處決1938！

Harm Reduction Guide to Coming Off Psychiatric Drugs

27 Nov, 07 at 12:30am 李智良／Lee

寫得很好的一個冊子，由一位13 年沒需要再吃藥的精神分裂病患撰寫，18 個比威爾斯、瑪麗醫院的教授們更懂得接受現實的醫藥專家顧問，大概總勝過我在此又喊又嗌勞氣頓足一百幾十遍。作者在自序中提到，這正是自己很多年前開始接受精神科治療就希望讀到、應該讀到的一個手冊。如果你關心，如果你自己、或家人朋友正在服食精神科藥物，請下載讀一讀。如果你英文還可以，請和我一起把它翻譯過來。

冊子以「減害」為前提，並且援引多年來的精神科受害者權益運動的成果，扼要指出精神科與醫藥業神話般的「科學真相」的謬誤和利益體系、執業者在其建制位置上的無能無知、病人在管理主義式的「治療」中受到的疏忽照顧、其他治療方案之長久被排斥等等癥結；精神科藥物介入因而由其中一種 處理急症的緩衝措施，置換成唯一一種無了期的慢性殘害，蔑視人的自然治癒能力，標籤與對病况的疑慮和恐惧，窒礙了病人成長、自顧能力與支援網絡的發展，苦困於長期服藥、長期病患的孤獨境況….. 更重要的是，作者把各種批判精神科的研究和過來人的心得，綜合寫成一般人讀得懂的實用手冊。減害，增益，就是要把這個扭作一團的問題狀況分析開來，逐步剔走那些窒礙著自然治療能力生效的條件因素、教育自己可能遇到的斷癮症狀，把精神科藥物治療看成其中一種方案、而非唯一方案。

知識增權，知識就是力量，問題是誰的知識、誰的權力。這個手冊的要旨其實就是一條：informed consent。只有在充份理解下方可判斷是否同意採取某項治療措施，這正是我們的醫療系統未許給予的，可卻是我們的基本人權，我們沒理由不知道自己每天把甚麼吃進肚裡。

IMPORTANT: the symptoms of psychiatric drugs withdrawal can sometimes look exactly like the “mental illness” that the medications were prescribed for in the first place.

People can become “psychotic,” anxious, or any other psychiatric symptom from drug withdrawal itself, not because of their psychiatric “disorder” or condition.

When someone goes off a psychiatric drug they can have anxiety, mania, panic, depression and other painful symptoms. These may be the same, or even worse, than what got called psychosis or mental disorder before the drug was taken. Typically people are then told that this proves their illness has come back and they therefore need the drug. However, it may be the withdrawal effect from the drug that is causing these symptoms.

Withdrawal symptoms do not necessarily prove you need a psychiatric drug any more than headaches after you stop drinking coffee prove you need caffeine, or delirium after stopping alcohol shows you need to drink alcohol. It just means your brain has become dependent on the drug, and needs time to adjust to being off it. Psychiatric drugs are not like insulin for a diabetic: they are a tool or coping mechanism.

Scientists used to believe that the brain could not grow new cells or heal itself, but this is now known to be untrue. Everyone can heal. A strong and healthy body with good lifestyle and positive outlook will help support and nurture your brain and body to heal. When you have been on psych drugs for years, it can however sometimes take years to successfully reduce or go off them. Many people on these drugs, especially long-term neuroleptic anti-psychotics, develop brain injury and damage. This may not be permanent, but sometimes people live the rest of their lives with these brain changes. You may find that the goal of going off completely might not be right for you. You may feel better staying on them, and decide instead to reduce your medication or stay at the same dosage, and focus on other ways to improve your life.

Will Hall. Harm Reduction Guide to Coming Off Psychiatric Drugs.

Icarus Project& the Freedom Center. 2007. p22

相關:

無以答辯／沒有人要寫信給精神病患 (1/2)

短片: Panorama: Seroxat- Secrets of the Drug Trials (BBC, 2005)

受害者網誌: seroxat secrets…

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文章類目: 國家的身體
Tags: addiction, anti-psychiatry, body, self-help, SSRI, 身體