NEW FDA CITIZEN PETITION YOUR VOICE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE! Antidepressant withdrawal needs more research. Millions of people use antidepressants, yet important questions remain about withdrawal: how often it occurs, how severe or prolonged it can be, who is most at risk, and which tapering approaches are best tolerated. The Antidepressant Coalition for Education (@ACE_CoalitionEd) has petitioned the FDA to establish and pay for a national patient registry and require or secure additional studies to address these gaps in knowledge. This petition calls for research that follows patients during and after discontinuation, measures outcomes that matter to patients, and puts people with lived experience at the center of the research process. Better evidence. Better guidance. Fewer preventable harms. Please consider submitting a public comment in support of this petition. There will be an option to submit anonymously. And please help us spread the word by sharing this post! IMPORTANT: You need to follow the link included below and click on the "Comment" button, and then fill out the form and click on the "Submit Comment" button for your input to be officially registered. If you would like, we invite you to let us know in the comments section of this post if you submitted a comment and share what comment you submitted. LINK TO SUBMIT YOUR COMMENT: buff.ly/TeayhBV

WOMEN'S EXPERIENCES OF ANTIDEPRESSANT WITHDRAWAL: U.S. STUDY PARTICIPANTS NEEDED Too much remains unknown about antidepressant withdrawal. Women deserve clear information about how stopping these drugs may affect their lives and reproductive planning—and research documenting their experiences is essential to closing that knowledge gap. Dr. Laura Farach, a pediatrician with 37 years of experience, is leading a new study with researchers from several institutions. The team is recruiting women living in the United States for research interviews about prolonged antidepressant tapering and withdrawal. To be eligible, women must not have taken benzodiazepines for four or more consecutive weeks within the past two years. Additional eligibility criteria appear in the invitation below. Participants’ stories can advance clinical recognition of prolonged withdrawal and give women of childbearing age the information needed for meaningful informed consent. Please read the invitation below and share it with others who may be interested. Many thanks! Medicating Normal Outreach Team ------------------------------------ STUDY INVITATION You are invited to participate in a research study about antidepressant tapering or withdrawal experiences. Before you decide whether to participate, please read the information below carefully. Dr. Laura Farach and her co-investigators are conducting this study. This interview study is for women who began antidepressants before the age of 24 and who are currently tapering for more than one year, have completed a multiyear taper, or report a prolonged tapering or discontinuation process that the study team determines is relevant to the study aims during screening. The purpose is to understand and document participants' experiences, perspectives, and decision-making about antidepressant tapering and how, if at all, it relates to family planning and reproductive decisions. The interview will include questions about medical history, social history, medication history, tapering history, sexual functioning if relevant, and family planning history. Questions about sexuality are optional and may be skipped. The interview is expected to take approximately 60 minutes, with an optional follow-up if needed; interviews may occur over multiple sessions if preferred. If you become upset or distressed during the interview, we can pause or stop, and you will be encouraged to seek support from your established healthcare providers, crisis resources, or trusted supports as appropriate. If you disclose suicidal thoughts or feel unable to stay safe, the interview will be paused or stopped, and you will be encouraged to contact appropriate supports or emergency/crisis resources. If you believe that discussing these experiences may cause you significant emotional distress, you may decide not to participate. This study is for research purposes only and does not involve medical care, diagnosis, or treatment. Participation does not create a physician-patient relationship with Dr. Farach or any member of the study team. Participation is voluntary, there is no compensation, and you may skip any question, pause, reschedule, or stop the interview at any time. You may withdraw from the study at any time. If you are interested in participating, please contact Dr. Farach at [email protected] for additional information and eligibility screening. Please write the word STUDY in the subject line. Please do not include medical or other sensitive personal information in your email. Email communication may not be secure; please provide scheduling availability only. ______________________________________________________________________________ To learn more about the devastating physical and emotional toll of psychiatric drug withdrawal, watch our documentary, "Medicating Normal": buff.ly/3ZQaINI