Disclaimer: I am not a licensed psychiatrist, physician, or healthcare provider. The information in this article is based on my personal experience, observations, and insights gained through my work with individuals over the years. It is not intended to replace professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you are currently taking antidepressants or other psychotropic medications, or if you are considering discontinuing them, it is critical to consult a qualified, licensed healthcare practitioner who can guide you through the process safely and appropriately. Decisions regarding medications should always be made in collaboration with a trusted medical professional.
While I tend to write extensive, in-depth articles—mini theses addressing various issues—I recognize that my understanding, particularly when it comes to psychotropic medications, is limited, as it is for everyone. This is an area where I continue to learn. Over the years, I have gained a great deal of insight working with many individuals who are taking antidepressants, anti-anxiety medications (including benzodiazepines), antipsychotics, and mood stabilizers (commonly prescribed for bipolar disorder). I have also helped many of these individuals reach a place where they can function with reduced dependence on these medications, and in many cases, completely transition off them while maintaining healthy brain function.
My first exposure to psychotropic medications and schizophrenia came through my stepsister when I was a child. At the time, my stepfather would occasionally bring her home from the North Texas State Hospital in Wichita Falls. I remember finding her presence a bit intimidating. Although my understanding of her condition was very limited at that young age, it was clear to me that something wasn’t right. The words coming out of her mouth often didn’t make much sense, and there was a disjointed quality to her speech and behavior that I didn’t know how to process.
Another thing that stood out, even then, was how heavily medicated she was. It was evident in the way she moved and spoke—a kind of sluggishness that seemed to drain her energy and vitality. Even as a child, I could sense that the medications she was on, while they may have controlled some symptoms, were not truly helping her improve. Over the years, during the times I saw Julie, it became increasingly clear that her mental health was deteriorating. Rather than stabilizing her, the medications seemed to coincide with a worsening of her condition, and with each visit, the person I saw before me felt more distant and fragmented.
Facilitating Healing of the Body and Mind
Since I began my practice in the late 1980's people have reached out to me seeking help to address a wide range of health-related issues. These include those dealing with digestive or respiratory conditions, heart disease, or the aftermath of a stroke. I work with individuals who have suffered injuries resulting from automobile accidents, as well as those carrying the weight of trauma—whether stemming from childhood emotional, physical, or sexual abuse, sexual assault, or combat-related PTSD. Many come to me in the midst of a breakup or divorce, struggling with the pain of being ghosted, or navigating deeply rooted mental health challenges such as depression, anxiety, or bipolar disorder. And every now and then, I encounter individuals presenting with more acute psychiatric symptoms, such as hearing voices, experiencing paranoid delusions, or believing they are under attack by entities.
When people come to me seeking assistance, I always feel a sense of concern—sometimes deeply so. The questions that run through my mind are, “How can I assist this individual? How can I address their issues and help them get to a better place?” Since I began practicing on my own, I’ve been continually educating myself on a wide range of issues. I’m constantly reading, and in more recent years, I’ve been doing a lot more listening, taking advantage of text-to-speech technology and audiobooks. I’ve also had countless conversations with physicians, mental health professionals, and alternative health practitioners, all of which have contributed to my understanding and ability to support those who come to me for help.
Early in my practice, the few individuals I worked with who were suffering from schizophrenia appeared to have adverse reactions to the individual sessions I facilitate. This included either strong emotions surfacing or physical symptoms such as fatigue, nausea, or even flu-like sensations—a healing crisis of sorts. Initially, I assumed I wouldn’t be able to help these individuals. However, I realized in hindsight that this was partially due to the effects of the medications suppressing the body’s natural healing processes and that these reactions were the body’s way of attempting to right itself.
Over time, other individuals, whether dealing with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder, shared that they found the sessions very helpful and expressed a desire to continue. I watched in amazement as these individuals began to function better in various areas of their lives, and, in some cases, either decreased the dosage of or stopped the medications they had previously relied on entirely. Throughout this process, I felt a profound sense of responsibility for their well-being and continued to monitor them closely to ensure their progress and safety.
Over the years, I have since worked with many individuals who were taking antidepressants, antianxiety medications, including benzodiazepines, antipsychotics, or some combination thereof—often alongside alcohol or other recreational drugs. I’ve observed that all of these substances, to varying degrees, impede the brain and body’s ability to process one's lived experiences and the subsequent cognitive and emotional responses. Whenever I scan a person’s body, I consistently sense the parts of the mind, along with the corresponding intellectual and emotional range, that are impaired, disengaged, or entirely shut down.
While working with these individuals on the table, I can feel a very thick, heavy, and stagnant presence held within various parts of the body. Like other indigenous healers, I serve as a conduit, allowing an extraordinarily powerful presence to work through me and facilitate healing within the bodies and minds of those who come to me for assistance. When people are on psychotropic medications, or even self-medicating with alcohol and other recreational drugs, I can sense—to varying degrees—that these parts of their bodies and minds are far less responsive. This greatly limits the extent to which we can facilitate healing and transformation.
Conversely, as many of the individuals I’ve worked with have reduced their medication dosages or transitioned off them entirely, I could see and feel a significant, if not dramatic, increase in responsiveness. This heightened responsiveness, or increased malleability, enables us to work at much deeper levels, facilitating greater healing and transformation within the body and mind.
Numbing and Lack of Awareness
There’s some degree of numbing, desensitization, and disconnect that occurs with all of us. We avoid, numb, and suppress unpleasant emotions, distracting ourselves from or outright denying issues we’d rather not deal with. Our minds also employ more sophisticated defense mechanisms to block out certain traumatic experiences. Numbing can result from the unhealthy foods many of us consume, from overeating, pharmaceuticals, alcohol, and other recreational drugs. Consequently, many people's levels of self-awareness—and their awareness of others and their surroundings, which already vary considerably—are not particularly strong.
While it may be obvious to the heavily medicated individual—or to those with heightened sensitivity or an ability to recognize the signs—that the person on these medications is, to varying degrees, ‘flatlined' or ‘zombified,' with their ability to function significantly compromised, yet so many people lack the awareness to observe the effects of these medications. Possessing an acute sensitivity, I can readily see and feel the effects of these medications on individuals. I can see and feel the stresses and emotions held within their bodies and how these medications disengage parts of their brain-mind, impeding their ability to function in many areas of their lives. While psychotropic medications may be the best-known option for those who are a danger to themselves or others, I much prefer to explore solutions that allow these individuals to remain more lucid and functional.
Another important consideration is that while these medications may control certain symptoms, they impede the body and mind’s natural processing capacity. What I notice when working with people on these medications is that they are not fully digesting their lived experiences and subsequent cognitive and emotional responses. The residual stress, undigested emotions, and additional physical toxins that accumulate remain trapped within their bodies indefinitely.
Yes, this happens to some degree with everyone—more so with those who self-medicate using alcohol, tobacco, refined sugar, and other highly processed foods; those who numb themselves to their emotional responses; and those overwhelmed by the sensory overload of digital media. However, the accumulation of the undigested impressions from one's lived experiences, stresses, emotions, and physical toxins is significantly greater for those on psychotropic medications. Their bodies are far less responsive to the healing process I facilitate and to other therapeutic modalities.
Regaining Access to Feelings and Physical Sensations
People who work with me individually tend to experience a wide range of feelings and bodily sensations as I guide them through the preliminary meditation practices and during the main part of the individual healing sessions while we’re working on the table. However, for those who have spent their lives numbing themselves to their emotions—and to an even greater extent, those on psychotropic medications—their sensitivity is greatly reduced. They are far less likely to be cognizant of any feelings or bodily sensations because these parts of their body-mind awareness are so disengaged. I have often found it disappointing, because I’m working really hard for these individuals, yet despite all this effort, they’re so numbed out by the meds they’re on that they often can’t sense or feel the changes occurring within their bodies and minds—and may not even realize that anything is happening.
Some of these same individuals, as they’ve tapered off or discontinued their medications, experience a much greater awareness of their feelings and bodily sensations. Some have even exclaimed, “Wow, I never realized so much was happening as you were working with me on the table.”
Lasting Effects of Psychotropic Medications on the Brain
One of the most concerning aspects of the use of psychotropic medications is the lasting effects they can have on the brain and body, even after the medications are discontinued. Psychotropic medications alter brain chemistry, and the brain often doesn’t revert to its original state after coming off these drugs. In some cases, this is particularly problematic for individuals who started taking these medications during adolescence or even childhood. Their brains were never given the opportunity to fully develop healthy neuronal activity, synaptic connections, or balanced levels of hormones and neurotransmitters. This developmental disruption can have long-term consequences for emotional, cognitive, and physical functioning.
One of the less-discussed but significant side effects of antidepressants is the phenomenon of “genital anesthesia,” where individuals lose the ability to experience sexual pleasure. This can manifest as a numbing or complete lack of sensation in the genital area, coupled with a diminished or absent libido. For many, this side effect persists even after discontinuing the medication, creating long-term challenges in intimacy and emotional connection.
Depression and Antidepressants
Antidepressants are commonly prescribed for conditions such as clinical depression, anxiety disorders, and sometimes chronic pain or other off-label uses. However, depression has a number of underlying causes. In some cases, depression can result from an inflammatory response in the brain, which may be addressed with supplements and dietary changes that reduce inflammation and support healthy brain function.
Most of us have experienced significant trauma and adversity over the course of our lives—whether verbal-emotional, physical, or childhood sexual abuse; other forms of trauma like sexual assault; or facing extraordinarily difficult life circumstances These can include the loss of a job or income, the difficulty of finding work, and the financial struggle to survive. Then there’s the hell and heartache many of us endure in our attempts to find love—breakups, divorce, ghosting, and other kinds of crazy-making relational torment.
The problem for so many of us is that we have never been taught how to, or learned to, work effectively with our own emotional responses to all this trauma we’ve suffered and the adversity we’ve faced—and, in many cases, continue to live through. The anxiety and depression many of us experience as a result are very normal responses to the suffering we endure.
This is one of the primary reasons I teach the series of intensive meditation practices I’ve developed. These practices begin by acknowledging the challenges or issues you’re facing. Bring them to the forefront of your awareness, notice how they feel in your body, and where these feelings and bodily sensations are situated. Then, breathe softly and deeply as you fully immerse your awareness in the depths of these feelings and bodily sensations, following them as they go through their progression.
Sara initially sought my help after undergoing conventional treatment for breast and uterine cancer. She had been on antidepressants for sixteen years but had discontinued them by the time we began working together. As I started working with Sara, I could sense a very deadened presence in her abdominal region. She also had an incredibly flat effect, with her emotional range being extremely limited. There was a deadness in her eyes, and it often felt as though I were talking to a piece of cardboard. Over time, as we continued our work together, I noticed a remarkable transformation. Sara's emotional range expanded tremendously, and the way she communicated and expressed herself became far more animated and engaging. Remarkably, she remained in remission from her cancer during the ten years we worked together. Sadly, she passed away during the early stages of the pandemic after contracting COVID-19.
Concerns About Benzodiazepines and Antipsychotics
Of greatest concern to me are those individuals who are currently on, attempting to get off of, or have discontinued benzodiazepines and antipsychotic medications. While both types of medications serve important roles in managing mental health conditions, their impact on the brain and the challenges associated with discontinuing them are significant and often misunderstood.
Benzodiazepines work by enhancing the effect of GABA, a neurotransmitter that calms brain activity. Over time, the brain becomes dependent on this external support, reducing its own natural GABA production and receptor sensitivity. Long-term use can result in cognitive decline, memory problems, and emotional blunting. When attempting to stop benzodiazepines, the withdrawal process can be particularly severe, especially if the medication is stopped abruptly.
Benzodiazepine withdrawal is characterized by a wide range of symptoms, including sleep disturbances, irritability, heightened anxiety, depression, panic attacks, hand tremors, shaking, restless legs syndrome, sweating, difficulty concentrating, confusion, cognitive impairment, memory problems, dry mouth, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, loss of appetite, weight loss, burning sensations and pain in the upper spine, palpitations, headaches, nightmares, tinnitus, muscular pain and stiffness, and various perceptual changes. In more severe cases, depersonalization, seizures, and suicidal ideation may occur. For some, withdrawal symptoms can persist for months or even years.
Antipsychotics, on the other hand, primarily target the brain's dopamine receptors and, in some cases, influence other neurotransmitters like serotonin. While these medications can effectively manage psychosis, they also suppress normal dopamine activity, which may lead to side effects such as emotional flattening, cognitive dulling, and physical symptoms like tardive dyskinesia (involuntary muscle movements). Long-term use has been associated with structural brain changes, including reductions in brain volume. When discontinuing antipsychotics, withdrawal symptoms often include agitation, insomnia, anxiety, nausea, and a return of psychotic symptoms. Abrupt discontinuation, in particular, can trigger withdrawal-induced psychosis, which can be destabilizing and requires immediate medical attention.
The challenges associated with stopping these medications differ in intensity and nature. Benzodiazepines are more likely to create physical dependence and carry a higher risk of severe withdrawal symptoms, including life-threatening seizures. Antipsychotic withdrawal, while not usually life-threatening, carries a significant risk of the return of psychotic symptoms, which can have a severely destabilizing effect on an individual. Both medications can impair cognitive and emotional functioning over time, although the specific effects and severity vary between individuals.
Coming off psychotropic medications such as antidepressants, anti-anxiety medications, benzodiazepines, and antipsychotics can be a challenging process that varies with each individual. It is often accompanied by a range of withdrawal symptoms and the need to adjust both cognitively and emotionally. Discontinuing antidepressants, particularly SSRIs, can lead to symptoms such as headaches, dizziness, fatigue, insomnia, irritability, mood swings, flu-like sensations, nausea, and ‘brain zaps,' which are sensations of electric shocks in the head.
Going off any of these medications, there’s often a heightened awareness of and intensification of both emotions and bodily sensations as each person’s system adapts to functioning without the dampening effects of the medications.
One of my greatest concerns when I see people either on these medications, tapering off them, or having completely discontinued them, is that being on the medications has, in many ways, stunted their development. They’re not as thoroughly—or haven’t been—processing their cognitive and emotional responses to many of their lived experiences. They’re not deriving the essential nutrients that come from this digestive process. As a result, they’re not developing many of the crucial coping faculties and other resources needed to mature, leaving them stunted in their development.
When I work with these individuals, there’s a catching up to do developmentally. Rather than being overwhelmed, the sessions facilitate changes that enable them to digest the backlog of their unprocessed lived experiences, stresses, and emotional responses. At the same time, the sessions help build a foundation—an infrastructure within their bodies and minds—that translates into increased coping capacities, a greater ability to navigate life’s challenges, and heightened awareness of themselves, others, and their surroundings.
Determining the Best Path Forward
Although I much prefer to see people pursue dietary changes, supplements, therapeutic interventions, including psychotherapy, and other healthier natural solutions, I’m not entirely against the use of psychotropic medications. I’m open to whatever best serves the individual’s needs, especially if they pose a danger to themselves or others. In some instances, psychotropic medications may be the best available option.
There have been situations where a person who showed up in one of my classes, came to me for an individual session—or someone I encountered in another context—was hearing voices, having conversations with the gods, getting relational advice from the microwave, or experiencing other severe psychotic symptoms. For example, one random twenty-something woman out of nowhere started screaming and making violent threats at me while I was shopping at the Whole Foods Market on Houston Street in lower Manhattan. I have no idea what she was hallucinating. On another occasion, a young woman was completely losing it, screaming her head off in the ACE Subway station on 14th Street. And then, there are all the mentally deranged homeless individuals living on the streets and in the subway system of New York City—people who, in many instances, smell so bad that they empty out entire subway cars because they haven’t bathed in years. They are often seen wearing clothing in various dull shades of grey, brown, and black, saturated with dirt and grease, and literally falling apart on their bodies.
I also feel that many psychiatrists are incredibly shortsighted in the way they're prescribing these medications. While these drugs may control certain symptoms and might be the best-known solution in some cases, they often come with a wide range of very serious side effects. In fact, I encourage you—or anyone taking or even considering going on any of these medications to do your homework and thoroughly research potential side effects.
Many psychiatrists work within a model that emphasizes medications as the primary treatment option. This is partly because psychiatrists typically have shorter appointment times compared to therapists, focusing primarily on diagnosis, as well as symptom and medication management. Additionally, psychiatric training often prioritizes pharmacological solutions over non-medication approaches, such as psychotherapy or holistic interventions. Healthcare systems and insurance models further reinforce this emphasis by favoring medication as a quicker and more easily measurable treatment option compared to time-intensive therapies—in other words, just throw drugs at the problem and hope it goes away.
Psychiatrists may also receive benefits from pharmaceutical companies, such as free samples for patients, paid speaking engagements, funding for research, invitations to sponsored conferences or educational events, and coverage of meals, flights, and hotel expenses. While these practices are often framed as ways to educate and support healthcare providers, they can create a potential bias toward prioritizing medication over other, potentially healthier approaches to treatment.
Diet and Supplements
Dietary changes and supplements play a significant role in supporting brain health and cognitive functioning in individuals suffering from conditions such as depression, anxiety, and schizophrenia. Proper nutrition provides many of the essential elements the brain needs to function optimally, while targeted supplementation can address specific deficiencies and imbalances that often accompany mental health issues. For example, eliminating inflammatory foods, such as refined sugars, trans fats, and processed foods, can reduce systemic inflammation, which is a known contributor to neuroinflammation and mood disorders. Incorporating nutrient-dense foods like leafy greens, fatty fish, nuts, and seeds can provide critical vitamins and omega-3 fatty acids that support neurotransmitter production and reduce oxidative stress.
Supplements can also address deficiencies in key nutrients that are commonly linked to poor mental health. For instance, omega-3 fatty acids, particularly EPA and DHA, have been shown to reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety by improving cell membrane fluidity and promoting healthy neurotransmitter function. Vitamin D, often deficient in individuals with depression, plays a role in regulating mood and reducing inflammation. B vitamins, particularly B6, B9 (folate), and B12, are essential for producing neurotransmitters like serotonin, dopamine, and GABA, which influence mood and emotional stability. Magnesium, another essential nutrient that is often deficient, helps calm the nervous system and supports sleep, which is crucial for mental well-being.
Additionally, specific amino acids like tryptophan or tyrosine can be used to support neurotransmitter synthesis, while antioxidants like glutathione and N-acetylcysteine (NAC) combat oxidative stress and protect brain cells. Probiotics and a focus on gut health can also play a crucial role, as the gut-brain axis influences neurotransmitter production and inflammation levels. For individuals with schizophrenia, targeted interventions such as addressing blood sugar imbalances, reducing gluten, and providing zinc or niacin supplements can help stabilize mood and reduce cognitive dysfunction.
These dietary and supplemental strategies not only help alleviate symptoms but also promote overall brain resilience and cognitive functioning. While these approaches can be transformative, they are most effective when personalized and implemented under the guidance of a knowledgeable practitioner.
A Pathway for Healing and Restoration
Trained by a traditional Native American doctor (medicine man) and having gone through the transformative process of vision quests to heal my own traumatic wounds, I am able to serve as a conduit, allowing an extraordinarily powerful presence to work through me. This presence facilitates profound healing and transformation during the individual sessions I provide. These sessions often restore—and in some cases, establish for the first time—a much healthier level of brain functioning.
Healthy brain functioning involves the seamless communication between neurons through well-functioning synapses, supported by balanced neurotransmitter activity and hormonal processes. Synapses are the connections between neurons that allow signals to pass efficiently, encouraging cognitive clarity and emotional stability. Neurotransmitters like serotonin, dopamine, and GABA regulate mood, motivation, and enhance emotional resilience, while hormonal processes such as cortisol regulation and oxytocin production help us cope with the stresses of daily life while encouraging emotional bonding. When these systems work in harmony, people experience greater mental clarity, emotional balance, and overall well-being.
Through this work, I’ve witnessed life transforming changes in the people I’ve worked with. Many develop much greater self-awareness and the ability to access their emotions, enabling them to process their lived experiences and emotional responses more effectively. As their healing deepens, these individuals become noticeably more present, engaging, and emotionally connected, both with themselves and with others.
With that being said, I want to be cautious not to build false hope. I’ve found that the people I work with vary greatly in their responsiveness. Some are not as responsive, often due to underlying factors such as a greater severity of brain dysfunction or damage resulting from prolonged use of psychotropic medications or recreational drugs like crystal meth. It’s also important to emphasize that this work is not a one-and-done process. Those who have been consistent with the work have, in most instances, shown considerable improvement in their overall mental health, their ability to manage their emotions, and their capacity to function in daily life.
For years, I commuted from New York City every other week to work part-time in the Boston area, living with a housemate who, while initially highly intelligent, had been steadily declining in mental health. His struggles were largely due to a combination of AIDS, ADHD, bipolar disorder, recreational drug use, and the numerous medications he was on—including both Adderall and Ativan. Although my housemate was hesitant to ask me for help—largely because I had helped him secure the monthly funds that covered two-thirds of his rent—his condition was deteriorating to the point where I began to consider finding another living arrangement.
When I offered to step in and help, my housemate was surprisingly receptive. The changes in his mental state and ability to function were profound. Even our landlord, who had reached her limits with his behavior, was amazed by the difference.
Making the Decisions that are Right for You
Whether or not you go on any form of psychotropic medication is a deeply personal decision that ultimately only you can make. Some considerations include your current state of mental health—whether there is some kind of organic brain dysfunction impacting your ability to function and your state of mind. Are you in the midst of an immediate crisis and in need of intervention to help you cope more effectively? Have you consulted with your psychiatrist or other mental health professionals? Have you sought advice from a psychiatrist who does not rely so heavily on medications as the solution to every mental health challenge? Have you thoroughly researched both the immediate and long-term side effects of any medications you’re considering? Have you looked into diet, supplements, psychotherapy, and alternative modalities to help you manage your emotions, state of mind, and navigate any crisis you may currently be facing in your life? My hope is that you will make an informed decision that is best for you.
If you feel ready to take the next step on your healing journey, I’d be honored to support you. Together, we can create a space for transformation and growth. You can reach me through my webpage: https://benoofana.com/contact/, or feel free to leave a message on my Google Voice number. While I may not check it every day, I’ll respond as soon as I can.
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