"SURVIVORS OF PSYCHIATRIC DRUGS: THE FACES OF IATROGENIC HARM"--KATHRYN

Disclaimer: NEVER cold turkey a medication. Consult your doctor and do your own independent research when starting or discontinuing a medication.

Today's warrior is this strong, beautiful and smart Canadian mom and grandma, Kathryn. I am fortunate to know her and call her my friend. This is a watercolor on paper (11"x15").

Please share if you believe in informed consent in medicine, because the truth is that most are not getting it with disastrous consequences for the individual and the whole of society. Those of you who have behind closed doors told me about your own experience with meds, I thank you for sharing your story. I will gladly share your story to the world but only when you are ready. I will also paint your portrait for FREE at no cost to you. PM me if you are interested.

Truth is the hardest pill to swallow!

#bebrave #akathisia #iatrogenesis #warrior #pillsharm #coldturkeykills #survivor #pillskill #pillsdisable
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"In 1981, an extremely stressful time, I was prescribed, by the head psycho-pharmacologist at our University Hospital, an antidepressant and a benzodiazepine and told neither were addictive. Benzodiazepine dependency developed, with the anxiety again becoming overwhelming. My dose was increased accordingly, and over subsequent years dosages of both classes of drugs were increased, adjusted, types changed and more drugs added. I was told I required these “as a diabetic does insulin” for treatment resistant anxiety and depression by numerous general practitioners who took over my care and then another psychiatrist. I bought this “line” and dosed as directed. I was not informed of how one can become physically tolerant to the benzodiazepines, where more of the drug is needed to achieve the same result and therefore one becomes physiologically dependent. The results were catastrophic and the fact I’m alive today is nothing short of miraculous.

With time, my health suffered drastically and my thoughts terribly distorted. I left a failed marriage November 2010. With research, it became painfully clear that all incurred losses over the years, including over 20 years of illness (5 bedridden with nursing care), were a result of such side effects of these drugs. I no longer had family, a home, a husband and but one friend I met in the safe house. My promising career, had ended in 1991 due to illnesses, all of which have left as I reduce the drugs, as each symptom of each illness diagnosed was a side effect of the drugs or an interaction between them. Due to financial constraints, after a five month stay in a safe house, I found myself residing in a poverty and crime stricken area of the city (July 2011).

Grief, loneliness and fear was overwhelming. My mind turned to a familiar place (suicidal ideation) as resolution, but by grace, this time I questioned my “go to”. There had to be a reason which explained why I was in this predicament with such thoughts. Research soon revealed self-destructive compulsion to be another side effect. Initially I did a cold turkey of all psych drugs, narrowly escaping seizure and death. It had never been disclosed that abrupt cessation could indeed be life threatening. After two weeks, I sought emergency medical aid where concerted efforts were made to convince me I needed all the drugs. I did not relent but reluctantly went back on a third. Further internet exploration uncovered groups that dealt with this and began safely tapering as I should have from the beginning. To this day, many doctors, themselves, remain ignorant of the need for such a withdrawal process therefore causing untold harm, including suicide, to atrocious numbers of patients.

Now 5 ½ years later (December 2016), I am still tapering and beginning to reclaim my life. The dosages I was on before the cold turkey were, largely, in unheard of amounts. The injustice often leaves me in tears of rage that no consequences have been visited on those responsible but I continue and will not cease until completely rid of what I now refer to as poisons. I see, easily, another two to three years tapering before I’m finished and after that more recovery time to heal a damaged central nervous system.

My life goal is to restore firstly the relationships with my children and grandchildren. I’ve lost more years than I can count of their lives. I then want to become very involved in setting up physical places where one can receive support as needed during the horrific, long term withdrawal from these toxic substances, as well as in creating an end to the wilful, irresponsible prescription of them with alternative solutions. Perhaps then there will be less people who take their lives in the process; people I’ve met online and came to care deeply for and then grieve. This HAS to stop! It has shamefully and criminally evolved into a purposefully hidden holocaust of epidemic proportions.

Kathryn"