Reflections: To Switch or Not to Switch

If you're taking an immediate-release drug and want to taper, then the good news is that your drug is relatively ‘taper-friendly’ and you will have a number of different types of taper methods from which to choose. On the other hand if, after working through this section, you know that you’ll have to make changes to your drug regimen if you want to taper, then it’s important to touch base with any feelings that you might be having right now, and to strategize about what these changes will involve. For some, it might be a straightforward task. But if you’re feeling overwhelmed by the changes you’ve discovered that you’ll need to make in the drugs you’re taking in order to forge ahead with your taper, take a deep breath and reassure yourself that many people before you have found themselves in similar circumstances before eventually finding their way through. Think back to the reflective work you did during Prepare, looking at the nature of your relationships to your prescriber and your pharmacist. What actions have you taken or can you take to best situate yourself to be switched to a taper-friendly form of drug? Perhaps the needed actions involve continuing to work with your current prescriber or pharmacist, or perhaps you’re realizing it’s time to find new ones. Wherever you’re at, if you’re in need of support, consider reaching out to others at TWP Connect to hear about how they’ve navigated switching the forms of their psychiatric drug, or finding a new prescriber to help them do so.

The collage above has been generously shared with us by Elizabeth Higgins. Given dimensional constraints, it's only a section of the complete work.