This is a repost and a public service announcement. I think this cannot be appreciated enough and it's a very difficult topic for folks on any sort of mind altering medication which are certainly not limited to psychiatric drugs. The classes of drugs being discussed here are SSRI and SNRI antidepressants, benzodiazepines, and the z-drugs like Ambien and Lunesta. I know from having taken them that neuroleptics (antipsychotics) too are egregiously guilty for making people NOT ALERT. I don't think this should surprise anyone as they are also call MAJOR TRANQUILIZERS. All psych drugs that effect mood and affect can dull response time, so that includes those drugs that get called mood stabilizers too. This is something I've written about several times because people on these medications are rarely aware or honest about how impaired they are on these medications. I know that even though I knew I was impaired the thought of not being able to drive was too frightening for me to deal with the situation responsibly, though I did choose to stop driving towards the end of my withdrawal as I became more and more aware of the risk I posed. This is something people who take meds want to stay the hell away from. I understand that completely. Not being able to drive is tantamount to losing freedom. Yet understanding all the negative ways meds impede us is extremely important when we make choices for treatment.… [click on title for the rest of the post]