Feeling Stuck on Antidepressants in Midlife? How to Taper Off Safely with Mark Horowitz, PhD
56 million Americans are on antidepressants — and 25 million have been for more than five years. Psychiatry researcher and de-prescribing expert Dr. Mark Horowitz unpacks what antidepressants are actually doing to your brain and body over the long term, including effects on mood, weight, sleep, memory, and sexual function. Watch the full episode at https://youtu.be/30Y9eMEqltA
BETTER! Muscle, Mobility, Metabolism & (Peri) Menopause with Dr. Stephanie · Dr. Stephanie Estima, Mark Horowitz PhD.
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Show Notes
This episode is essential for millions of women who’ve been on antidepressants for years or even decades. Dr. Mark Horowitz https://www.outro.com/about/outro, a British-Australian psychiatry researcher, neuroscientist, and lead author of clinical deprescribing guidelines, offers an honest conversation about the science, marketing myths, and long-term effects of antidepressants, including emotional numbing, weight gain, disrupted sleep, and cognitive changes. Dr. Horowitz explains the difference between addiction and physical dependence, why withdrawal symptoms are often mistaken for relapse, and the evidence-based method of hyperbolic tapering.
Whether you’ve been on an antidepressant for two years or twenty, you’ll leave with smart questions for your prescriber, a clear sense of your own readiness, and reassurance that tapering off slowly and carefully has a success rate of over 90%.
Episode Overview:
(0:00) Intro/Teaser
(6:00) Midlife Misdiagnosis
(11:00) How Life Events Became Medicalized and Why That Matters
(18:00) Long-Term Side Effects
(27:00) The Serotonin Hypothesis
(31:00) Addiction vs. Physical Dependence
(39:00) Withdrawal vs. Relapse: How to Tell the Difference
(49:00) Hyperbolic Tapering Explained
(57:00) How to Know if You're Ready to Come Off Your Antidepressant
(1:10:00) What to Say to Your Doctor
(1:17:00) The After-Party with Dr. Stephanie
Resources mentioned: https://drstephanieestima.com/podcasts/ep461
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P.S. When you're ready, here are two ways Dr. Stephanie can help you:
Subscribe: The Mini Pause — My weekly newsletter packed with the most actionable, evidence-based tools for women 40+ to thrive in midlife.
Build Muscle: LIFT — My progressive strength training program designed for women in midlife. Form-focused, joint-friendly, and built for real results.
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