I didn’t plan to wean off my antidepressant. In fact, I was deeply grateful for what it had helped me navigate over the years. But when RFK Jr.—now in a position of real political power—started publicly linking SSRIs to school shootings and calling for the creation of “wellness farms” to detox people off psychiatric meds, something in me shifted. It wasn’t shame or denial that led me here. It was the chilling realization that I no longer felt safe relying on a system that might soon criminalize or stigmatize my care. So I made a decision: if anyone was going to take me off my medication, it was going to be me.

Now listen: I am not into fear mongering, nor do I make frantic decisions based on the ramblings of an old man who doesn’t appear to be entirely lucid. That said, if there is anything this administration has taught me, it’s that even the outlandish claims of a deeply unqualified person can, in fact, shape American policy. At least for now, threats like these have to be taken seriously.

So, I decided to wean off my antidepressant on my own, before I was left with no choice in the matter. Let’s talk about how I got here, how it’s going, and how you can safely do the same if that sounds like the right choice for you.

The Dangerous Rhetoric That Sparked My Decision

At the beginning of Donald Trump’s second term in 2025, Robert Kennedy Jr. was appointed Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)—the federal agency responsible for public health policy, medical research funding, and programs like Medicare, Medicaid, and the CDC. Part of his role is to act as chair of the Mental Health and Addiction Healing Alliance (MAHA), which was established by executive order by the Trump administration. The MAHA Commission was tasked with evaluating the risks and benefits of psychiatric medications, including antidepressants, antipsychotics, and ADHD stimulants (another huge problem that, as a woman with a household full of ADHDers, I’ll have to address another day).

Since taking this appointment, RFK Jr. had made spurious and scientifically unfounded claims about the “dangers” of antidepressants and other prescriptions designed to help ease the effects of depression, anxiety, panic disorders, OCD, PTSD, and more. Despite having no medical degree, no clinical training in psychiatry, psychology, or other mental health professions, and no scientific evidence to support his claims, RFK Jr. has suggested that:

• school shootings and other gun violence are linked to the use of anti-depressants and psychiatric drugs
• such medicines are addictive and “harder to quit than heroin,” and
• people with anxiety, depression, and mood or personality disorders would be better off attending Wellness Farms where they could be “reparented” and detoxed naturally from their “addiction,” perhaps for many years.
  

These are profoundly ignorant and dangerous claims. Prior to 2016, I might have believed that democracy would prevail over the bigoted ramblings of a highly unqualified white man, but in 2025 I’m not so sure. And this is how I arrived at the difficult decision to wean myself off of my SSRI.

A Good Decision; A Difficult Process

I had tried to get off my SSRI once or twice before, not out of necessity but just to see if therapy had taught me the coping skills to handle my anxiety on my own. Those two efforts failed spectacularly, with me running back to my medicine cabinet after a few short weeks.

There were two important lessons I learned from those experiences: (1) a successful weaning from an SSRI (at least for me) wouldn’t be possible until I integrated the skills and strategies necessary for managing my anxiety on my own, and (2) doctors are not playing around when they say there is a protocol that must be followed.

My efforts had both been completely cold-turkey. One day, I just stopped taking my pills and thought I’d be fine. This was gloriously wrong. Not only did it cause me to fail, but it also came along with a list of truly terrible side effects. And, unsurprisingly, my anxiety came back like the monster under the bed who you just know will drag you under there with him if you dare to stick your foot over the edge.

After those two failed attempts, I decided to just keep working hard in therapy and then, when the time felt right, I’d try again. And next time, I’d do it the right way. So, when RFK Jr. came along claiming that anxious and depressed people should be shipped off to what sounded a lot like labor camps to get off their medications, it seemed like the right time to give it another shot. I can’t say it was easy, but it was worth it. I’m proud to say that I’ve been off my SSRI for almost six months, and I’m feeling great! Now that I’ve successfully weaned myself off my medication, I’d like to share how I did it for anyone who might want to do it on their own terms instead of the government’s.

The Guidelines for a Smooth Transition

I think it goes without saying, but everyone’s experience will be different. It’s important to listen to your own body and intuition while you go through this process. That said, here are some general (and clinically accepted) guidelines for successfully weaning off of your SSRI:

1. Work Closely With a Prescriber

Never stop cold turkey. Tapering should be done under the supervision of a doctor, psychiatrist, or qualified nurse practitioner. Everyone’s body, brain chemistry, and medication history is different — what worked for someone else might not work for you.

2. Go Low and Slow

The golden rule of tapering: reduce slowly, in small increments, over time. For many people, a 10–25% reduction every 2–6 weeks is a common starting place.

Slower is often better, especially if you’ve been on the medication for years or are sensitive to changes. In my case, my daily dose was composed of three 25mg pills, making it 75mg total. Although this might be considered a big jump by most therapeutic standards, I chose to wean by removing one pill every two weeks. This worked well for me, but as I said, everyone is different. Some meds only come in large dose increments, making it hard to taper precisely. Your doctor can prescribe exact amounts (e.g., 1 mg, 5 mg) via a compounding pharmacy.

3. Track Your Symptoms + Patterns

Keep a journal of mood shifts, physical sensations (nausea, dizziness, brain zaps), sleep patterns, energy, appetite, and motivation. This helps you and your provider assess whether it’s time to hold steady, slow down, or continue tapering. Quick side note about the brain zaps: Yes, they are real. Yes, they feel absolutely wild. But also, they’re pretty normal. Don’t panic!

4. Have a Plan for Supporting Your Nervous System

Lifestyle adjustments can soften withdrawal effects. Try your best to follow a stable sleep schedule. Gentle exercise like walking or yoga can help appease the anxiety and help you sleep better. Practice meditation or breathwork when feeling stressed or anxious. If you know that certain foods give you an inflammatory response, try avoiding them during the weaning process. And if possible, try nervous system supports like magnesium glycinate or omega-3s (but talk to your provider first).

5. Watch for Discontinuation Symptoms

During your transition, you might feel brain zaps (as I mentioned earlier), nausea or GI upset, dizziness, mood swings, irritability, crying spells, or intrusive thoughts. These are pretty normal, but they can also be a sign that you are tapering too quickly. If you experience them at a high frequency or intensity, you might need to consider raising your dose by a small percentage. But don’t get discouraged! These symptoms don’t mean you’re failing and need the med forever. They’re just a signal that you need to slow down a bit.

6. Tell Family and Friends What You’re Doing

Don’t underestimate how helpful and important it is that the people in your life know that you are weaning off your medication. This will help them empathize on days when you’re feeling low or out of sorts, and they will be better able to support you.

7. Have a “Stand By” Stash (If Possible)

I asked my provider for a full prescription to be filled at the beginning of my taper, and she was happy to oblige. I hope to never go back on my SSRI, but it is comforting to know that I have a backup plan if I need it. My battle with anxiety is lifelong. Right now, I have it under control without meds. But I have zero shame about needing to go back on them if the day comes that the anxiety is controlling me instead of me controlling it.

8. Know That There Will Still Be Hard Days Post-Transition

Now that I’m off my SSRI, I do have some days that are harder than they were when I was on it. Overall, I find that my mood is far better than it was when I was on the SSRI. My highs are no longer muted by the pills that didn’t seem to know the difference between positive feelings and negative ones—I feel the good things much more deeply now than I did before. But there are bad days, and I take them one day at a time. On those days, I practice self-care. I ask my loved ones for patience and empathy. I remember that a bad day doesn’t mean a bad life or that I am not managing my anxiety well. Give yourself grace on the bad days, while closely monitoring whether bad days begin to string together into bad weeks or months. If that happens, see step 7.

Power, Not Fear

My hope for this blog is that it gives you a feeling of empowerment. To be honest, I don’t think it’s likely that the unsubstantiated claims of someone like RFK Jr. will amount to anything for those of us on anti-depressants. We shouldn’t let people like that make us live in fear.

However, if weaning off your meds is something you’ve been considering, and the latest nonsense from the HHS has made you look into it more closely, maybe this is the sign you need to give it a try.

This is what taking power into our own hands looks like. It’s saying, “I will not let you make this more difficult for me than it has to be,” and doing it our way instead of theirs.

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