About this episode

Laura Delano discusses her experience with psychiatric medications and the journey to recovery after questioning their impact on her mental health.

Laura Delano was diagnosed with bipolar disorder at 14 and spent the next 13 years on psychiatric medications including lithium, Lamictal, Abilify, Effexor, and Ativan.After being labeled “treatment resistant” and nearly ending her life, she started questioning whether the medications themselves were part of the problem.In this conversation, Laura walks through what happened when she came off five psychiatric drugs, the years-long withdrawal process that followed, and how she rebuilt her health afterward. She also explains why she founded the Inner Compass Initiative, a nonprofit helping people taper off psychiatric medications safely.We discuss:• Psychiatric drug dependence and withdrawal• Withdrawal vs. relapse• Hyperbolic tapering• The chemical imbalance theory• Akathisia and neurological symptoms• Diet and recovery• Birth control and psychiatric medication• RFK Jr. and psychiatric drug policy• TikTok censorship• Why 1 in 4 Americans are now on psych medsFind Laura:lauradelano.cominnercompass.orgX: @LauraDeLanoBook: Unshrunk: A Story of Psychiatric Treatment Resistance - unshrunkthebook.comSubmit your experience at: prescribed-harm.comResources for tapering/studies…

People in this episode

Host: Mikhaila Peterson

Guest: Laura Delano

Topics covered

• psychiatric medication
• mental health
• withdrawal
• tapering
• bipolar disorder
• recovery
• nonprofit initiatives

Keywords

• psychiatric drugs
• bipolar disorder
• withdrawal process
• tapering off medication
• mental health recovery
• chemical imbalance theory
• Akathisia
• diet and recovery
• psych meds

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Inner Compass Initiative, TikTok, prescribed-harm.com, lauradelano.com, innercompass.org, unshrunkthebook.com

Books & works: Unshrunk: A Story of Psychiatric Treatment Resistance

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