Book a sessionThe main rule: never stop on your own
Antidepressants change brain chemistry, and the brain adapts to them. Abrupt discontinuation or tapering too fast causes withdrawal syndrome: dizziness, "brain zaps", anxiety, insomnia, irritability, flu-like symptoms. A systematic review by Davies & Read (2019) found that about half of people experience withdrawal effects, and for some they last weeks or months.
There is a second trap: withdrawal symptoms are easily mistaken for "the depression coming back", leading people to resume the drug, convinced they cannot manage without it. This is why the tapering schedule is set by a psychiatrist, often following a "hyperbolic" pattern (Horowitz & Taylor, 2019): the lower the dose, the slower it is reduced.
Why the state returns after stopping
Antidepressants relieve symptoms but do not change what triggered the depression: the way you respond to stress, suppressed emotions, beliefs about yourself, chronic overload. While the medication works, these mechanisms are muted. After stopping, they become audible again, and if nobody has worked on them, depression returns.
That is why the best time for psychotherapeutic work is while you are still on medication, before tapering begins. When you approach discontinuation with already changed responses, the risk of relapse is much lower.
What hypnotherapy does along the way
What exactly led to the depression: loss, exhaustion, trauma, relationships, unfulfilment. In trance this is far clearer than in ordinary conversation.
Beliefs like "I cannot cope", "I am a burden", "this will never end" are rewritten at the subconscious level, exactly where they trigger the depressive loop.
Self-hypnosis techniques give quick access to a state of calm. This matters most during tapering, when anxiety and insomnia can flare up.
When your psychiatrist starts reducing the dose, hypnotherapy helps you tell temporary withdrawal symptoms from a real worsening, and not panic.
We build an image of life without medication and the resources for it. The brain starts looking for confirmation of this image rather than the old one.
What the research shows
What the optimal scenario looks like
- You continue your medication and start hypnotherapy in parallel (4–6 sessions).
- Your state stabilizes: sleep, energy and stress responses change independently of the dose.
- You discuss readiness to taper with your psychiatrist and receive a schedule.
- During the taper: 1–2 supportive sessions and daily self-hypnosis techniques.
- After full discontinuation: a follow-up meeting after 1–2 months.
FAQ
Can I stop antidepressants with the help of hypnosis?+
No. Hypnosis does not stop medication; your doctor does. Hypnotherapy works with the cause of depression and helps you get through the taper without the state returning.
Should I start hypnotherapy while still taking antidepressants?+
Yes, this is the best time. The medication stabilizes you, and we have time to change the responses that led to depression before tapering begins.
Do antidepressants interfere with entering trance?+
No. Most people on antidepressants enter trance without difficulty. Occasionally a little more slowly, which we account for.
What if my state worsens during tapering?+
Tell your doctor; they decide whether it is withdrawal or relapse and whether to adjust the schedule. Hypnotherapy supports you, but medication decisions belong to the psychiatrist.
Do you work together with a client's psychiatrist?+
If you wish, yes. I do not interfere with medical decisions, but I can stay in touch if your doctor needs information about your psychological progress.
References
- Horowitz M.A., Taylor D. (2019). Tapering of SSRI treatment to mitigate withdrawal symptoms. The Lancet Psychiatry.
- Davies J., Read J. (2019). A systematic review into the incidence, severity and duration of antidepressant withdrawal effects. Addictive Behaviors.
- Royal College of Psychiatrists. Stopping antidepressants — patient information.
- Milling L.S., Valentine K.E., McCarley H.S., LoStimolo L.M. (2019). A meta-analysis of hypnotic interventions for depression symptoms: high hopes for hypnosis? American Journal of Clinical Hypnosis.