Transcription
Like you said, millions of people take these drugs. For those who are interested in getting off of them, they are seemingly addictive because it's very difficult to get off of them. And there are lots of side effects of getting off of them, lots of side effects of continuing to take them. So with your clinic, how do you help people taper off of these prescription medications?
This is a huge problem that is underrecognized right now. 38% of Americans when they try and come off these medications, they can't because of withdrawal. So they're essentially stuck on medications that they don't want to take anymore. And then the other issue is when you come off them too quickly, it can cause something called a protracted withdrawal injury, which is essentially a form of brain damage. And there are hundreds of people online right now who are suffering from this. And their doctors never told them that this could happen. So it is a disaster.
And so what people need to know who are listening to this, if you're on one of these medications, come off slowly. Don't listen to your doctor if he says, "Hey, just cut the dose in half. You know, wait 2 weeks, cut it in half again, and then stop." That is not the way to come off these medications, but that's what a lot of doctors are telling people to do. Sometimes it can take a year, maybe even two years to gradually come off in a way that is much more comfortable if you want to get off successfully.