This page brings together reliable external information about antidepressants, withdrawal symptoms, reducing medication and finding urgent support. It is intended as a starting point, not a substitute for individual advice from a qualified healthcare professional.
Different organisations do not always use the same language or describe delayed and prolonged withdrawal in the same way. Guidance may also change, so check the original source and the date it was last reviewed.
Do not stop, restart or change the dose of an antidepressant solely because of something you read here or elsewhere online. Discuss medication decisions with your prescriber, pharmacist or another appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
UK guidance and patient information
- NHS — Antidepressants
General information about antidepressants, withdrawal symptoms and stopping medication. - NICE — Depression in adults: treatment and management
UK clinical recommendations, including recognising and managing withdrawal symptoms. - Royal College of Psychiatrists — Stopping antidepressants
Detailed patient information about withdrawal, tapering principles and matters to discuss with a prescriber.
Medication information and reporting side effects
- Electronic medicines compendium (emc) — Search for current patient information leaflets and regulated information about licensed medicines.
- MHRA Yellow Card Scheme — Report suspected side effects, problems with medicines or concerns that a medicine has not worked properly.
Urgent help and emotional support
This website cannot provide emergency or crisis support.
- Immediate danger — If you or someone else is in immediate danger, has seriously harmed themselves, has taken an overdose or cannot stay safe, call 999 or go to A&E now.
- NHS urgent mental-health help — If help is needed urgently but it is not an immediate emergency, use NHS 111 online or call 111 and select the mental-health option.
- Samaritans — Call 116 123 free, at any time of day or night, for emotional support from a trained volunteer.
- Outside the UK — Contact your local emergency service or mental-health crisis service.
PAWS Long-Term lived-experience resources
The following pages and videos describe my personal experience. They may help readers feel less alone and prepare questions to discuss with healthcare professionals, but they do not provide medical advice or predict what will happen to another person.
- Start Here — Important safety information and a suggested route through the website.
- Articles — Lived-experience articles about antidepressant withdrawal, symptoms, timing and practical coping.
- My Story — My experiences of paroxetine and venlafaxine withdrawal and why I created PAWS Long-Term.
- Protracted withdrawal video diary — Personal videos about my continuing recovery, daily experiences, waves and windows.
External links last checked: October 2026.