Hi I’m Emma and for half a decade I have been on a journey with psych med harm and withdrawal – and by that I mean prescribed harm caused by medications such as antidepressants, benzodiazepines and antipsychotics. I experienced no one believing me, getting wrongly diagnosed and being continuously mistreated. No one could support me or tell me what was happening, as I experienced the huge variety of terrifying symptoms, one being akathisia where you pace for hours on end. Due to being misunderstood and often completely dismissed, I got all the wrong advice and support. I must have gone to over 30 medical professionals within a year, none of whom recognised that it was the medication itself that had caused the challenges I was facing.

I started doing my research and found videos on YouTube of others who had gone through this. 5 years ago there wasn’t much out there, but enough for the penny to drop and for me to know that I was not going insane and my gut instinct was onto something. I spent every waking hour researching how to heal again and finding the right people to support me. I know how important it is to have support going through this, and to get grounded information from someone who has walked the same path as you.

I have been coaching people through this for the last 3 years, building my platform and building awareness around this very neglected area of harm from psychiatry. My coaching is not about telling you what to do; I work with the individual and tailor the support to what feels like the most helpful, drawing on my lived experience and what I have learnt from supporting others through this.

~ Emma, The Psych Med Sanctuary