Medication Withdrawal: What It Is and How to Recognize It

When someone stops taking a medication abruptly and starts feeling unwell, the immediate conclusion is often: "I'm going through withdrawal." Dr. Saulitis suggests pausing and asking a different question first: what was this medication actually treating?

An analogy that reframes everything

Consider a person with diabetes who stops taking insulin and feels significantly worse within days. Nobody calls that "insulin dependence" — it's obvious that without insulin, the underlying illness returns. The same logic applies when someone stops an antidepressant or another psychiatric medication: the deterioration may not be withdrawal in a strict sense, but rather the return of the symptoms the medication was keeping under control.

Dependence is not the same as medical necessity

Dr. Saulitis draws a clear line: dependence means that the same dose gradually stops working and must be increased to achieve the same effect — a growing tolerance. If someone takes the same dose for years and it continues to relieve their symptoms, that is treatment, not dependence.

What to consider when you feel worse after stopping

If stopping a medication has led to feeling unwell, the first step is not to panic or draw conclusions alone. Three things need to be clarified:

• What the medication was treating — what diagnosis or condition was behind the prescription.
• How and why it was discontinued — some medications require a slow, gradual taper; according to Dr. Saulitis, for certain antidepressants this process takes around four months.
• What to do next — if the underlying cause is addressed through another approach, the need for the original medication may resolve on its own.

The key takeaway

Feeling unwell without a medication does not automatically mean dependence or withdrawal. It is a signal: something needs to be understood about the original condition, and a plan should be built together with a specialist.