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BEYOND MEDS — ALTERNATIVES TO PSYCHIATRY — A RESOURCE

updated: 10/23

This blog documents and shares many natural methods of self-care for finding and sustaining health in body, mind and spirit.

My own experience as both (now – ex) patient and a mental health professional allows for some interesting and sometimes uncomfortable insights into the mental health system in the United States. This site also deals with wider issues in the socio/political and spiritual realms as they pertain to mental health and human rights issues surrounding psychiatry.

The blog and the content has evolved over time. The archives reflect that.

For an introduction to the scope of this site in general there is a drop-down menu at the top of the page. I continue to work on presenting the archives for easy access. There are well over 5,000 posts, many of which remain topical.  

The archives of this site now span 15 years.

The archives include documentation of a time when I was learning and transforming at a rate unlike any other time in my life. I say this as a way of disclaimer. In the earlier years of this blog I am processing shock and dismay.  This is a work in progress.  This continues to evolve. I sometimes want to take down old posts because they no longer convey how I feel, but I realize that they may still be helpful to people who are going through something similar now. The journey got me to where I am today, it’s just odd to have some of it in writing here for all to see.

Some links:

The aftermath of polypsychopharmacology: my story on Dr. David Healy’s site (new) –this is the most complete short synopsis of what brought me to the work of this blog

TESTIMONIALS — Readers share what Beyond Meds has meant to them.

This site began as a documentation of my journey off psychiatric medications. That thread remains as well here under HEALING DOCUMENTED.

This blog also serves as a source of critical information about psychopharmaceuticals. This aspect is not kept up to date as much as it was at one time but the archives remain full of such information.

This site is for anyone with any psychiatric diagnosis.

All diagnosis can potentially respond to natural treatments and alternative perspectives. The biopsych model is at best controversial. There are many different ways to consider difficulties of the psyche.

It is possible for anyone to consider life without medication. This blog is a contemplation about healing ourselves through means other than medication whether you’re on medications or not. And I might add whether you choose to stay on them or not.

Some thoughts to consider before deciding to reduce your medications

New video: Coming Off Psychiatric Drugs: A Harm Reduction Approach | Will Hall

Along with documentation of my experience this blog covers the journeys to drug freedom of many other people as well as information and resources about alternatives to standard psychiatric care. It also covers the news about drugs that allow for consideration of other options. Often drugs are most useful in crisis, but not for long-term care. Once one is aware of options one has a real choice. I didn’t have such information to make a choice when I entered the mental health system. It’s my hope that I can help people see that there are choices and alternatives.

This site is in no way intended to be someone’s sole source of information for withdrawing from psych meds or for taking care of oneself with alternative means. I speak only from my own experience.

It is an unfortunate reality that most doctors know next to nothing about alternative treatments for psychiatric distress. I had to educate my precribing psychiatrist along the way and am grateful for his trust and respect. Many people are not so lucky to find someone who will agree to cooperate with withdrawing from psych drugs.

Everyone’s journey to wellness includes different combinations of healing and healthy lifestyle practices. No two of us are the same.

For a multitude of ideas about how to create a life filled with safer alternatives to psychiatric drugs visit the drop-down menus at the top of this page or scroll down the homepage for more recent postings.

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