[Labyssum]

I was diagnosed with schizophrenia two years ago. I'm on meds that seem to have helped me...
But sometimes I get the impulse to stop taking them...
I don't know why...I think I'm curious to see if I will remain normal without them...
Does anyone have the same impulse?

[Junerain]

I can totally relate- the urge to see if you can become less dependent on them, cut the cord and just live on your own freewill.....it's a strong urge.....but I highly recommend it remain an urge, people often end up in the hospital or worse by acting on this urge......try journaling about it, expressing your desire to just live on your own, maybe confide in someone your desire but PLEASE let it just be a thought, a welcome thought, but one you don't act on.....if you end up in the hospital, who knows how long you would be there or if it takes a while to get back on your feet...........

[spiritual_emergency]

<blockquote>
Hello Labyssum:

In the Online Resources thread there are some resources that may be helpful to you. I suggest you check it out.

There are two that I think would be particularly helpful. The first is a tool called epocrates.com. Before you attempt to reduce your medications or come off them entirely, you need to know exactly what they are, what they do, the class of drugs they belong to, recommendations for withdrawal, and what the side effects of withdrawal are. It will probably be to your benefit to check out more than one source as related to the effects of withdrawal.

The second is a free online guide called Harm Reduction Guide to Coming Off Psychiatric Drugs. A third resource I'd recommend is Making Sense of Coming Off Psychiatric Drugs.

You may also find it helpful to read the work of Dr. Bertram Karon. From what I recall, he doesn't use medications with his patients. For those who want to come off their medication, it's always beneficial to see what other people are doing instead of medication. A few other doctors I'm aware of who used medication sparingly or not at all are Drs. John Weir Perry, Jaakko Seikkula, and Loren Mosher. Both Mosher and Perry passed away within the last few years but you can still find information on them on the net.

All of the above can help to educate you so that you're better prepared to take the next step. In some cases, the next step might mean educating those around you. Family members, spouses, siblings, friends -- you'll probably benefit from their support when you attempt to come off so you want them to be well-educated too. In particular, it may be necessary to reassure their fears and concerns about your well-being. This too is why it's so important that you do your own homework first.

It may also be necessary to educate your doctor. Ideally, you will have professional support during this process. If the physician you currently work with doesn't want to provide it, it might be prudent to find a different physician who will.

Bear in mind that I'm not a doctor nor have I ever taken psychotropic medication. Other people who have been in your shoes and successfully moved into recovery without medication will be able to provide insights that I'm simply not aware of. There are probably hundreds of people out there who have done what you want to do. You can find them writing articles, discussing ideas, blogging about their experience, or even posting videos of their experience on youtube. A good search engine can be enormously helpful in helping you to connect with them.

Best of luck to you.

[Labyssum]

Thanks for the replies...I will definitely look into this, and talk to my doctor before stopping my meds.