Going Off of Medication

Fortunately, there are many safe and effective medications for the treatment of anxiety and depression. Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (i.e. Paxil, Celexa, Zoloft, Ciprolex, Cymbalta, Luvox and Prozac), benzodiazepines (i.e. Ativan, Lorazepam, Clonazepam, etc.) and other anti-depressant and anti-anxiety medications (i.e. Effexor, Remeron and Wellbutrin) are commonly prescribed alone or in combination to manage the symptoms of various anxiety disorders (i.e. panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, social phobia and generalized anxiety disorder). Taking a pill once or more each day is easy, but there may come a time when people no longer want to be dependent on a medication—perhaps their life circumstances have changed, or they can no longer tolerate the side effects. The process of going off anti-anxiety and anti-depressant medications can be effectively managed using proven and effective cognitive-behaviour therapy techniques, along with a medically supervised tapering program.