People have always used substances to help enhance life and dull pain, and likely always will. WHC supports the use of prescription drugs that helps you function or thrive in your life.

There may be times when psychiatric drugs could be helpful to you. They can be valuable tools and remain options for you. Often, psychiatric drugs are not helpful for long due to the phenomena of tolerance (Moncrieff, 2013). People then may need to stay on the drugs to avoid withdrawal (Hengartner et al., 2019; Horowitz & Taylor, 2022; Davies & Read, 2019; Read, 2020). Research on psychiatric drug withdrawal shows effects can be mild to severe. Some people are not able to stop taking the drugs due to the severity of their withdrawal symptoms.

Psychiatric drugs do not correct chemical imbalances or affect known areas of pathology (Moncrieff, 2020; Moncrieff et al., 2022). Rather, psychiatric drugs are psychoactive substances that create an altered state of consciousness (Moncrieff, Cohen, & Porter, 2013; Moncrieff, 2013, 2019, 2020). Hopefully, it is one you prefer and that helps you in your life. This altered state may or may not be noticeable to you, and usually does not involve euphoria. Classification of psychiatric drugs are either sedatives or stimulants.

It is important to understand how psychiatric drugs work. There is a large range of experiences people have with them. Consider your needs, the potential risks and benefits, and know your options before starting them.