Peter Lehmann (Ed.): Coming off Psychiatric Drugs. Note about liability

Note about Liability

Psychiatric drugs are more dangerous than many (ex-)users and survivors of psychiatry and even physicians realize. Psychiatric drugs can cause serious adverse effects. Psychiatric drugs can also produce powerful physical dependence. For example, their withdrawal can cause sleeplessness, rebound and withdrawal psychoses, withdrawal-emergent tardive syndromes, return of base line psychological and emotional problems and even life-threatening withdrawal reactions (see pp. 25–38). Especially when psychiatric drugs have been taken for prolonged periods of time, experienced clinical supervision may be advisable or even necessary during the withdrawal process.

The problems which led to administration of psychiatric drugs may return when you stop taking them. Decisions to withdraw from psychotropic drugs should be made in a critical and responsible way. It is important to have a safe and supportive environment in which to undertake withdrawal (see pp. 311–321) and to consider the possibility that you may experience so-called relapse or worsening of your condition. Withdrawal may not work for everyone. Sometimes the difficulty of withdrawal or the base line psychological and emotional problems seem insurmountable, so people may decide to maintain on lower amounts of drugs or fewer drugs. Many psychiatrists do not support withdrawal and are convinced that people with psychiatric diagnoses like "schizophrenia," "psychosis," "manic depression" or "major depression" need psychiatric drugs or so-called maintenance electroshock therapy for the rest of their lives.

We do not provide medical advice. Although this is the first book to describe positive experiences of coming off psychiatric drugs, it is not intended as a substitute for professional help. Should you have any health care-related questions, please call or see your physician or other health care provider promptly. The publisher, editor, authors and suppliers are not responsible if you decide against this advice. Nor are they responsible for any damage you may experience from a medical and, in particular, psychiatric treatment.

If you choose to give weight to the various opinions expressed in this book, that is your choice, and is not based on any claims of special training or medical expertise by the publisher or editor (for professions and experiences of the authors see pp. 337–343). No alternative medicine, holistic remedy, or self-help method referenced in this book is being recommended as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment, and no comparisons are being made between such alternative methods and treatment with electroshock or psychiatric drugs. Neither the publisher, editor, authors nor suppliers make any claim that their information in this book will "cure" or heal disease.

All (ex-)users and survivors of psychiatry in this book report from ultimately positive experiences with drug withdrawal. This is no coincidence because the editor only asked for positive experiences. Since many individual factors (physical and psychological condition, social circumstances etc.) exert a remarkable influence on the withdrawal process, the authors' individual statements should not be interpreted as transferable advice for all other readers.

No responsibility is assumed by the publisher, editor, authors and suppliers for any injury and/or damage to persons or property from any use of any methods, products, instructions or ideas referenced in the material herein. Any unfinished course of treatment as well as any use of a referral and/or subsequent treatment regimen sought as a result of buying and/or reading this book is the sole responsibility of the reader.

The publisher, editor, authors and suppliers undertake no responsibility for any consequences of unwanted effects either when taking psychiatric drugs or when withdrawing from them. They do not accept any liability for readers who choose to determine their own care and life.

Peter Lehmann