Mark Horowitz: My Own Withdrawal Rewrote the Science Behind Hyperbolic Tapering | The Gaslit Truth Podcast with Dr. Teralyn Sell & Therapist Jenn Schmitz

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What if the hardest part of coming off an antidepressant isn’t the first cut, but the last milligrams? We sit down with Dr. Mark Horowitz—clinician, researcher, and someone who’s been through withdrawal himself—to unravel why standard advice fails, how the brain adapts to medication, and what a safer exit really looks like.

Mark shares his first taper attempt after 13 years on Lexapro, a methodical plan that still crashed into panic, derealization, and hours of daily terror. That lived shock led him to survivingantidepressants.org, hyperbolic tapering, and ultimately co-authoring the Maudsley Deprescribing Guidelines and national guidance in the UK. We dig into the science behind tolerance and homeostasis, the neuroimaging that explains why tiny doses can have big effects, and the practical tools—liquid formulations and small percentage reductions—that let people step down without falling off a cliff.

We also take on the evidence base. Most psychiatric drug trials are short, yet millions stay on meds for years. Stopping studies often confuse withdrawal with relapse, inflating claims for maintenance. Mark clarifies the difference between dependence a

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💊 Ready to Deprescribe Your Psych Meds?

Psych meds have harmed us—and we’re not just survivors, we’re deeply educated in psychopharmacology, psychology, and nutrition. As hosts of The Gaslit Truth Podcast, we guide people safely off psychiatric medications with strategies grounded in science and brain health

🔥 You’ve been harmed. You’ve been dismissed. It’s time to take your brain back—with guidance from people who’ve been there and know their stuff.

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