Specialist and Group Support

These are links you’ll find within this post:

Holistic, functional and integrative practitioners

What is functional medicine?

Searching for alternative doctors

Personal experience

Personal suggestions

Doctors supporting a slow taper

Other support groups

You are not on your own. You do not need to suffer with no-one to turn to. However, even the most careful research before you join a group or visit a specialist will not guarantee they are safe. Please remain objective, take notes, ask questions; evaluate.

Please give us feedback – positive or negative – on anyone you consult or any group you join. Then we can better help others.

Holistic, functional and integrative practitioners

It is difficult to find a doctor who does not prescribe psychotropic drugs, but it is not impossible. Online support groups can help, but in an ideal world you will find a specialist who will not only work with you to find the cause of your condition but also help you taper safely off this medication.

We now know we should never go cold turkey or taper very fast, except in very specific, extreme circumstances. We should also take responsibility for checking and and double checking any health care provider before placing our trust in their hands. It is our brain, body and our life. Don’t be afraid to fire a doctor (Some of us can!), if they are not providing you with good information and advice.

You can improve the way you deal with medical experts by using this resource: (link to Self-advocating post)

What is functional medicine?

Functional medicine looks for root causes and then treats them naturally. Read more about it in these links:

Functional medicine determines how and why illness occurs and restores health by addressing the root causes of disease for each individual.

What is a holistic doctor?

Conventional medicine treats symptoms; functional medicine treats the root causes.

Functional medicine and fibromyalgia

Dr. Murphee (The Fibro Doctor)

Dr. Murphee on fibromyalgia and stress:

Dr. Bergman – how to reverse fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia solutions

Searching for alternative doctors

Alternative doctors are hard to find. Browse these links to see what you may find if you are lucky. Even in a backwater, it may be possible to find someone suitable. These are NOT recommendations. They are a nudge in the direction of looking for someone.

Naturopathic doctors:

https://www.ndhealthfacts.org/wiki/Main_Page

The Institute for Functional Medicine

Functional specialist search across the world:

https://www.ifm.org/functional-medicine/what-is-functional-medicine/

This also has a search option: Paleo/Primal Resources

https://primaldocs.com/physician-finder-intro/

How to Find a Functional Medicine Doctor:
https://www.happyliving.com/2015/02/06/how-to-find-a-functional-medicine-doctor/

Personal experience

“The doctor of integrative medicine that I’m working with now is the first functional doctor I’ve worked with. I feel blessed to have found him because I really don’t think I would have known what to look for either. I felt he really listened to me and didn’t discount my experiences or what I felt I knew about my ‘condition’. At the same time, he gently educated me about root causes and how to naturally treat them.

He didn’t push a certain product at me, and all of the recommendations he made were things I could do on my own. I would have been very skeptical if he had a product line he was selling. Some of the unconventional tests he recommended gave me pause to consider. One was way off the radar, but proved to be extremely beneficial for pinpointing some root causes, and the other was actually recognized by insurance companies.

Research everything thoroughly, but try to follow the recommendations as closely as you can. When my doc said to cut out refined foods… I cut them out totally. If he said to juice daily… I juiced daily! Consistence and persistence give the best results, and half-measures will only get so-so results. I wanted to feel better, so I threw my whole heart into adhering to his recommendations, and I feel so much better for it”.

Personal suggestions

These are mostly in the U.S. They are not recommendations. They may be out-of-date, but all have been checked.

Susan J Evans, Crossroads Counseling Center in Lexington SC. She’s an APRN, PMHCNS-BC with 30 years experience but only sees children and adolescents now. ( She is said to understand Cymbalta/duloxetine withdrawal. Even if she doesn’t treat adults she may know someone she can refer to.

www.solutionsforlife.org

Kimberly Allman, Andover, Kansas – https://fpkansas.org/

Alex Zaphiris in the San Francisco area.

https://wholefamilymd.org/provider-team/alex-zaphiris-md-ms/

Jeffrey Comanor, Marietta, Georgia US –https://www.kennesawmountainclinic.com/

Athens/Atlanta/Northeast Georgia area: “Dr Stephen Brogdon. He recognizes Cymbalta Discontinuation Syndrome & continues to encourage me to take my time tapering, to listen to my body, & to seek out holistic/natural remedies for withdrawal & mental/emotional issues. He also gives me a discounted fee since I don’t have insurance!”

https://www.castleconnolly.com/top-doctors/stephen-brogdon-psychiatry-cc60512

Mark A. Bonner – 2630 E Citizens Drive, Suite 13, Fayetteville, AR 72703 (479) 571-6000.

https://www.facebook.com/missionfp

Fast Pace Urgent Care – Fairview, TN. Dr. Patton Graham. (No specialism mentioned.)

https://www.fastpaceurgentcare.com/locations/fairview/

Australia – recommended chiropractor. Located in Pennant Hills in Sydney. Beecroft chiropractic is the business name. (Unable to find this.)

Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/beecroftchiropractic Website: https://www.beecroftchiropractic.com.au/

Doctors supporting a slow taper

None of these names and links have been checked and are provided in good faith. Please do your own research.

They are known as leaders in the withdrawal community, seeking answers on how to best support us as we taper off psychiatric drugs. If they aren’t taking new patients, they may be available for a one-time consultation.

Germany:
Volkmar Aderhold, MD, Psychiatry University Hospital Hamburg Eppendorf Hamburg, Germany v.aderhold@gmx.de

Israel:
Pesach Lichtenberg, M.D., Psychiatry Herzog Hospital Givat Shaul Street Jerusalem 9103702 Israel 972-2-5316875

Netherlands:
Jim van Os, M.D. Psychiatry Utrecht, Netherlands (Also a Visiting Professor at the Institute of Psychiatry in London, UK) vanosj@gmail.com

Norway:
Magnus Hald, MD, Psychiatry University Hospital of North Norway magnus.p.hald@unn.no

United Kingdom:
David Healy, MD, Psychiatry and Psychopharmacology Wales, UK
Jim van Os, M.D. Psychiatry Utrecht, Netherlands (Also a Visiting Professor at the Institute of Psychiatry in London, UK) vanosj@gmail.com Taper-Friendly Physicians
Sami Timimi, M.D. Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Lincoln, UK sami.timimi@lpft.nhs.uk
Alastair Yarrow, Homeopath Arklow Natural Healing Centre, 8 St. Mary’s Terrace Wicklow, Ireland 00 353 402 33933

United States:
Peter R. Breggin, MD, Psychiatry 101 East State Street, #112 Ithaca, New York 14850 607-272-5328
Swapnil Gupta, M.D., M.B.B.S., Psychiatry Connecticut Mental Health Center 34 Park Street New Haven, CT 06519 203-974-7300
Alice W. Lee, MD. ABIHM, ABoIM, Holistic Psychiatrist 112 Canfield Hill Drive Gaithersburg, MD 20878 301-802-4474
Stuart Shipko, M.D. Psychiatry and Neurology 97 W. Bellevue Drive Pasadena, CA 91105 626 577 8290
Sandra Steingard, MD, Psychiatry Howard Center, 300 Flynn Avenue Burlington, VT 05401 802-488-6200

Other support groups

These are not recommendations. Support groups change as they develop. Their personnel change, as do their philosophies and protocols. Some allow dangerous advice to be offered. Others may be difficult to communicate with. Some may no longer exist. FB groups may be closed suddenly for not following FB protocols.

Please do your own research and learn from your own experience. It is not easy! Please give us feedback. Currently, we can recommend the first ones, specific to Cymbalta/duloxetine:

Cymbalta Hurts Worse: https://www.facebook.com/groups/Cymbaltahurtsworse

Cymbalta Duloxetine Survivors: https://www.facebook.com/groups/cymbaltasurvivors

Cymbalta Dangers International: https://www.facebook.com/CymbaltaDangersInternational

Akathisia Alliance for Education

All sorts of drugs – “Legal Death”

All sorts of psychiatric stuff – “Mad in America”

Amitriptyline Withdrawal

Antidepressants and alcohol cravings | RxISK(Also deals with other problems)

Benzo Withdrawal Support Group

Benzodiazepine Withdrawal Information, Help & Support

Celexa (Citalopram, Cipramil) Should Be Illegal

Chronic Pain Support International