Anti-Depressant Medications: Aren’t “Discontinuation Symptoms” the Same Thing as Withdrawal?

Question by What I Say: Anti-depressant medications: Aren’t “discontinuation symptoms” the same thing as withdrawal?
Pharmaceutical industries and psychiatrists have come up with the term “discontinuation symptoms” in reference to stopping an anti-depressant. Yet, they are not clearly stating that anti-depressants are physically addictive, much like big tobacco tried to do with cigarettes (nicotine). If, upon stopping anti-depressant drugs, people routinely experience agitation, sleeplessness, nervous symptoms, irritability, etc., why are they not calling these “withdrawal” symptoms?
Amy W: “glorified withdrawal symptoms?” You make it sound like it’s something desireable.
Ariel: Whether the FDA requires the label “this drug is addictive” has very little to do with pharmacology and a lot to do with lobbyists who defend the vested interests of the pharmaceutical industry.
Cliff: You are demonstrating that in about 60% of the cases anti-depressants don’t do anything and the efficacy people report is due to the placebo effect. You also didn’t likely take a high enough dosage to create withdrawal, and the specific drug you took may only have been okay given your individual body chemistry. Try a drug like Lexapro next time.
gball: There’s also talk therapy, but that comes with the problem of tracking down the right psychotherapist. But guess what?– No side effects from that!
MsSmurfy: There is no distinction in the DSM or among psychopharmacologists between “addiction” and “dependency.” Only a moralist would make a distinction quickly associating “addiction” with illegal drugs, but “dependency” is the same physiological thing.
navind: Slowly going off anti-depressants still shows withdrawal symptoms. In fact, the withdrawal from the anti-depressants is often misjudged by the mental health care professional as a relapse. There’s no safe way to avoid withdrawal symptoms from psychiatric drugs only lessen the effect. But my point was that there seems to be something odd about referring to this as “discontinuation symptoms” instead of plain “withdrawal.”

Best answer:

Answer by Amy W
It’s glorified withdrawal symptoms. Just like an Administrative Assistant is a glorified secretary.

Umm, no, you don’t understand what I said. Glorified as a term to throw people off. Would you buy something that stated you may have withdrawals? Some people may not understand “discontinuation symptoms”….Read before you respond!

What do you think? Answer below!