Welcome to The Psych Med Sanctuary
Having been through psych med withdrawal myself, I've seen the huge gap of information in our modern medical world.
I offer coaching calls: a friendly voice in the darkness.
I also create videos, podcasts and information to help people find their way through this.
In need of support?
"It Has Become Appallingly Obvious That Our Technology Has Exceeded Our Humanity" ~ Albert Eintein
This site is for people harmed or in withdrawal from psych medication.
My stance is not to be completely anti medication and there is no judgement to those who are on medication. There are moments it has its place, however having experienced the harmful side myself, I want to open up the conversation for those how are being harmed by these medications so people can get the right support.
Through my own experience of being harmed by medication and finding many other people, I saw and experienced the huge gaps in information when it comes to getting the right support for this sort of harm.
I certainly found trusting doctors to give me the right guidelines was challenging. I went through 30 doctors and did not get the right diagnoses, being ‘Benzo withdrawal, Benzo tolerance’, or ‘Antidepressant and Antipsychotic withdrawal’ sadly they all do exist, from a mild to severe degree.
Doctors often blame the patient for their symptoms.
This was my experience and what I have heard from countless others I have met on this journey. As all this is still very much not recognised by medical professionals. Side effects and symptoms are being diagnosed as mental health issues. Doctors (not all) are putting people on Benzos as an everyday medication, when it’s meant for short term or crisis, often to then cold turkey people off it, with no taper, or a taper but it’s nowhere near long enough. The need to taper very slow can also be the case for many people who want to come off their Antidepressants or Antipsychotics, again a doctors will tell you things like, ‘just stop taking these or a 2 week taper should be fine’. Tapering patients off far too quickly, when they need a slow gradual taper, and for many it can take months to years for some people to safely come off these medications.
However I do stress, we are all different that is the important factor in this, I was on the chemically sensitive end of the spectrum, where as some people can tolerate these medications without getting adverse reactions and some can come off them much easier. This is where much confusion and ‘ that’s not possible ‘ can come in to all this. When some get harmed and some don’t.
Everyone’s story is going to be different, as I say some get off lightly, for example, have no problem doing a rapid taper that many doctors will advise you to do. However some cannot tolerate it at all and end up severely harmed for months to years of their lives.
The difference in how some people are ok to take these medications and some are not shows that our individual make up is never the same, I liken it to covid, some of us got really affected by the virus and some didn’t at all, I think this tells us our nervous systems are unique.
Through my experience I have been shown the people suffering and harmed by medication.
Before this the word medication would mean very little to me, I had no idea about any of this! For those reading this going through withdrawal, you are not alone.
People are often polydrugged once in withdrawal from a psych medication i.e – a benzodiazepine, antidepressant or antipsychotic, due to doctors thinking you’re experiencing severe mental health problems and then medicating your ‘craziness’, when it more often that not makes you worse. Once your nervous system is harmed in this way, more medication can be challenging fir your system to take.
I have a very layered and deep overall experience of the challenging side of psych medications.
During my time going through the medical system I got given many medications due to the initial harm/withdrawal being seen as a mental health disorder.
I found that doctors/ psychiatrists tended to just want to medicate symptoms. Ironically in my case the symptoms being from the medication itself.
I have shared my story through my podcast and videos, covering many different topics in this very layered and terrifying experience.
I offer help and guidance, from all the sources that have helped me get to where I am so far.
Do check out the useful info page for links and contacts to help you along your way.
I have updated the about me section with my current taper journey and where I am at.
What I Offer
I always knew I would become a therapist or healer of some sort later in life.
I have always been interested in how us humans work. And really looking at what can help us cure trauma, an ongoing discovery.
Prior to medication harm, I have had to work through my own traumas . I worked through them holistically, without medication, due to knowing I was sensitive to most chemicals. However, ironically I ended up on a whole bunch of medication for tinnitus, really by trusting the doctor, as many of us do.
I am currently furthering my counselling training to keep learning and growing on a transpersonal counselling level 4, this is something I plan to develop in the future.
I have been on a life long self development journey, and spent much time observing the art of life.
I’m have been coaching people through this for the last 3 years as a psych med withdrawal coach. There are a few cropping up now, as this is really something that people are needing in this world of over medicating mental health and then leaving people coming off medications far too quickly. This kind of coaching is not me telling you what to do. It is importantly tailored to what people really need in this scary experience, which is validation, support and guidance from a grounded place, using my lived experience and what I have learnt from helping others through this over these 3 years.
I know that speaking to someone who really understands this can be healing in itself.
I help you gain clarity on where to turn next and how to get through it. And very importantly we go on your individual experience. This is not medical advice or clinical support.
We are all different and each person’s history with this is different, there is no one way to do this.
There are certainly things to avoid, but we must listen to our body and our individual experience to feel out what is effecting us and how.
You can find more information on what I offer on the bookings page.
Much love,
Emma x
Kind words from clients
I contacted Emma in need of support as I was going through a very, very rough time after being cold turkey‘d off of Klonopin.
A series of mistakes were made in some bad advice, prolonged my suffering, and my intensity of suffering.
I found Emma’s support to be incredibly well rooted in understanding… (Which of course she got from her own personal history), she’s a fantastic listener. She’s honestly really a breath of fresh air…& provides really, really solid advice, but really tends to not be a “pressuring” or “lecturing” sort of person at all, which I found very refreshing. I know that she comes from a place of love…
She also has a fantastic sense of humor, and there are times even in the worst of times, in the greatest moments of suffering, where a sense of humor and having someone to talk to who talks to you, like an equal rather than a 'patient' can be the most helpful form of therapeutic care.
I am grateful for Emma, and I will contact her again on occasion when I need that kind of lift that only she can provide."
Emma has been a shining light in the darkness of my life during protracted withdrawals from benzodiazepines. My doctor prescribed Klonopin to me and I had no idea what it was or what a benzodiazepine was. I was experiencing a little bit of anxiety and I trusted my doctor and started taking it. She gave me no informed consent and didn’t tell me anything about dependency. I didn’t do any research because I trusted her.
After a month on the medication, I didn’t feel right and I felt numb. I let my doctor know I wanted to come off the medication and then she said I had to taper. I didn’t even know what tapering was. She took me off of it too quickly and it threw me into withdrawals and then I went into protracted withdrawals for two years.
When I met Emma, I had been in severe protracted withdrawals with severe akathisia, and all the other symptoms that come with benzodiazepine brain injury. I had gone to many many doctors and psychiatrists, and they all kept telling me it was me and I was crazy and wouldn’t believe that it was benzo withdrawal. I was poly drugged on approximately 30 different meds which were kindling the brain injury. I didn’t know the meds were causing further injury because I didn’t know what was wrong with me. So the doctors just kept giving me different meds and then told me I was noncompliant because I would tell them they made me feel worse. I also was in a psych ward because the psychiatrists didn’t know what else to do with me. That was a horrible experience as well.
One day a friend of mine saw me in severe distress and akathisia, she started researching and found Emma online. It’s really a travesty that there’s no help other than finding people online to guide you through this process. I live in the United States so I also found a tapering coach and a provider here as well as Emma in the UK.
When I first met Emma, I was barely stabilized because I had to reinstate, she knew everything I was going through because she experienced it herself. If it wasn’t for Emma, I don’t think I would be alive today. She has helped me and guided me through this process. She lets me talk about everything that I’m going through and answers my questions about my experience and what she went through and validated what I’m experiencing.
I’m at the beginning of my tapering journey and it’s been rough. It’s not an easy thing to go through, but the slow tapering is the only way to get through the process of getting off the psychiatric meds safely and heal your brain.
I’m deeply indebted to Emma and will forever be grateful and thankful that she came into my life. She’s caring , knowledgeable, very witty and provides support for the difficult process of helping others safely get off of these medications. I know she will walk with me through this process and help me get to the other side.
Thank you, Emma.
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DISCLAIMER: The information and opinions presented here are not intended to take the place of medical advice. Do not ever suddenly stop taking a benzodiazepine, antidepressant, antipsychotic or Zdrug. I disclaim any liability or loss in conjunction with the information that is presented on this website.