A Safety Net For Those In Psychiatric Med Withdrawal

During this lockdown, a lot of us may have had a taste of what it feels like to be forgotten. To feel unseen and like there has not been a safety net to catch us or recognize when we need something.
If I’ve needed anything, or any extra support, I’ve had to reach out more actively for it, often by myself, which takes a lot of energy.
Sometimes it has exhausted me. Even thinking about how to get connection and support has been tiring a lot of the time.
Without standard social supports and in person communities in place, many of us have felt exhausted and alone. Unrecognized, and like being seen and known by our communities on a basic level has felt like work to achieve.
Passover reminded me of this because it had been a time for me where I had often felt a sense of a safety net. There have often been people who have reached out and invites to to their seder, or asked me if I had one, and helped connect me with one if not.
(Yes that happened with zoom seders this year but zoom makes me feel stressed and alone)
Religious and spiritual communities often create this safety net in many ways.
But this year the reverse has occurred for many of us. Instead of a culture of including everyone, many of us have excluded everyone to protect ourselves (or others).
Some groups of people were already invisible and excluded. Many people in psych drug withdrawal are in this group: left behind, without a social or physical safety net, their struggles invisible and not discussed.
Their struggles stigmatized and hard to talk about, similar to the struggles of someone who is alone in life for any reason.
Just like religious groups often make sure everyone has people to celebrate holidays with, I’d like to see communities make sure everyone in psych med withdrawal has support.
It needs to be a communal effort, or too much falls on a few people. This is why larger communities are so helpful and why this year has broken many people down.
This is why a huge and growing group of people have been struggling alone with psych med withdrawal for years and hardly recognized as a demographic.
This is why we need well resourced communities to offer a safety net for everyone in psych med withdrawal.

8 thoughts on “A Safety Net For Those In Psychiatric Med Withdrawal

  1. Ted Chabasinski says:

    Good post, Chaya! I THINK ALMOST EVERYONE IN OUR SOCIETY RIGHT NOW FEELS UNSUPPORTED AND ALONG, AS OUR POLITICAL CLASS CARES NOTHING ABOUT THE PEOPEL THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO BE RPRESENTING.

  2. marenmargo says:

    Having a safety net during psychiatric medication withdrawal is crucial for anyone navigating this challenging journey. I’ve experienced the importance of support from friends, family, assisted living near me and professionals firsthand. Access to resources and open communication about feelings can make a significant difference, helping individuals manage symptoms and find their way to recovery.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *