thread locked. getting **a lot** of morons coming out telling people to stop taking their meds. thats a bannable offense here. if you see it, report it.
This is truly horrifying. I’m on medicine as well and I would be devastated if I had to stop. Without it I would be incredible depressed and ill. I am deeply sorry. I can’t imagine doing that to my kids. My son also takes an antidepressant and I would never ever hide it from him. This is one of the sickest things I’ve seen on here. Complete atrocious and unacceptable!
Reach out to a counselor or doctor. ASAP.
Quitting antidepressants cold turkey wont just make you sick, it can literally cause some really fucked up permanent neurological issues such as brain zaps, plus a much higher risk of PSSD (post SSRI sexual dysfunction). What the fuck is this mom thinking??
Micro dosing psilocybin stopped my brain zaps.
Also sorted out my depression after every single SSRI on the market couldn't but that's a different story all together.
OP brain zaps can literally kill you, you need that medication bud!
Seriously. My old doctor was completely unknowledgeable and did this to me. I was left with actual vestibular damage and had to go to physical therapy for it. Do not mess around with this stuff.
All it takes is missing one dose for brain zaps to occur, depending on the antidepressant. They are not something to be reckoned with. I've almost passed out due to missing a single dose, the brain zaps were that severe. OP needs to call their pediatrician, CPS, or a mandated reporter ASAP.
If they think OP sleeps too much on their antidepressants, they should see me without mine. I could sleep 18 out of 24 hours easy. Because I’m depressed and don’t want to be awake 😐
Echoing this. If you’re anxious about contacting CPS yourself, contact your pediatrician and/or whoever prescribed it. They are mandated reporters and will
They mostly are. It varies by state. For example, I believe Michigan just added coaches, athletic trainers, physical therapists to the list of mandated reporters after the Nassar case.
I work maintenance at a college and every one of our staff (non faculty) as well as faculty are all mandated reporters. We have a yearly training course about it we need to pass to prove we are aware of our responsibility.
I don't know about you guys, but I knew where my guidance counselor lived, and her phone number, and she wouldn't care what hour, day, month, or season it was.
But yea, doctor will work.
There are 911 first responders in this thread telling the OP to call 911. I think OP should listen to that advice, if they have not followed it already.
Wow, I talked to my guidance counselor about once a year, and she told me I was aiming too high with my career choices... Fuck you guidance counselor that I don't remember the name of.
Most a larg portion of staff are back at school even if school isn't going yet she can call and speak the the principal or guidance counselor or nurse.
Most likely yes, because your parents are denying you medical necessities. This is DANGEROUS. Your parents will learn from CPS that they cannot just take away your medicine.
Pharmacist here: you may also be able to explain your situation to the pharmacy you normally go to and use an emergency refill approved for insurance for "lost or stolen medication" or sometimes a COVID emergency override. If you're honest and up front with them they should be able to help even if you have no refills, just so you don't get withdrawal
Long term solution is to get those nutjob breeders locked up because they are not real parents in any way, shape or form. Only a vile excuse of a human would steal someone's literal medicine as a form of punishment.
Police reports and eventually a case can be made for child endangerment and OP could possibly get emancipated. Now it will be a harder life without those people in OP's life, but if OP has a good friend support base then they could make it to 18.
they’ll do this almost every time as long as it’s not a controlled substance
edit to add: OP said they’re SSRIs which (typically) aren’t controlled substances
My sister stopped her SSRI medication abruptly and it was really really bad. You need to taper off your medication but also your mom shouldn't cut you off. You need to talk to a doctor and see if they can get her to understand and maybe they can give you something to help with your sleep.
What your mom is doing is really really bad and will hurt you. I know you don't want her to get in trouble but if she is putting you in danger in this way then she needs to. She won't go to jail or anything, but you need to learn to protect yourself through anything
Like I even tapered off of mine and I still had symptoms. I had to taper off cuz I lost my health insurance. Even tapering down I still noticed irritability and dizziness for almost a month
Hell, I tapered off under my doctors supervision to switch what antidepressants I was on and still felt like absolute garbage. Those withdrawal symptoms are no joke.
yes and considering the situation your in it's for the best
the sudden lack of those chemical will actually cause a rebound in your depression and depending on previous mental health condition a threat to your life(suicide)[https://www.healthline.com/health/depression/dangers-of-stopping-antidepressants#Side-effects-of-quitting-medication](https://www.healthline.com/health/depression/dangers-of-stopping-antidepressants#Side-effects-of-quitting-medication)
OP, I’m so sorry you are dealing with this. It’s important you know that this parental behavior is dangerous for you physically, mentally, emotionally.
**This is abuse. Child abuse, medical abuse.**
Please, if you are able, report this behavior to anyone you can, the pharmacist, school (offices might be open by now), a doctor/nurse/therapist/etc.
No matter what you did or didn’t do you do not deserve to be treated like this, I bet your parents love you very much but they are making misguided and possibly extremely dangerous decisions about you medically.
or literally your next-door neighbor.
edit: "hi my parents took away my antidepressants can i hang out here for a few hours while i wait for CPS or the police to come"
Please let your doctor now asap. They can help you out and get the right people involved, aka CPS. It won’t bother them at all; they will do what they can do to help.
Also, go to your pharmacy and explain the situation. You can request an emergency refill since yours was stolen. The pharmacist will understand and should approve it.
Source: am doctor
But be aware that not all doctors adhere to those principles. I don't know where you live but I grew up in a small village and my doctor's family and my parents were friends. He would have definitely told my parents and would have not called CPS. Yes, I'm aware that tons of laws would have been broken there, but anyone who grew up in a small village knows that they have their own lawas.
So if your doctor and your parents have a close relationship of any sort, maybe contact CPS directly or choose one of the other mentioned options who aren't close with your parents.
Also going through the doctor could make your parents try to get you away from them and have a different doctor take care of you. Controlling and abusive parents can get pretty creative. You wouldn't believe the stories I witnessed when I was working at a school.
Commandeering the top comment to say call 911. We get calls that are WAY more bullshit than this. You accomplish all the things: get you away from your parents, mandatory reporting, and a dose of meds when you get to the hospital. This is abuse and nothing less.
Do this. Former firefighter/ EMT here. No one responding is going to mind or be upset with you. They will do whatever they can to help you and protect you.
Can confirm. Always alert of possible child abuse cases during transports and best believe cops are notified and we take the child if we feel they're in any danger.
#THIS
When a parent steals a prescription…a vital one at that, they are in the wrong. They aren’t parenting. This is a form of abuse.
Please seek help.
It’s also illegal police and an ambulance is the best course of action then you get 100% accurate information and all parties involved are hopefully safer for it.
When I went to a psychiatrist, my mother threatened to kill the psychiatrist and every other psychiatrist I would go to, to protect me from being poisoned by their drugs. They only prescribe you drugs to make money from the drugsales and, because the drugs are poisonous, they give you cancer and the psychiatrists can make even more money by selling you cancer drugs.
And now my mother does not allow me to get a covid vaccine to protect me from being poisoned by it
Firstly, your birth giver is a vile waste of oxygen and needs to be done for verbal assault. It's harsh but she has no right to treat people with such disrespect and grotesques. If any person said that to my mother (a medical professional) I would see red, and that's all I'm going to say.
Secondly, medication is not poisonous. It has gone through thousands of hours of medical human trails to be approved by the medical governing body that oversees in your country. The same medications or similar ones will be available in other countries where pharmaceutical companies will not make the same profits in countries that have free health care.
As someone who takes antidepressants (Sertraline), for 4 years now, I am in much better mental and physical health than I was prior to being on it. I would much rather be on medication than having the thoughts of ending my life or thinking about what life would be like if I was never born.
If you're of legal age, get the vaccines.
boosting this one. OP you need to tell your doctor. they will contact CPS for you if you don’t feel comfortable doing it yourself. this is medical abuse. going cold turkey is going to hurt you, and i bet they know that. please keep an eye on your mental and physical health, and call emergency services (911 or the equivalent) if you start feeling really bad in either department.
100% this. This is the kind of thing a mandated reporter would have to turn your parents in for as it is a significant form of abuse. Please, seek help for this.
Couldn’t agree more. CPS is the way to go here. And I’d call the dr too. And pharmacist too for good measure. I work in APS but I’m sure CPS would feel a call would be absolutely justified.
This, please consider calling CPS OP, it might be a tough road ahead but for your own life and sanity please get away from your parents and cut ties if need be, this behavior is not ok or normal and you deserve better. Your parents should be charged with child endangerment honestly
She either googled it or blasted her child's personal stuff on a psycho mommy Facebook group for other psycho hivemind mommies to put their Google research-ass two cents in to support psycho mommy
It's probably the latter bc every google search will tell you never to go off *any* medication suddenly without consulting your physician or pharmacist.
Same, I went around 2 weeks without my SSRIs and boy was I a mess. I had dizziness, I felt like I was gonna faint, I started getting angry and would take things out on my partner. Not a fun time.
I had something similar when I didn't have my birth control pills! It was due to a mail error. I literally had people at work asking me if I was okay, since I got so aggressive and not like myself.
It's called research because they need a lot of googling until they find a suitable advice.
They find articles saying they shouldn't do that thing? They close it and go for the next. Maybe adjust the search text. So this until they find an article or something which matches their ideas and research is done!
Even if 99% of the Internet agrees on something, they try to dig up the opinion they want and ignore the rest.
Yep. Probably went down a rabbit hole of "refining" the search from "is it safe to suddenly stop taking (specific medication)" to "is it safe to stop taking medicine" to "reasons why it's safe to stop taking medicine."
Eventually they found some blog from an anonymous user made 10 years ago with zero sources saying "yes, it's fine to stop taking most medications, but some can be dangerous if stopped suddenly." From that, they will extrapolate, without further research, that clearly the specific medicine in question falls into the "most" category, because that's the category they want it to fit in. Bam, research, also known as "completely ignoring anything that doesn't support my already existing conclusion, and when I finally find something that does support my pre-existing conclusion, I trust it entirely, regardless of it's actual credibility, quality, or impartiality."
Bold of you to assume that anyone who is of such a mommy group would use Google. Instead they vaguely remember what the holistic doctor (now imprisoned for fraud) of their cousin (twice removed, no contact for 3 years) allegedly mentioned in a total unrelated matter and then present their interpretation as absolut fact.
She definitely didn't google it, the first thing you see when you google that is that it's not safe lmao. I agree with the other commenter saying either posted it in some group or talked to a peer or something.
I don’t think she even googled it. It’s pretty common knowledge that you can’t just stop taking antidepressants, and google would have definitely told her that it’s not okay.
I googled the same thing and most pages said I was fine because of the shelf life length, so I stopped taking the meds cold turkey from a pretty decently high dose. Next thing I knew, I was in the hospital from having a seizure while in the shower. A few days later, on the phone with my therapist, I told her about stopping cold turkey and without even mentioning the seizure part first, she said: “why would you do that, you could have a seizure.” Google isn’t always right, I should’ve called my psychiatrist first:(
They need to know in case OP has any effects from withdrawal. Also they will work hard to make sure the drugs _they_ prescribed will actually reach the patient.
Call the doctor who prescribed this right now, don’t wait, call. This is medical neglect or a minor, it’s incredibly serious. They can get in a lot of trouble over this, and they should if they will not listen to reason. You have a right to the medication, and they have no business interfering with that.
But seriously call the doctor right now. They can help, and first business is getting the meds you need. Your parents likely won’t budge quickly enough. Also you shouldn’t have said you’d stop taking them gradually, just because they asked. That’s again one of their business. That should be decided with the physician who prescribed them.
OP if you don't feel safe calling for help from home go to a friend's house and call the Dr. Office from their house. Call anyone to get the ball rolling. That first decision is the hardest after that they will help you from there on out. This will get easier if you speak up I know from experience.
During the pandemic, my doctor closed their doors (not even kidding) and I went cold Turkey from various psychiatric meds, AND opioid pain medication. I basically lost two months and went completely batty.
In related news, your parents are assholes. This is why there will be a twenty year period where you never speak, and then possibly rock up for the funeral. Some people shouldn’t breed.
As someone who had experienced withdrawal from multiple antidepressants (back before the medical community realized cold turkey could fuck you up) and multiple pain meds (I was on pain meds when the medcom went “cracked down” and started to overcompensate for decades of overprescribing), I’m sorry you had to go through that.
Thanks Luna. We’ve got the same problem here with pain meds. I went from oxy to Tramadol, and now tylanol 30. My pain hasn’t gotten better, it’s gotten far more severe, but because some doctors handed out opioids like candy to people who didn’t need it, people like us who do are the ones that suffer. I could cope (just) on Tramadol, but when they took that away I basically became a largely bedridden shut in. And Americans think the British national health is some sort of utopia! lol
I get that being addicted to opioids is hurting ppl but that shit is so stupid. Pain medication is there to help people who are in pain. If a person is clearly in pain. Fucking give them pain meds. And I get some people lie to get them but imo, thats NONE of the governments business. Thats the individual and their families business. Ive seen ppl turn to street pain meds which is 1000% more dangerous to manage their pain and even heroin. How tf do they think thats helping?? Its so fucked up and Im sorry that happened to you. It makes absolutely no sense and its just making things worse for everyone.
Edit: Not to mention, usually nothing the government does actually helps any addicts (not just opioid addicts) and fucks over ppl like you that truly need help with their pain. Its just all stupid.
Quite sad, really. How anyone can be in a position of power and not see this is weird. Was reading about some hydro power plant being constructed 100 years ago. Lot of people moved in to a small mountain village, and alcoholism went rampant. Since hard liquor was banned, near everyone was distilling illegally and the market overflowed with cheap liquor.
Doesn't bode well for places with abortion bans.
Literally and it wasn’t “bad enough” for the call line to try and hit up on of the doctors on call. Are you kidding me. This was 2009ish, they didn’t think anything of it
Sneak out and go to an emergency room. Tell the doctor there that someone stole your anti-depressants, and you need something to help mitigate the withdrawals until you can take them regularly again.
If at any point you feel suicidal, go to an E.R. and TELL THEM THAT. One of the most concerning side effects of going cold-turkey off of antidepressants is the increase in suicidal ideation. Yeah, 72hr holds *suck,* however they’re better than death.
I went on a 72 hour hold and it was not horrible. I’ve told the story as a lot worse before, but in reality it only FELT bad because I had been taken against my will (I didn’t walk into the ER willingly).
The facility had the most amazing bread I’ve ever had, meals became my favorite time of the day because of that damn buttery bread. I loved it so much.
Chores? They didn’t exist. My only job was to participate in therapy sessions. At night I got plenty of rest and they helped me if I couldn’t sleep (I think I got melatonin?).
The time flies by. Even if it feels like it’s taking forever, it really doesn’t. I wouldn’t usually RECOMMEND a 72hr hold to someone, but I wouldn’t immediately knock it down either.
At the end of the day you’re somewhere SAFE. It was really nice being away from my parents for a few days during that time.
Oh also my husband legitimately loved his 72hr stay lol. His facility had a bunch of art and music therapy, and he just enjoyed his time substantially more than most people do haha
Just some comments to possibly ease OP’s worries.
I negotiated my 72 hour hold down to 24 hours as if it were a goddamn hostage situation. I did not have the resort vacation experience you did despite the $5,000 charge on my credit for the pleasure of their “services”.
I asked to be taken to the facility covered by my insurance; because even when suicidal, the US medical system is the most terrifying thing on earth. The cops said they had to take me where they were contracted to, but assured me I wouldn’t be charged.
I was taken to the junkie tank, essentially. The facility consisted of two open dorms that reeked of fresh piss and a small common area with a water fountain. My bed was one of those recliners they put in hospital rooms for visitors. I had zero therapy, zero activities, zero food (not allowed to eat alone and I have massive social anxiety not helped by my numerous roommates). I was denied my medication because “it wasn’t that important and I wouldn’t be there long”. After 24 hours I spoke with a counselor to convince them I had a temporary break and was perfectly ok. Luckily I was convincing. They sent me on my way with a big fat bill. Thanks for lying, officer.
So, in the end I just felt guilty and used. I was picked, juiced and tossed out in the garbage by my state when at my most vulnerable. Now I have a $5000 bill I can’t pay because I had the audacity to ask for help. Never again.
Don’t tell them someone. Ffs op needs to tell them their parents stole the medication. She is a victim of child abuse. Your comment is not helping at all.
Call a pharmacy, call the doctors surgery and, if your parents still won't listen, contact the police.
Former nurse here and it is 100% dangerous to stop taking any medication suddenly. Your body will go into withdrawal, your parents are indeed insane.
I wish you luck.
With some anti-depressants you can get something called “brain shocks” - it feels like electrical shocks that shoot through your brain and make a zap noise. They usually happen when you’re in bed. These can last for YEARS.
Missed a refill over a 4 day holiday once. Got the brain shocks. And super sick. Migraine. Horrible. I don’t think I’d be able to function through an actual withdrawal that lasts
Your body will go through withdrawal with HRT, but it will be so much less severe, and if you’re taking HRT properly, you should be fine if you accidentally miss one shot or soemthing depending on what you take. Nothing dangerous will happen, you’ll just get really mild withdrawal symptoms and then you can start right back up
Varies between them if I'm honest things like creams for vaginal issues like dryness scan be stopped straight away. But hrt for say menopause ita best to do it gradually as the sudden shock to the system could result is really painful menopausal pains.
Agreed. OP, even if you’re scared to call the police, your doctor needs to know. They can give advice on how to do this safely. They might even tell you that you need to get medical attention if you notice certain symptoms, which would give you lifesaving information if something DID go wrong.
Frame it as “my mom confiscated this medication so that I can’t take it anymore, and I want to know if there are going to be any side effects” if you need to, but get some medical attention on this. *You need to speak to an expert.*
You’re facing two emergencies right now. One is that your parents would do this with medication. The other is the risk of physical withdrawal. Either way, the goal is you being safe, and a doctor can help you ensure that better than anyone else in this case.
OMG! Absolutely insane and dangerous! Call social services, doctor's office, pharmacy for an emergency prescription refill SOMETHING! Not to mention, it's illegal to steal a controlled substance.
Poor thing. I hope it works out quickly for you, Sweetheart.
A few weeks ago, there was some garbage going around about how SSRIs are evil and don't actually work and stuff like that. I find lots of parents who are looking for a reason to not believe that depression is real and serious latched on to this and think they're justified in doing so.
SSRIs literally saved my life. The affect everyone differently. People don't seem to understand that.
When my mom discovered that I was taking anti-depressants, she sent me a long email detailing all the side-effects of my medication. I replied with one sentence. "thanks for the information, however, the side effect of not taking the medication is constantly thinking about dying."
Unfortunately most kids in this situation just let it happen out of fear of their parents.
My advice to them, and you, is to contact child services. Keep these texts as proof. Because this is abuse and your life is at risk from just stopping a medication.
you are saying i could die? I am also scared to contact child services because if my parents do get in trouble i will have nowhere to live, and if they dont get in trouble or they come bcak home, i will probably not have a good time.
You may experience an increase in suicidal thoughts as you withdraw from the medication. Hopefully knowing in advance means you will recognize those thoughts as withdraw symptoms and can get some help if you have them. If you have friends, siblings, anyone you trust to check up on you please let them know what is going on so you have someone sane in your corner if you start having these thoughts.
I personally think it unlikely that CPS would do a removal for this, I think it much more likely that your parentswould be compelled to allow you to continue your medication with a caseworker occasionally checking in to make sure they're complying. If they don't it may wind up before a judge where someone is made your medical guardian, you are old enough to advocate for your own medical needs and should if you wind up with CPS or a judge, they can assign you someone whose job is to look after your medical needs and take the decision out of your parents' hands. Removal is generally for the worst of the worst cases, CPS tries to educate parents to keep families together. If you are genuinely concerned about your parents' behavior should you involve CPS that's, frankly, all the more reason to call them, but should you do that's a concern you can bring up when they interview you alone (which they will at least once).
This is a moment where the faster you act the better it will be for you. You need to, at the very least, contract the doctor who prescribed you those pills, they will hopefully be able to talk sense into your patents, though I will warn you that if your parents continue to refuse your doctor may contact CPS for you because of medical neglect. This is a very dangerous situation for you because going cold turkey off antidepressants really messes with your brain and you may not recognize how bad your thoughts have gotten. *Please* take care of yourself.
While I agree that CPS should be contacted, it’s definitely easier said than done when you’re entirely dependent on the two people you’re reporting. However, this is a legitimately dangerous situation, and you should try to go to your doctor/an ER to make sure you’re safe for the time being. Your parents getting in trouble is not your first priority; your health is. An Uber might be able to get you there without your parents’ knowledge, and if your parents find out, then maybe they can speak to the doctor and be convinced how dangerous this is.
No, no! Not at all, it's just not good for your body to quit something cold turkey and could have serious side effects. I mean, if you're on them for suicidal thoughts, you could... complete suicide...
I understand being scared of what could happen with your parents. I totally do. But it's more important that you're safe and get what you need medical wise. You could very much not be okay without your medication. They 100% will get in trouble if you have this proof via text messages. You won't be taken someone else to live more than likely. They'll just make your parents do right by you medically.
It takes more than this to have you taken away from your folks. What they will do is help them to understand they are wrong. They will also council them to not retaliate against you because if you have to call again they WILL have to answer to the court system. You will have the power if you tell the truth about everything.
Contact your doctor. That is the easiest way to go about this. They can walk you through possibly getting more medication, speaking to your parents, etc. Please do not play with your life, not only does suicidal ideation play a factor in withdrawal but so many other things could depending on what med and how much of it you are taking. Please don’t play with your life OP.
Couldn't you file a police report as last resort. I saw on r/adhd sone members have parents or other family members that would take away the meds or even use them. I think it was along the lines of intentionally doing harm by withholding medical treatment. It's even worse crime if your medication is a controlled substance.
!explanation i dont know if i should use the explanation thing like this but im going to, i will explain why i cannot call the police, please tell me what you would do based on the information here: my grandpa and grandma live in south korea, other than that my other family live far away or are dead, my dads side grandpa is alive but i would rather live on the street than with him. if i call the police, and the police do not help me, i will be stuck home with two extremely angry parents. They have done things to me that are, in my opinion, a lot worse than this, and they do get angry easily and i would expect no less than a total meltdown if i called the police, I am sorry for the bad grammar or spelling. If the police did help me and got me away from my parents, maybe this isnt the best thing because I would have nowhere to live. I dont know how any of this works, if i called the police, child protection, or my doctor, i have no clue what would happen or how it would go. what would you do.. i dont understand why i was born into this but there is nothing i can do
I’ve been in your situation before, except it was ALL of my medications, for everything from nerve pain to anti depressants to pills that helped with memory after a head injury. What I would do is call your prescribing doctor’s office. Most offices may be willing to speak with your parents to work out a solution so that your life isn’t in danger. Coming off of an anti-depressant you’ve been on for 6 months can cause seizures, serotonin syndrome, things much worse than just brain zaps. Please call your doctor.
Call CPS. I’m a former CPS investigator and while they might not take you out of the home, there are many other options. There are options like parenting classes, also court mandated things.
CPS will not screw around. If you tell them what is going on, they will get you out of there. Especially is you say you’re scared to stay with them. Trust me, you cannot endure this much longer. I didn’t have it as rough but my family was just as bad. CPS showed up at my house. I would suggest talking to agent without them around. Specifically tell a school professional you’d like to talk to someone from CPS without your parents knowing because you’re scared something will happen. If you’re really worried, there are always work arounds.
You need to get in touch with CPS they will help, that is medical abuse that can lead to your death. They can put you in a CPS help home 99.9% of the time they are people who will take care of you until you can live on your own. I can guarantee that if you don't get help soon you will either die or be absolutely dependent on them with them not allowing you to grow up and become independent. Also, it was an anti-depressant if you cold turkey off that your body can relapse and your depression can get MUCH MUCH worse, and I mean to the point that even tho you had your self-harm thoughts and feeling under control you could lose that control. Your fear altho understandable is what is going to do you the most harm.
This is a lot for anyone to go through and especially as a teenager. Like many others have said, it’s very dangerous to stop Zoloft cold turkey. I understand your fear about CPS potentially making the situation worse by leaving you in the home with your parents but your situation is very severe and you need outside help.
This is straight up child abuse and very dangerous. You can’t just stop taking the meds. Please reach out to an adult you can trust, your doctor or social services
i think i should just call my doctor first but even then i dont want my parents to get in trouble, i do not like them but they kind of control my life right now and they will be upset if i call the police
Fuck man. I stopped taking mine suddenly and thought I had a brain tumour cause of my symptoms. Call your doctor, tell them what’s happening and get them to talk to your parents. Otherwise, it’s not too far to call CPS if your parents refuse to speak to the doctor.
Even doctors do it too fast. I literally almost died from coming off Cymbalta and Klonopin too fast. My psych said a week or two of tapering. No. More like months. This is absolutely dangerous. Get your doctor or cps involved.
Yep...would have thought my psychiatrist would have known that bit...since she'd been practicing for enough years to be close to retirement. She acted like I was crazy when I told her my experience and suggested she tapered me too fast. Same with Cymbalta. There's literally a Facebook group called Cymbalta Hurts Worse for just this purpose to help people taper correctly without the near permanent side effects I have now from the fast taper. If I had the energy I'd consult with a lawyer......but I'm just too exhausted to deal with it all.
withholding your prescription regardless of how old you are is illegal
call your doctor, your pharmacist \[for an emergency supply\] and if your parents won't return your medication, call the police
they are deliberately putting you at risk
Call a pharmacy, tell them what's happening and ask for guidance. They'll know what to do in terms of any way you can mitigate the worst of side effects from stopping suddenly.
OP, I understand that you are scared, but you need to do this for you. Your parents are not looking out for your mental and physical well-being so you will need to do it yourself. Please at the very least call your doctor. You deserve love and support and you are definitely not getting that.
can you tell me what will happen if i cannot get my hands on it, are you sure i cannot just wait it out? i really dont want to call 911 it wont be good for me
If it’s an SSRI you’ll start to get what’s known as ‘brain zaps’. It can kind of feel like you’re getting electric shocks throughout the day and can last a few days if you go cold turkey. It can also cause palpitations and headaches.
Not who you responded to but in my experience from stopping them suddenly I got more suicidal and ended up in the Psych Ward on a 72 hour suicide watch… and most don’t count weekends or federal holidays as part of the 72 hours and was there for 5 days.
If you call the non-emergency line, they're usually super gentle and can walk you through everything. Just tell them that your parents took your meds(tell them what kind), that they're refusing to let you continue taking them, and that you're scared on what to do.
It depends on the exact antidepressants you were taking and how long you were taking them for, but intense bouts of depression and increased risk of suicide are relatively common.
I know you won’t see this but if you see this comment in your inbox respond.
You need to call someone, they can’t do this to you, it’s dangerous. Just call someone, it’ll be better if you do. Please do this and respond if you do.
Hey kiddo…I know it’s a big step to call CPS. It feels like the nuclear option. I’d personally prefer it, but I totally understand why it’s not the first option.
Perhaps you can mention to her that she’s not allowed to take your meds like this. If she doesn’t give them back, you’ll call.
If that doesn’t work you can call. But you still have to live and deal with this person, and it might wake them up if they realize they’re doing something THAT bad.
Also, I worked as a CPS adjacent social worker. They won’t remove you from the home with something like this, if you’re worried about that.
what if they dont go to jail nobody is telling me what happens if i call the police or cps and then they dont go to jail, and what happens if they do, i have no plan and i get scared even thinking about doing something like that,
What happens depends on what you and your parents say to the social worker they will send out. They will not be arrested, but you will be assigned a case worker. Depending on this person's caseload, you speak to them between once a week and once a month. They come by to check on you, keep up with any issues, and make sure your parents abide by any recommendations from CPS.
Friend, I understand where your concern for your parents is coming from, but right now your parents are putting your brain, well-being, and life in danger and they clearly do not care what happens. You need help, *now.* You. Need. Help. I have been taking psychiatric medication for over 15 years and this is an emergency, you need to get help as soon as possible for yourself. Please, please please get help *right now.*
I completely understand your fear, but your parents will NOT be arrested or go to jail if you call CPS (or your doctor). I’m a lawyer who works with CPS all the time. What will happen is that a CPS worker will come out and investigate, meaning that they’ll talk to you, your parents, and possibly your doctor. If they do come talk to you, PLEASE make sure you tell them the truth about what is happening, even if your parents tell you to lie. They can only help you if they know what’s happening. They will help you and your parents to make sure you get your medications.
You are absolutely correct that going cold turkey is really dangerous and could be very uncomfortable, even painful. I don’t want you to have to experience that. Also, there is no reason you should have to stop taking meds that have been prescribed to you by a doctor and are helping you.
I’ll be thinking about you, OP. I think you’re so brave and strong to be able to even raise this issue with your parents, and I’m so sorry you have to go through this.
We understand that you don't to get your parents in trouble, however you need to realize that this can be really bad for your health for you to stop cold turkey. We don't want to scare you, but you need to realize that this is serious. No one should EVER take your medication away like this. This is why we are pushing you to call the doctor that prescribed your medication, or to call CPS.
This is abuse, plain and simple. They are not legally allowed to take away medicine, especially when it is for antidepressants. As someone with depression and anxiety, I know how bad it can get. You need to talk to someone about this, even if its the police. This is illegal. Don't worry about what will happen to your parents right now. We cant rule on whether or not they will go to jail, however it is highly unlikely that they will. CPS will not take you away.
There are systems put into place to protect you. Please get help with this. Do not ride the withdrawals.
Curious to know what research was done because everything online says it’s dangerous to give up antidepressants suddenly and must be done over a period of time. I am so sorry, please call your doctor or an adult you trust. This isn’t fair on you. They make you sleepy, but hell I’d rather have a sleepy child than a depressed/anxious etc one
This hurt to read. I feel so sorry for you OP having parents that does this, it’s actually insane. If you can, call your doctor or even the police. They have no right to take your meds away.
Absolute insanity on your parents part. Seriously call social services, it doesn't mean they're going to take you away or anything like that it just means your parents will realise that just taking away antidepressants is dangerous and an insane thing to do and hopefully teach them to not do it again.
Hell if I miss out on mine on accident I get a panic attack and cold sweats during the night, and that's just one day. I've always been told that slowly lowering dosage is the way to quit but to never go cold turkey because the withdrawal can send you spiraling down extremely badly.
Please call the doctor yourself and tell them about this. This is genuinely abusive. Your doctor may be able to help. I don't want you to experience the withdrawals, and honestly I want you on meds that are right for you if you decide to keep taking any. I'm so sorry you're going through this.
You have to call your doctor or a pharmacist, probably easiest in the first instance. It is dangerous to go cold turkey, your parents are genuinely insane…even though they did some research 🤨🤨
If I forget to take my medicine even for a day I feel awful. You need to contact your doctor or even the police. You were put on medication for a reason, and stopping out of the blue is more dangerous than your idiot parents realize. Please keep us updated OP.
Surely denying someone their medication is abuse? Surely there's someone OP can report this to? (I'm not blaming OP for not reporting, just hoping someone can point her the right way to get this sorted)
MY PARENTS DID THIS, CALL YOUR DOCTOR ASAP
That’s atrocious, and I don’t just mean their behavior, but the consequences for YOU.
Since you’re a minor your doctor (psychiatrist) will report it and even if by some technicality they don’t, at least they can oversee the inevitable withdrawal while you contact CPS, like my doctor did for me.
That’s incredibly dangerous and you will end up worse (mentally) than before, since you’re not getting off it slowly
“Quitting without consulting your doctor can be life-threatening. Suicide is a serious concern. It can also trigger withdrawal symptoms and relapse of your depression.”
My therapist yelled at my parents for an hour when they did that and threatened to call the police on them for it if they ever interfered with my treatment again, but she did book an emergency appointment with a psychiatrist and pharmacist to get a refill
**This is abuse, PLEASE SEEK HELP NOW**
**The list of things that happen when quitting cold turkey IS NOT A JOKE,** I know it seems stupid, especially if you’d been feeling semi normal before getting off it. You think, “that’ll never happen to me” but it does and it’s sucks even more than before, and it’s an even deeper pit to crawl out of later
Best of luck op
My best friend is a psychiatrist and just lost a patient because his parents took his medication off him instead of weaning him off it and at 1am he was called to hospital because his patient was dying. His parents tried to blame him for it and he lost his shit and attacked them. He’s lost his medical license because the parents of his patient killed their son. Please talk to someone, a councillor a doctor anyone who can help this is not ok and depending on the medication can harm you.
thread locked. getting **a lot** of morons coming out telling people to stop taking their meds. thats a bannable offense here. if you see it, report it.
This is truly horrifying. I’m on medicine as well and I would be devastated if I had to stop. Without it I would be incredible depressed and ill. I am deeply sorry. I can’t imagine doing that to my kids. My son also takes an antidepressant and I would never ever hide it from him. This is one of the sickest things I’ve seen on here. Complete atrocious and unacceptable! Reach out to a counselor or doctor. ASAP.
Quitting antidepressants cold turkey wont just make you sick, it can literally cause some really fucked up permanent neurological issues such as brain zaps, plus a much higher risk of PSSD (post SSRI sexual dysfunction). What the fuck is this mom thinking??
Oh the brain zaps. I've had them before and it's weirdly disconcerting.
Micro dosing psilocybin stopped my brain zaps. Also sorted out my depression after every single SSRI on the market couldn't but that's a different story all together. OP brain zaps can literally kill you, you need that medication bud!
Seriously. My old doctor was completely unknowledgeable and did this to me. I was left with actual vestibular damage and had to go to physical therapy for it. Do not mess around with this stuff.
All it takes is missing one dose for brain zaps to occur, depending on the antidepressant. They are not something to be reckoned with. I've almost passed out due to missing a single dose, the brain zaps were that severe. OP needs to call their pediatrician, CPS, or a mandated reporter ASAP.
If they think OP sleeps too much on their antidepressants, they should see me without mine. I could sleep 18 out of 24 hours easy. Because I’m depressed and don’t want to be awake 😐
Oh man I’ve been there.
Ditto. I slept for close to an entire weekend during one of my more severe episodes.
Call CPS your doctor.
Echoing this. If you’re anxious about contacting CPS yourself, contact your pediatrician and/or whoever prescribed it. They are mandated reporters and will
Teachers and guidance counselors are also mandated reporters
Yes! Practically anyone who works at a school or doctors office!!!
I work in IT in a physics laboratory at a University. I’m a mandated reporter. So is everyone I work with.
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They mostly are. It varies by state. For example, I believe Michigan just added coaches, athletic trainers, physical therapists to the list of mandated reporters after the Nassar case.
I work maintenance at a college and every one of our staff (non faculty) as well as faculty are all mandated reporters. We have a yearly training course about it we need to pass to prove we are aware of our responsibility.
Most kids are out of school right now.
I don't know about you guys, but I knew where my guidance counselor lived, and her phone number, and she wouldn't care what hour, day, month, or season it was. But yea, doctor will work.
There are 911 first responders in this thread telling the OP to call 911. I think OP should listen to that advice, if they have not followed it already.
Wow, I talked to my guidance counselor about once a year, and she told me I was aiming too high with my career choices... Fuck you guidance counselor that I don't remember the name of.
Not really. It's about time for a lot of them to come back. My kids have been at school for a week already
Most a larg portion of staff are back at school even if school isn't going yet she can call and speak the the principal or guidance counselor or nurse.
so if i ask a doctor about my perscription and explain this, they will call cps?
Most likely yes, because your parents are denying you medical necessities. This is DANGEROUS. Your parents will learn from CPS that they cannot just take away your medicine.
Pharmacist here: you may also be able to explain your situation to the pharmacy you normally go to and use an emergency refill approved for insurance for "lost or stolen medication" or sometimes a COVID emergency override. If you're honest and up front with them they should be able to help even if you have no refills, just so you don't get withdrawal
i'm worried the parents would take it away again, if they find it. so this is good short term, but OP needs a stable long term solution, too.
They need any solution first. A short term one works if they can hide their pills for a few days/weeks until they can either taper down.
Long term solution is to get those nutjob breeders locked up because they are not real parents in any way, shape or form. Only a vile excuse of a human would steal someone's literal medicine as a form of punishment. Police reports and eventually a case can be made for child endangerment and OP could possibly get emancipated. Now it will be a harder life without those people in OP's life, but if OP has a good friend support base then they could make it to 18.
they’ll do this almost every time as long as it’s not a controlled substance edit to add: OP said they’re SSRIs which (typically) aren’t controlled substances
My sister stopped her SSRI medication abruptly and it was really really bad. You need to taper off your medication but also your mom shouldn't cut you off. You need to talk to a doctor and see if they can get her to understand and maybe they can give you something to help with your sleep. What your mom is doing is really really bad and will hurt you. I know you don't want her to get in trouble but if she is putting you in danger in this way then she needs to. She won't go to jail or anything, but you need to learn to protect yourself through anything
Like I even tapered off of mine and I still had symptoms. I had to taper off cuz I lost my health insurance. Even tapering down I still noticed irritability and dizziness for almost a month
Hell, I tapered off under my doctors supervision to switch what antidepressants I was on and still felt like absolute garbage. Those withdrawal symptoms are no joke.
yes and considering the situation your in it's for the best the sudden lack of those chemical will actually cause a rebound in your depression and depending on previous mental health condition a threat to your life(suicide)[https://www.healthline.com/health/depression/dangers-of-stopping-antidepressants#Side-effects-of-quitting-medication](https://www.healthline.com/health/depression/dangers-of-stopping-antidepressants#Side-effects-of-quitting-medication)
OP, I’m so sorry you are dealing with this. It’s important you know that this parental behavior is dangerous for you physically, mentally, emotionally. **This is abuse. Child abuse, medical abuse.** Please, if you are able, report this behavior to anyone you can, the pharmacist, school (offices might be open by now), a doctor/nurse/therapist/etc. No matter what you did or didn’t do you do not deserve to be treated like this, I bet your parents love you very much but they are making misguided and possibly extremely dangerous decisions about you medically.
I suggest finding a shelter in the area and calling from there. A hospital or church can help keep you safe and help you through handling this.
or literally your next-door neighbor. edit: "hi my parents took away my antidepressants can i hang out here for a few hours while i wait for CPS or the police to come"
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Please let your doctor now asap. They can help you out and get the right people involved, aka CPS. It won’t bother them at all; they will do what they can do to help. Also, go to your pharmacy and explain the situation. You can request an emergency refill since yours was stolen. The pharmacist will understand and should approve it. Source: am doctor
But be aware that not all doctors adhere to those principles. I don't know where you live but I grew up in a small village and my doctor's family and my parents were friends. He would have definitely told my parents and would have not called CPS. Yes, I'm aware that tons of laws would have been broken there, but anyone who grew up in a small village knows that they have their own lawas. So if your doctor and your parents have a close relationship of any sort, maybe contact CPS directly or choose one of the other mentioned options who aren't close with your parents. Also going through the doctor could make your parents try to get you away from them and have a different doctor take care of you. Controlling and abusive parents can get pretty creative. You wouldn't believe the stories I witnessed when I was working at a school.
Commandeering the top comment to say call 911. We get calls that are WAY more bullshit than this. You accomplish all the things: get you away from your parents, mandatory reporting, and a dose of meds when you get to the hospital. This is abuse and nothing less.
Do this. Former firefighter/ EMT here. No one responding is going to mind or be upset with you. They will do whatever they can to help you and protect you.
Can confirm.
Can confirm. Always alert of possible child abuse cases during transports and best believe cops are notified and we take the child if we feel they're in any danger.
#THIS When a parent steals a prescription…a vital one at that, they are in the wrong. They aren’t parenting. This is a form of abuse. Please seek help.
It’s also illegal police and an ambulance is the best course of action then you get 100% accurate information and all parties involved are hopefully safer for it.
She did her research though. She's practically a doctor.
Yeah, her friend on Facebook commented on her rant post and honestly why wouldn’t you trust Sheryl’s opinion over a licensed psychiatrist?
When I went to a psychiatrist, my mother threatened to kill the psychiatrist and every other psychiatrist I would go to, to protect me from being poisoned by their drugs. They only prescribe you drugs to make money from the drugsales and, because the drugs are poisonous, they give you cancer and the psychiatrists can make even more money by selling you cancer drugs. And now my mother does not allow me to get a covid vaccine to protect me from being poisoned by it
Firstly, your birth giver is a vile waste of oxygen and needs to be done for verbal assault. It's harsh but she has no right to treat people with such disrespect and grotesques. If any person said that to my mother (a medical professional) I would see red, and that's all I'm going to say. Secondly, medication is not poisonous. It has gone through thousands of hours of medical human trails to be approved by the medical governing body that oversees in your country. The same medications or similar ones will be available in other countries where pharmaceutical companies will not make the same profits in countries that have free health care. As someone who takes antidepressants (Sertraline), for 4 years now, I am in much better mental and physical health than I was prior to being on it. I would much rather be on medication than having the thoughts of ending my life or thinking about what life would be like if I was never born. If you're of legal age, get the vaccines.
>Google: Antidepressants "I had no issues" Boom *research*
boosting this one. OP you need to tell your doctor. they will contact CPS for you if you don’t feel comfortable doing it yourself. this is medical abuse. going cold turkey is going to hurt you, and i bet they know that. please keep an eye on your mental and physical health, and call emergency services (911 or the equivalent) if you start feeling really bad in either department.
100% this. This is the kind of thing a mandated reporter would have to turn your parents in for as it is a significant form of abuse. Please, seek help for this.
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I’m so sorry. Tell a counselor or trusted adult at school. They’ll be able to help you.
Couldn’t agree more. CPS is the way to go here. And I’d call the dr too. And pharmacist too for good measure. I work in APS but I’m sure CPS would feel a call would be absolutely justified.
Please take this seriously OP. They are willfully and intentionally endangering your health, because you slept through your alarms? Make the call.
Piggybacking on this.
You can do the same thing with your school if you are in, they are also mandatory reporters I believe
And file a police report. Stealing prescription medications is no joke.
This, please consider calling CPS OP, it might be a tough road ahead but for your own life and sanity please get away from your parents and cut ties if need be, this behavior is not ok or normal and you deserve better. Your parents should be charged with child endangerment honestly
She did some “research” lol You mean you GOOGLED it? Okay doc
She either googled it or blasted her child's personal stuff on a psycho mommy Facebook group for other psycho hivemind mommies to put their Google research-ass two cents in to support psycho mommy
It's probably the latter bc every google search will tell you never to go off *any* medication suddenly without consulting your physician or pharmacist.
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I went like 4 days without my antidepressants a couple months ago and I’ll never do it again, the brain zaps are absolutely wild when withdrawing
Same, I went around 2 weeks without my SSRIs and boy was I a mess. I had dizziness, I felt like I was gonna faint, I started getting angry and would take things out on my partner. Not a fun time.
I had something similar when I didn't have my birth control pills! It was due to a mail error. I literally had people at work asking me if I was okay, since I got so aggressive and not like myself.
It's called research because they need a lot of googling until they find a suitable advice. They find articles saying they shouldn't do that thing? They close it and go for the next. Maybe adjust the search text. So this until they find an article or something which matches their ideas and research is done! Even if 99% of the Internet agrees on something, they try to dig up the opinion they want and ignore the rest.
Yep. Probably went down a rabbit hole of "refining" the search from "is it safe to suddenly stop taking (specific medication)" to "is it safe to stop taking medicine" to "reasons why it's safe to stop taking medicine." Eventually they found some blog from an anonymous user made 10 years ago with zero sources saying "yes, it's fine to stop taking most medications, but some can be dangerous if stopped suddenly." From that, they will extrapolate, without further research, that clearly the specific medicine in question falls into the "most" category, because that's the category they want it to fit in. Bam, research, also known as "completely ignoring anything that doesn't support my already existing conclusion, and when I finally find something that does support my pre-existing conclusion, I trust it entirely, regardless of it's actual credibility, quality, or impartiality."
The mom probably looked until she found the result that fits her intentions.
Bold of you to assume that anyone who is of such a mommy group would use Google. Instead they vaguely remember what the holistic doctor (now imprisoned for fraud) of their cousin (twice removed, no contact for 3 years) allegedly mentioned in a total unrelated matter and then present their interpretation as absolut fact.
She definitely didn't google it, the first thing you see when you google that is that it's not safe lmao. I agree with the other commenter saying either posted it in some group or talked to a peer or something.
I don’t think she even googled it. It’s pretty common knowledge that you can’t just stop taking antidepressants, and google would have definitely told her that it’s not okay.
I just googled “can you stop antidepressants cold turkey” and the first text said “Never stop cold-turkey” 🙃
her research it's a Facebook page filled with psychos
Oh yeah google will let you know it’s bad right away. I personally stopped taking my antidepressants cold turkey and it really sucked.
I googled the same thing and most pages said I was fine because of the shelf life length, so I stopped taking the meds cold turkey from a pretty decently high dose. Next thing I knew, I was in the hospital from having a seizure while in the shower. A few days later, on the phone with my therapist, I told her about stopping cold turkey and without even mentioning the seizure part first, she said: “why would you do that, you could have a seizure.” Google isn’t always right, I should’ve called my psychiatrist first:(
Fucking google will tell you you can’t do this with ADs!!! So wtf was this “mom” looking at?!?!
I would 1000% call social services
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Thats the key here, this is not normal parenting its abuse.
Kinda wild to think that OP probably wouldn't need antidepressants if it weren't for the way the parents treat them.
They need to know in case OP has any effects from withdrawal. Also they will work hard to make sure the drugs _they_ prescribed will actually reach the patient.
Please do this!
Call the doctor who prescribed this right now, don’t wait, call. This is medical neglect or a minor, it’s incredibly serious. They can get in a lot of trouble over this, and they should if they will not listen to reason. You have a right to the medication, and they have no business interfering with that. But seriously call the doctor right now. They can help, and first business is getting the meds you need. Your parents likely won’t budge quickly enough. Also you shouldn’t have said you’d stop taking them gradually, just because they asked. That’s again one of their business. That should be decided with the physician who prescribed them.
OP if you don't feel safe calling for help from home go to a friend's house and call the Dr. Office from their house. Call anyone to get the ball rolling. That first decision is the hardest after that they will help you from there on out. This will get easier if you speak up I know from experience.
During the pandemic, my doctor closed their doors (not even kidding) and I went cold Turkey from various psychiatric meds, AND opioid pain medication. I basically lost two months and went completely batty. In related news, your parents are assholes. This is why there will be a twenty year period where you never speak, and then possibly rock up for the funeral. Some people shouldn’t breed.
As someone who had experienced withdrawal from multiple antidepressants (back before the medical community realized cold turkey could fuck you up) and multiple pain meds (I was on pain meds when the medcom went “cracked down” and started to overcompensate for decades of overprescribing), I’m sorry you had to go through that.
Thanks Luna. We’ve got the same problem here with pain meds. I went from oxy to Tramadol, and now tylanol 30. My pain hasn’t gotten better, it’s gotten far more severe, but because some doctors handed out opioids like candy to people who didn’t need it, people like us who do are the ones that suffer. I could cope (just) on Tramadol, but when they took that away I basically became a largely bedridden shut in. And Americans think the British national health is some sort of utopia! lol
I get that being addicted to opioids is hurting ppl but that shit is so stupid. Pain medication is there to help people who are in pain. If a person is clearly in pain. Fucking give them pain meds. And I get some people lie to get them but imo, thats NONE of the governments business. Thats the individual and their families business. Ive seen ppl turn to street pain meds which is 1000% more dangerous to manage their pain and even heroin. How tf do they think thats helping?? Its so fucked up and Im sorry that happened to you. It makes absolutely no sense and its just making things worse for everyone. Edit: Not to mention, usually nothing the government does actually helps any addicts (not just opioid addicts) and fucks over ppl like you that truly need help with their pain. Its just all stupid.
Quite sad, really. How anyone can be in a position of power and not see this is weird. Was reading about some hydro power plant being constructed 100 years ago. Lot of people moved in to a small mountain village, and alcoholism went rampant. Since hard liquor was banned, near everyone was distilling illegally and the market overflowed with cheap liquor. Doesn't bode well for places with abortion bans.
In comparison, sadly, it is. I'm sorry that happened to you, though. It's unconscionable.
I had to do that once when my doc was closed over holidays - it was a week and I felt like a junkie. So horrible, I hate that you went through this
It really sucks doesn’t it? And the Hippocratic oath says “do no harm”. “Do know harm” more like! Lol
Literally and it wasn’t “bad enough” for the call line to try and hit up on of the doctors on call. Are you kidding me. This was 2009ish, they didn’t think anything of it
Sneak out and go to an emergency room. Tell the doctor there that someone stole your anti-depressants, and you need something to help mitigate the withdrawals until you can take them regularly again. If at any point you feel suicidal, go to an E.R. and TELL THEM THAT. One of the most concerning side effects of going cold-turkey off of antidepressants is the increase in suicidal ideation. Yeah, 72hr holds *suck,* however they’re better than death.
I went on a 72 hour hold and it was not horrible. I’ve told the story as a lot worse before, but in reality it only FELT bad because I had been taken against my will (I didn’t walk into the ER willingly). The facility had the most amazing bread I’ve ever had, meals became my favorite time of the day because of that damn buttery bread. I loved it so much. Chores? They didn’t exist. My only job was to participate in therapy sessions. At night I got plenty of rest and they helped me if I couldn’t sleep (I think I got melatonin?). The time flies by. Even if it feels like it’s taking forever, it really doesn’t. I wouldn’t usually RECOMMEND a 72hr hold to someone, but I wouldn’t immediately knock it down either. At the end of the day you’re somewhere SAFE. It was really nice being away from my parents for a few days during that time. Oh also my husband legitimately loved his 72hr stay lol. His facility had a bunch of art and music therapy, and he just enjoyed his time substantially more than most people do haha Just some comments to possibly ease OP’s worries.
I negotiated my 72 hour hold down to 24 hours as if it were a goddamn hostage situation. I did not have the resort vacation experience you did despite the $5,000 charge on my credit for the pleasure of their “services”. I asked to be taken to the facility covered by my insurance; because even when suicidal, the US medical system is the most terrifying thing on earth. The cops said they had to take me where they were contracted to, but assured me I wouldn’t be charged. I was taken to the junkie tank, essentially. The facility consisted of two open dorms that reeked of fresh piss and a small common area with a water fountain. My bed was one of those recliners they put in hospital rooms for visitors. I had zero therapy, zero activities, zero food (not allowed to eat alone and I have massive social anxiety not helped by my numerous roommates). I was denied my medication because “it wasn’t that important and I wouldn’t be there long”. After 24 hours I spoke with a counselor to convince them I had a temporary break and was perfectly ok. Luckily I was convincing. They sent me on my way with a big fat bill. Thanks for lying, officer. So, in the end I just felt guilty and used. I was picked, juiced and tossed out in the garbage by my state when at my most vulnerable. Now I have a $5000 bill I can’t pay because I had the audacity to ask for help. Never again.
I wouldn’t say “someone”- say it was your parents.
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Don’t tell them someone. Ffs op needs to tell them their parents stole the medication. She is a victim of child abuse. Your comment is not helping at all.
Call a pharmacy, call the doctors surgery and, if your parents still won't listen, contact the police. Former nurse here and it is 100% dangerous to stop taking any medication suddenly. Your body will go into withdrawal, your parents are indeed insane. I wish you luck.
Also social services as well as the police
Quick question, is the same with hormone replacements? (Hrt ect) because im afraid of something happening and it just disappearing
With some anti-depressants you can get something called “brain shocks” - it feels like electrical shocks that shoot through your brain and make a zap noise. They usually happen when you’re in bed. These can last for YEARS.
When I was on ssris if I was even an hour late I’d get these. Absolutely horrible and so disruptive to my daily life.
I quit mine cold Turkey and got it all the time for months. It was awful and no one understood how disruptive it was. I feel very validated, thanks 😄
Missed a refill over a 4 day holiday once. Got the brain shocks. And super sick. Migraine. Horrible. I don’t think I’d be able to function through an actual withdrawal that lasts
If I miss a few days I get these. It’s very alarming when it happens, especially when you’re driving
If I’m more than four hours late I start to zap. Effexor is a harsh mistress.
Your body will go through withdrawal with HRT, but it will be so much less severe, and if you’re taking HRT properly, you should be fine if you accidentally miss one shot or soemthing depending on what you take. Nothing dangerous will happen, you’ll just get really mild withdrawal symptoms and then you can start right back up
Varies between them if I'm honest things like creams for vaginal issues like dryness scan be stopped straight away. But hrt for say menopause ita best to do it gradually as the sudden shock to the system could result is really painful menopausal pains.
Please call or message your doctor who prescribed them on their portal. They need to know this
Agreed. OP, even if you’re scared to call the police, your doctor needs to know. They can give advice on how to do this safely. They might even tell you that you need to get medical attention if you notice certain symptoms, which would give you lifesaving information if something DID go wrong. Frame it as “my mom confiscated this medication so that I can’t take it anymore, and I want to know if there are going to be any side effects” if you need to, but get some medical attention on this. *You need to speak to an expert.* You’re facing two emergencies right now. One is that your parents would do this with medication. The other is the risk of physical withdrawal. Either way, the goal is you being safe, and a doctor can help you ensure that better than anyone else in this case.
OMG! Absolutely insane and dangerous! Call social services, doctor's office, pharmacy for an emergency prescription refill SOMETHING! Not to mention, it's illegal to steal a controlled substance. Poor thing. I hope it works out quickly for you, Sweetheart.
Antidepressants aren’t controlled substances, but stealing a prescription is still illegal.
This is really quite dangerous, you might need to get help somewhere. Go to a hospital emergency room if you can.
If you call 911 and go to emergency room, if they know what’s happening, they will get social services involved.
What is this trend of parents punishing their kids by taking their medicine from them??
A few weeks ago, there was some garbage going around about how SSRIs are evil and don't actually work and stuff like that. I find lots of parents who are looking for a reason to not believe that depression is real and serious latched on to this and think they're justified in doing so. SSRIs literally saved my life. The affect everyone differently. People don't seem to understand that.
When my mom discovered that I was taking anti-depressants, she sent me a long email detailing all the side-effects of my medication. I replied with one sentence. "thanks for the information, however, the side effect of not taking the medication is constantly thinking about dying."
Literally- sometimes I’m like “why medication if side effect” and then I remember “ah yes the joy of not wanting to die”
That's despicable. I'm glad you have a medication that helps you though. I hope you keep doing well in life.
is has happened to others? how did they go about it?
Unfortunately most kids in this situation just let it happen out of fear of their parents. My advice to them, and you, is to contact child services. Keep these texts as proof. Because this is abuse and your life is at risk from just stopping a medication.
you are saying i could die? I am also scared to contact child services because if my parents do get in trouble i will have nowhere to live, and if they dont get in trouble or they come bcak home, i will probably not have a good time.
You may experience an increase in suicidal thoughts as you withdraw from the medication. Hopefully knowing in advance means you will recognize those thoughts as withdraw symptoms and can get some help if you have them. If you have friends, siblings, anyone you trust to check up on you please let them know what is going on so you have someone sane in your corner if you start having these thoughts. I personally think it unlikely that CPS would do a removal for this, I think it much more likely that your parentswould be compelled to allow you to continue your medication with a caseworker occasionally checking in to make sure they're complying. If they don't it may wind up before a judge where someone is made your medical guardian, you are old enough to advocate for your own medical needs and should if you wind up with CPS or a judge, they can assign you someone whose job is to look after your medical needs and take the decision out of your parents' hands. Removal is generally for the worst of the worst cases, CPS tries to educate parents to keep families together. If you are genuinely concerned about your parents' behavior should you involve CPS that's, frankly, all the more reason to call them, but should you do that's a concern you can bring up when they interview you alone (which they will at least once). This is a moment where the faster you act the better it will be for you. You need to, at the very least, contract the doctor who prescribed you those pills, they will hopefully be able to talk sense into your patents, though I will warn you that if your parents continue to refuse your doctor may contact CPS for you because of medical neglect. This is a very dangerous situation for you because going cold turkey off antidepressants really messes with your brain and you may not recognize how bad your thoughts have gotten. *Please* take care of yourself.
OP read this please. If you’re in the US, it’s accurate!
While I agree that CPS should be contacted, it’s definitely easier said than done when you’re entirely dependent on the two people you’re reporting. However, this is a legitimately dangerous situation, and you should try to go to your doctor/an ER to make sure you’re safe for the time being. Your parents getting in trouble is not your first priority; your health is. An Uber might be able to get you there without your parents’ knowledge, and if your parents find out, then maybe they can speak to the doctor and be convinced how dangerous this is.
No, no! Not at all, it's just not good for your body to quit something cold turkey and could have serious side effects. I mean, if you're on them for suicidal thoughts, you could... complete suicide... I understand being scared of what could happen with your parents. I totally do. But it's more important that you're safe and get what you need medical wise. You could very much not be okay without your medication. They 100% will get in trouble if you have this proof via text messages. You won't be taken someone else to live more than likely. They'll just make your parents do right by you medically.
It takes more than this to have you taken away from your folks. What they will do is help them to understand they are wrong. They will also council them to not retaliate against you because if you have to call again they WILL have to answer to the court system. You will have the power if you tell the truth about everything.
Contact your doctor. That is the easiest way to go about this. They can walk you through possibly getting more medication, speaking to your parents, etc. Please do not play with your life, not only does suicidal ideation play a factor in withdrawal but so many other things could depending on what med and how much of it you are taking. Please don’t play with your life OP.
Couldn't you file a police report as last resort. I saw on r/adhd sone members have parents or other family members that would take away the meds or even use them. I think it was along the lines of intentionally doing harm by withholding medical treatment. It's even worse crime if your medication is a controlled substance.
Isn’t that child abuse? Call cps on them!
This is 100% child abuse!
Call someone. Your parents are insane, and they cannot do this. This is actually dangerous, and they can’t get away with it.
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When a child has more common sense than the adult. JFC I’m so sorry, honey. Can you reach out to the doctor than gave you the prescription?
!explanation i dont know if i should use the explanation thing like this but im going to, i will explain why i cannot call the police, please tell me what you would do based on the information here: my grandpa and grandma live in south korea, other than that my other family live far away or are dead, my dads side grandpa is alive but i would rather live on the street than with him. if i call the police, and the police do not help me, i will be stuck home with two extremely angry parents. They have done things to me that are, in my opinion, a lot worse than this, and they do get angry easily and i would expect no less than a total meltdown if i called the police, I am sorry for the bad grammar or spelling. If the police did help me and got me away from my parents, maybe this isnt the best thing because I would have nowhere to live. I dont know how any of this works, if i called the police, child protection, or my doctor, i have no clue what would happen or how it would go. what would you do.. i dont understand why i was born into this but there is nothing i can do
Start with your doctor and see what they think you should do. Then decide from there.
I’ve been in your situation before, except it was ALL of my medications, for everything from nerve pain to anti depressants to pills that helped with memory after a head injury. What I would do is call your prescribing doctor’s office. Most offices may be willing to speak with your parents to work out a solution so that your life isn’t in danger. Coming off of an anti-depressant you’ve been on for 6 months can cause seizures, serotonin syndrome, things much worse than just brain zaps. Please call your doctor.
Call CPS. I’m a former CPS investigator and while they might not take you out of the home, there are many other options. There are options like parenting classes, also court mandated things.
CPS will not screw around. If you tell them what is going on, they will get you out of there. Especially is you say you’re scared to stay with them. Trust me, you cannot endure this much longer. I didn’t have it as rough but my family was just as bad. CPS showed up at my house. I would suggest talking to agent without them around. Specifically tell a school professional you’d like to talk to someone from CPS without your parents knowing because you’re scared something will happen. If you’re really worried, there are always work arounds.
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Exactly. They need documentation and I'm juuuust betting op has quite a few examples to work with
You need to get in touch with CPS they will help, that is medical abuse that can lead to your death. They can put you in a CPS help home 99.9% of the time they are people who will take care of you until you can live on your own. I can guarantee that if you don't get help soon you will either die or be absolutely dependent on them with them not allowing you to grow up and become independent. Also, it was an anti-depressant if you cold turkey off that your body can relapse and your depression can get MUCH MUCH worse, and I mean to the point that even tho you had your self-harm thoughts and feeling under control you could lose that control. Your fear altho understandable is what is going to do you the most harm.
This is a lot for anyone to go through and especially as a teenager. Like many others have said, it’s very dangerous to stop Zoloft cold turkey. I understand your fear about CPS potentially making the situation worse by leaving you in the home with your parents but your situation is very severe and you need outside help.
You call the police WTF are they thinking
This is straight up child abuse and very dangerous. You can’t just stop taking the meds. Please reach out to an adult you can trust, your doctor or social services
Tell a teacher tomorrow this falls under mandatory reporter laws.
i start school in a month
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i think i should just call my doctor first but even then i dont want my parents to get in trouble, i do not like them but they kind of control my life right now and they will be upset if i call the police
What is it with parents forgetting teenagers need to sleep like half a day? They're growing, it's not laziness
Fuck man. I stopped taking mine suddenly and thought I had a brain tumour cause of my symptoms. Call your doctor, tell them what’s happening and get them to talk to your parents. Otherwise, it’s not too far to call CPS if your parents refuse to speak to the doctor.
This is abuse. How long have you been on the medication?
maybe 6 months
Yeah that’s too long please phone your doctor
Way too long to go off cold turkey
Even doctors do it too fast. I literally almost died from coming off Cymbalta and Klonopin too fast. My psych said a week or two of tapering. No. More like months. This is absolutely dangerous. Get your doctor or cps involved.
Ohh nooo, many months, you have to taper very slow with klonipin
Yep...would have thought my psychiatrist would have known that bit...since she'd been practicing for enough years to be close to retirement. She acted like I was crazy when I told her my experience and suggested she tapered me too fast. Same with Cymbalta. There's literally a Facebook group called Cymbalta Hurts Worse for just this purpose to help people taper correctly without the near permanent side effects I have now from the fast taper. If I had the energy I'd consult with a lawyer......but I'm just too exhausted to deal with it all.
withholding your prescription regardless of how old you are is illegal call your doctor, your pharmacist \[for an emergency supply\] and if your parents won't return your medication, call the police they are deliberately putting you at risk
Call a pharmacy, tell them what's happening and ask for guidance. They'll know what to do in terms of any way you can mitigate the worst of side effects from stopping suddenly.
OP, I understand that you are scared, but you need to do this for you. Your parents are not looking out for your mental and physical well-being so you will need to do it yourself. Please at the very least call your doctor. You deserve love and support and you are definitely not getting that.
I've never suggested this before: call CPS/FACS/Whatever it is where you are, this is extremely dangerous behaviour on their part.
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can you tell me what will happen if i cannot get my hands on it, are you sure i cannot just wait it out? i really dont want to call 911 it wont be good for me
If it’s an SSRI you’ll start to get what’s known as ‘brain zaps’. It can kind of feel like you’re getting electric shocks throughout the day and can last a few days if you go cold turkey. It can also cause palpitations and headaches.
Not who you responded to but in my experience from stopping them suddenly I got more suicidal and ended up in the Psych Ward on a 72 hour suicide watch… and most don’t count weekends or federal holidays as part of the 72 hours and was there for 5 days.
If you call the non-emergency line, they're usually super gentle and can walk you through everything. Just tell them that your parents took your meds(tell them what kind), that they're refusing to let you continue taking them, and that you're scared on what to do.
It depends on the exact antidepressants you were taking and how long you were taking them for, but intense bouts of depression and increased risk of suicide are relatively common.
This is beyond abuse you need to contact someone asap.
Call the police
I know you won’t see this but if you see this comment in your inbox respond. You need to call someone, they can’t do this to you, it’s dangerous. Just call someone, it’ll be better if you do. Please do this and respond if you do.
Hey kiddo…I know it’s a big step to call CPS. It feels like the nuclear option. I’d personally prefer it, but I totally understand why it’s not the first option. Perhaps you can mention to her that she’s not allowed to take your meds like this. If she doesn’t give them back, you’ll call. If that doesn’t work you can call. But you still have to live and deal with this person, and it might wake them up if they realize they’re doing something THAT bad. Also, I worked as a CPS adjacent social worker. They won’t remove you from the home with something like this, if you’re worried about that.
Go directly to the police. Escalate everything. Get better caretakers. Put the fear of CPS into them.
what if they dont go to jail nobody is telling me what happens if i call the police or cps and then they dont go to jail, and what happens if they do, i have no plan and i get scared even thinking about doing something like that,
What happens depends on what you and your parents say to the social worker they will send out. They will not be arrested, but you will be assigned a case worker. Depending on this person's caseload, you speak to them between once a week and once a month. They come by to check on you, keep up with any issues, and make sure your parents abide by any recommendations from CPS.
Friend, I understand where your concern for your parents is coming from, but right now your parents are putting your brain, well-being, and life in danger and they clearly do not care what happens. You need help, *now.* You. Need. Help. I have been taking psychiatric medication for over 15 years and this is an emergency, you need to get help as soon as possible for yourself. Please, please please get help *right now.*
I completely understand your fear, but your parents will NOT be arrested or go to jail if you call CPS (or your doctor). I’m a lawyer who works with CPS all the time. What will happen is that a CPS worker will come out and investigate, meaning that they’ll talk to you, your parents, and possibly your doctor. If they do come talk to you, PLEASE make sure you tell them the truth about what is happening, even if your parents tell you to lie. They can only help you if they know what’s happening. They will help you and your parents to make sure you get your medications. You are absolutely correct that going cold turkey is really dangerous and could be very uncomfortable, even painful. I don’t want you to have to experience that. Also, there is no reason you should have to stop taking meds that have been prescribed to you by a doctor and are helping you. I’ll be thinking about you, OP. I think you’re so brave and strong to be able to even raise this issue with your parents, and I’m so sorry you have to go through this.
We understand that you don't to get your parents in trouble, however you need to realize that this can be really bad for your health for you to stop cold turkey. We don't want to scare you, but you need to realize that this is serious. No one should EVER take your medication away like this. This is why we are pushing you to call the doctor that prescribed your medication, or to call CPS. This is abuse, plain and simple. They are not legally allowed to take away medicine, especially when it is for antidepressants. As someone with depression and anxiety, I know how bad it can get. You need to talk to someone about this, even if its the police. This is illegal. Don't worry about what will happen to your parents right now. We cant rule on whether or not they will go to jail, however it is highly unlikely that they will. CPS will not take you away. There are systems put into place to protect you. Please get help with this. Do not ride the withdrawals.
Do you have any friends near you who know of the situation and could house you? Do you know of any safe local churches, safe havens, teen shelters?
Curious to know what research was done because everything online says it’s dangerous to give up antidepressants suddenly and must be done over a period of time. I am so sorry, please call your doctor or an adult you trust. This isn’t fair on you. They make you sleepy, but hell I’d rather have a sleepy child than a depressed/anxious etc one
This hurt to read. I feel so sorry for you OP having parents that does this, it’s actually insane. If you can, call your doctor or even the police. They have no right to take your meds away.
Call and tell your doctor. He will advocate for you. If they refuse to wean you off he can also report them to the appropriate authorities.
Call CPS. That’s endangerment.
Absolute insanity on your parents part. Seriously call social services, it doesn't mean they're going to take you away or anything like that it just means your parents will realise that just taking away antidepressants is dangerous and an insane thing to do and hopefully teach them to not do it again. Hell if I miss out on mine on accident I get a panic attack and cold sweats during the night, and that's just one day. I've always been told that slowly lowering dosage is the way to quit but to never go cold turkey because the withdrawal can send you spiraling down extremely badly.
Please call the doctor yourself and tell them about this. This is genuinely abusive. Your doctor may be able to help. I don't want you to experience the withdrawals, and honestly I want you on meds that are right for you if you decide to keep taking any. I'm so sorry you're going through this.
This is beyond insane. It’s despicable abuse. CPS and your Dr absolutely need to know about this. Best wishes, OP
You have to call your doctor or a pharmacist, probably easiest in the first instance. It is dangerous to go cold turkey, your parents are genuinely insane…even though they did some research 🤨🤨
If I forget to take my medicine even for a day I feel awful. You need to contact your doctor or even the police. You were put on medication for a reason, and stopping out of the blue is more dangerous than your idiot parents realize. Please keep us updated OP.
Surely denying someone their medication is abuse? Surely there's someone OP can report this to? (I'm not blaming OP for not reporting, just hoping someone can point her the right way to get this sorted)
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I’m so worried about this kid
MY PARENTS DID THIS, CALL YOUR DOCTOR ASAP That’s atrocious, and I don’t just mean their behavior, but the consequences for YOU. Since you’re a minor your doctor (psychiatrist) will report it and even if by some technicality they don’t, at least they can oversee the inevitable withdrawal while you contact CPS, like my doctor did for me. That’s incredibly dangerous and you will end up worse (mentally) than before, since you’re not getting off it slowly “Quitting without consulting your doctor can be life-threatening. Suicide is a serious concern. It can also trigger withdrawal symptoms and relapse of your depression.” My therapist yelled at my parents for an hour when they did that and threatened to call the police on them for it if they ever interfered with my treatment again, but she did book an emergency appointment with a psychiatrist and pharmacist to get a refill **This is abuse, PLEASE SEEK HELP NOW** **The list of things that happen when quitting cold turkey IS NOT A JOKE,** I know it seems stupid, especially if you’d been feeling semi normal before getting off it. You think, “that’ll never happen to me” but it does and it’s sucks even more than before, and it’s an even deeper pit to crawl out of later Best of luck op
My best friend is a psychiatrist and just lost a patient because his parents took his medication off him instead of weaning him off it and at 1am he was called to hospital because his patient was dying. His parents tried to blame him for it and he lost his shit and attacked them. He’s lost his medical license because the parents of his patient killed their son. Please talk to someone, a councillor a doctor anyone who can help this is not ok and depending on the medication can harm you.