrium. I decided I didn’t have time to devote to improving myself and learning how to truly navigate imperfect circumstances and varied conflict without the aid of medicine. I became comfortable relying on the pills, though I’m aware that 10mg is still a low dosage.

I have been back in therapy for almost seven months now.

I can confidently say that I have made the biggest breakthroughs I have ever experienced in my life to date. I have softened my explosive, impulsive, and admittingly frequent outbursts of anger to that of mild irritation. It has changed my life.

I have improved my relationship with my mom, and I have come to truly accept my father’s illness. I no longer hold resentfulness in my heart for him. I have developed critical thinking skills, and have stopped taking everything so personally. I am willing to face the icky feelings I experience, process them, and transmute them rather than suppress them until they evoke a rage within me.

Recently, I have been wanting to wean off my medications. Mostly, because I am fearful of any long-term repercussions and the potential damage this chemical may have on my brain. After all, seven years of taking a drug consistently every single day is kind of a big deal.

With an intention to eventually lower my dosage and then completely get off my meds, I have started implementing various lifestyle hacks. Please note that my intentions to get off meds exists as a long-term goal for a year or two from now. If you’re reading this and wish to do the same, please know that you should never just stop taking your meds.

You can read about my personal experience of what I felt when I stopped taking my meds. This can cause serious negative effects and often illicit intense suicidal ideologies and feelings of confusion among other things. Talk about how you are feeling with your healthcare professional.

Change Your Life, Change Your Mind

Know that if you want to get off your medications, you will need to make some uncomfortable changes in your life that simply don’t happen overnight. When we are comfortable, we are acting and thinking through old, stale habits that likely no longer serve us. Often, our day-to-day thoughts and behaviors are doing more harm than good, but we fail to recognize this.

This is because we are stuck in the cycle of what we consider the norm, and we believe that if others would change and improve, then our lives would be far easier. This type of thinking is toxic and will lead you further away from taking responsibility for the way you react to life, handle conflict, and feel in general.

I felt myself struggling to tread the water beneath me.

Wean, Don’t Jump

Yes, some of these tips are basic but are often overlooked by people who are searching for their lives to be better. This is because we have a tendency to look outward for satisfaction. These tips are all about you and how you can work towards creating a healthy internal environment to ensure the highest quality of mental health.

Sleep

Get a minimum of seven hours of sleep per night. I know you may feel that you can function with less, but your body doesn’t. Sleep is a time for our body to heal and rejuvenate itself. Getting your body’s circadian rhythm on a regular schedule can and will significantly improve your mood and help you maintain more clarity of mind.

● If you have trouble sleeping, whether it be from anxiety or something else, there are some things you can try.

○ Avoid eating a heavy meal soon before bed.

○ Sleep in total darkness.

○ Keep a fan going and a window open, if possible for fresh air.

○ Invest in a humidifier.

○ Be sure to remove all makeup before bed every single night.

○ Remove your cell phone from your bedroom at night.

○ Try meditating or listening to relaxing music.

○ Drink some nighttime tea and/or invest in melatonin supplements.

○ Sleep with a sheet and a comforter to make sure you’re always comfy.

○ Turn the tv off when it’s time for bed.

● If you struggle with oversleeping, here are some things you can try.

○ Set an alarm and go to sleep earlier.

○ Keep the alarm far away so you have to get up to turn it off.

○ Create a to-do list for the day the night before that includes certain times of the day.

○ Plan an exciting breakfast for the next morning.

○ Plan to go for a walk in the morning right away.

○ Get out of bed as soon as you wake up. Make your bed immediately.

○ Ask your partner (if you have one) to be your accountability buddy.

Proper Nutrition

Did you know that our gut is our second brain? When we feed our body processed food, we are making our body work harder to break it down, and we are not getting any energy from it. If you have a tendency to consume these foods, perhaps you can begin to lessen and/or remove your intake of them.

● Processed meats and cheeses

● Caffeine in the form of energy drinks and too much coffee

● Foods with added sugar

● Unrefined white flour

● Dairy

● Foods high in cholesterol, saturated fat, and trans fat

● An excessive amount of fried foods

You are not only preventing your body from healing itself but not providing your gut with the resources it needs to take care of you in the best way it knows how to. When we eat poorly, the gut reacts by sending messages to our brain that can quickly result in feelings of anxiety and depression. The brain and GI tract share an intimate relationship and are constantly sending signals to one another.

Eat more real, whole foods, like organic (when possible) fresh fruits and vegetables and healthy grains. They build our body up, heal illnesses, prevent them, and protect our mind from neurodegenerative damage, stress, and especially depression.

Get Active!

Exercise has been proven to dramatically ease the symptoms of depression and anxiety, among other mental health issues. Examples of movement:

● Go for a brisk walk or even a slow-paced walk.

● Take a dance break.

● Join a yoga class (my preference is at-home yoga on Youtube)

● Do some pilates (again, Youtube is my friend.)

● Get up to walk around once every hour.

● Make a game out of counting your steps per day.

● Park far away so you have to walk more.

● Take the stairs instead of the elevator.

● Travel the stairs more frequently in your house just because.

● Carry all the grocery bags in one shot.

● Stretch your body.

● Join a gym, group exercise class, community pool, etc.

● Go swimming in a public body of water.

● Try biking or go to the roller skating rink with friends.

● More!

Focus on Your Emotional Regulatory Tactics

This is definitely the most important and difficult skill to develop. That’s not to say it is impossible. I truly believe that with a little grit, perseverance, and will to put in the hard work, anything is possible. This is especially true when it has to do with improving ourselves.

Some small ways I have learned to manage my emotions:

Start Going to Therapy (if you don’t already)

Thankfully, in 2020 and 2021, the stigma for seeing a therapist is lessening as it becomes more of the norm. Despite this, there is still a stigma among those who identify as a male that therapy is for weaklings. This couldn’t be further from the truth.

○ There are many variables that may hinder someone from having access to a therapist. I want to address them and offer potential solutions.

○ Lack of available finances to put towards therapy: if you’re in school, take advantage of provided services; do some research on which facilities take your insurance, explore some sliding-scale therapists, visit your therapist every two weeks instead of once per week.

○ You’re embarrassed to get help for fear of others’ responses: Don’t tell them! If you live with your parents and don’t want them to know you’re in therapy, just tell them you’re going out for a walk for an hour and they can expect you home by a certain hour. If they ask to come, tell them you appreciate it but would rather spend some designated time alone.

○ You don’t think talking about your problems will help. Please believe me when I tell you how much visible progress I have made by talking about my problems with a trained professional. Actually saying our thoughts aloud helps us to process them. Many times during my session have I been able to connect the dots with something. Simply by saying it out loud, I have been able to come to new realizations I didn’t notice before.

○ You’re fearful your therapist will share your business and taint your reputation. Through HIPPA, mental health professionals are bound by law and they cannot share any information with others (parents/guardians included) without your written consent. Your employer cannot call up and ask questions about you, nor your friends, or even your spouse. The only exception to this rule is when you have vocalized that you or someone else may be in danger or will be in the near future. They also must report all crimes: eg include child abuse, elder abuse, terrorist activities, drug crimes, etc.

Create a Morning Routine

I cannot stress to you enough how maintaining a thorough morning routine has catapulted me each morning into creativity, discernment, proper time management, and self-love.

Everyone will find peace in different activities, but I’d like to share my morning routine with you to give you some ideas. Feel free to pick and choose which ones resonate with you. When adding something new to your routine or lifestyle in general, remember that on average it takes 30 days to form a new habit that really sticks. In my personal experience, this has really held up to be true.

Don’t get discouraged if you find it difficult to maintain something new, and know that it’s helpful to start small. If you don’t have any sort of morning routine yet, start by adding one or two things and do just those two things for thirty days. Baby steps still count and this tactic will ensure you are able to maintain whatever it is that becomes your routine.

My Routine

● Wake up between 7:45 and 8:30 am without an alarm. Get out of bed within five minutes.

● Open my curtains and get dressed. Thank the Universe for another beautiful day.

● Brush my teeth thoroughly and cleanse my face. Go to the bathroom.

● Drink a lot of water.

● Make my bed, and tidy up my room.

● Tweeze my eyebrows and finish my skin routine.

● Put on a Youtube video of morning affirmations, or inspirational talks often by Abraham Hicks, Justin Perry, Joe Dispenza, etc.

● Head downstairs to play with my pup and take her out to do her business.

● Open the shades and windows downstairs.

● Make celery juice and clean the kitchen. Drink a lion’s mane tincture mix. Take an ashwagandha supplement. Prepare my tea with MCT oil and fresh lemon.

● Do a Pilates workout and sometimes go for a walk.

● Grab my laptop, head outside, and get to work with my cup of tea! (I currently work from home)

That may not sound like a lot, but it took me many months to actually make my bed every single morning. Now, I can’t imagine starting my day without doing that. If this does sound like a lot to you, it kind of was at first, but now all of these things are completely second nature to me.

There are still some things I am trying to incorporate into my daily routine like tongue scraping, oil pulling, morning meditation, and getting up even earlier. I am still playing around with what motivates me and prepares me for the best day, and I know that in time I will figure that out.

There are so many more tips I’d love to share with you about how you can mentally prepare to make the intention of getting off your meds. I hope you will take these small but effective tips to heart and you will quickly begin to see your life transform.

Best,

🆂🆄🆉🍊

Tap into positivity at Live Life Now, my new blog✨

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