Personally, I do not think that ANYONE should make a decision to stop psychiatric medication without the support from both their doctor AND their family.

I have yet to hear of any POSITIVE cold-turkey withdrawal stories, either from family members or from patients themselves. I belong to another support forum for people who have spouses/significant others with depression/bipolar, and believe me, quitting meds is the NUMBER ONE concern.

My first experience with someone stopping their psych. meds cold-turkey was when I was 8. Our family was about to leave to drive to Disneyworld, and I called to remind Mr. Luchesi to feed my fish while I was gone. Mrs. Luchesi answered the phone and said "Lee Ann, I'm sorry, but Mr. Luchesi will not be able to feed your fish". Me: "oh no! why not?". Mrs. Luchesi: "because he is dead. I shot him.".

Me: "MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!!!!!!!!!!!"

Mrs. Luchesi stopped taking her meds, cold-turkey, and got some great idea in her head to kill her husband. She was arrested and spent the rest of her life in a prison psych ward.

If that story isn't enough reason to convince people NOT to quit without support of both their doctor and family, I don't know what is.