Now that you’ve mapped out your inventory and taken some time to sit with yourself, how are you feeling? Perhaps you’re feeling crystal clear about the responsibilities on your plate, next steps, and possible future solutions, and that this clarity has given you peace of mind and a deepened sense of conviction to move forward. If so, that’s great!
But if you’re feeling increased anxieties or concerns, or are even beginning to worry about moving ahead with your withdrawal, hang tight with this Companion Guide for a little while longer. It’s perfectly natural to feel overwhelmed by all that you have on your plate—let alone when psychiatric drug withdrawal may be sitting ahead on your horizon. Sit with whatever uncomfortable emotions you might be feeling right now. What might be lying underneath? Are your feelings being informed by past memories? By fears? By messages you’ve been told by others? By guilt, or shame, or something entirely else? Welcome in whatever you’re feeling, but view it as a cautionary friend, rather than as some kind of strict gatekeeper to your future.
Remind yourself that this work you’re doing isn’t about focusing on how disempowered you might feel; rather, you are working to bring yourself more deeply in touch with your actual circumstances and with your power, agency, and ability to take action. No one can prepare for or solve every possible future problem, so don’t expect that of yourself. The point is that laying at least some seeds now for the possible emergence down the road of new collaborations, accommodations, supports, and changes can help make those changes happen far more smoothly and easily if you need them. And that is an empowering thing, no matter how much you might also be worrying about those factors that you cannot control. Feeling a little fear right alongside your burgeoning sense of power and agency is part of what being human is all about!
So if this exercise has left you feeling a little anxious, use that feeling as an additional reminder of the importance of careful preparation and risk-reducing tapering. By working through this Companion Guide and taking all the measures you can to ensure that you come off your medications as responsibly as possible, you greatly increase the odds that you will be able to continue fulfilling your daily responsibilities throughout your taper largely or entirely uninterrupted.
