154. Breaking Free From Psychiatric Drug Dependency w/ Pharmacist Dr. Shawn Gill

An alarming number of individuals find themselves dependent on antidepressants and psychiatric medications, desperately seeking guidance on how to safely discontinue their use. The general medical community has failed to assist people in safely getting off these drugs. The dependency can create severe withdrawal symptoms. Most doctors have no clue how to get their patients off safely keeping them in a cycle of drug dependency. The worst of prescribers will frame the withdrawal symptoms as worsening "depression" and justification for staying on drugs. On Episode 154 of the Radically Genuine Podcast Dr. Roger McFillin dives into the topic of deprescribing and tapering off psychiatric drugs with a pharmacist. Dr. Shawn Gill, PharmD, is a pharmacist, writer, podcaster, and entrepreneur dedicated to sparking change in healthcare through deprescribing. He is the founder of Deprescribe Solutions, an independent consulting practice focused on reversing early-stage chronic conditions in mental health, hypertension, and type 2 diabetes. He hosts the "Deprescribe" podcast and writes the Substack newsletter "B.U.D.S," where he explores topics in health, deprescribing, parenting, and personal growth. Chapters00:00 The Silent Epidemic of Over-Prescription03:06 The Role of Pharmacists in Mental Health06:11 Understanding Compounding Pharmacy09:01 Polypharmacy: A Growing Concern11:58 The Dangers of SSRIs and SNRIs15:12 The Ethics of Prescribing Practices18:01 Navigating Withdrawal and Tapering20:57 Hyperbolic vs. Linear Tapering24:14 Protracted Withdrawal: Understanding the Risks26:49 Preventing Dependency: Education and Awareness29:58 The Future of Mental Health TreatmentResources: Systematic review detailing the relationship between SERT occupancy and SSRI dosing.- This is a great systematic review that breaks down the hyperbolic nature of SSRIs. It also elucidates on the potential pharmacology and mechanism behind protracted withdrawal, which we touched upon. RELEASE Clinical Trial - RCT which will be investigating hyperbolic tapering vs. linear tapering. The trial will begin in 2025.Outro Health - Fantastic organization trying to scale and make hyperbolic tapering accessible to the US. Dr. Sean Gill SubstackDeprescribe Podcast w/ Dr. Sean Gill