REFRESH DALLAS · DEPRESCRIBING
Tapering off, carefully.
Some patients arrive on medications they don't need anymore. Some arrive on medications that were never the right fit. Some want to try life without a prescription that has been part of the picture for years. We do this work with the same care we put into starting a medication, because stopping deserves the same attention.
In-network with most major insurance · Same-week availability · Psychiatric specialists
THE SERVICE
What it actually is.
Deprescribing means tapering off a psychiatric medication carefully and intentionally, under clinical supervision, with a plan that takes into account how long you've been on it, what dose you're at, what other medications are in the picture, and what's likely to come up as you taper.
It is not a wellness pitch. It is not anti-medication advocacy. It is psychiatry done with the same care in reverse. The patient who is doing well on a medication and wants to know whether they still need it deserves a thoughtful answer. The patient who has been on a benzodiazepine for years and wants off deserves a real plan, not abandonment.
WHAT TO EXPECT
How a taper actually works.
Deprescribing starts with a conversation about the why. What medication. How long. What it was prescribed for. How it has been working. What you want to be different. The decision to taper is one we make with you, not for you.
Once we agree on the plan, the taper happens gradually and on a schedule that accounts for the specific medication. Some medications can come down quickly with minimal disruption. Others, particularly benzodiazepines and some antidepressants, require careful, slow tapers measured in months rather than weeks. We follow up more often during the taper than we would during stable maintenance, because the early signs of trouble are easier to manage when caught early.
If symptoms return during a taper, we have honest conversations about whether what you're experiencing is the original condition returning or a withdrawal effect, and we adjust the plan accordingly. Sometimes we slow the taper. Sometimes we hold. Sometimes we reverse and reassess. The goal is the right outcome for you, not the absence of medication for its own sake.
WHO THIS IS FOR
People whose current plan has stopped making sense.
Patients who have been stable on antidepressants for an extended period and want to consider whether continued use is still necessary. Patients on long-term benzodiazepine prescriptions who want to taper off carefully. Patients on complex regimens who suspect not every medication on the list is still earning its place. Patients who have been told by a previous prescriber to stay on medication indefinitely and want a second look.
Deprescribing is not appropriate for everyone. Patients in active episodes of severe depression, bipolar illness, or psychotic conditions are usually better served by stable maintenance until the picture is more settled. We have honest conversations about timing.
FAQ
Questions.
Depends on the medication and the dose. Some are straightforward. Benzodiazepines and certain antidepressants require slow, careful tapers that can take months. We tell you what to expect at the start.
We have honest conversations about whether what you're experiencing is the original condition returning or a withdrawal effect, and we adjust the plan accordingly. Sometimes we slow the taper. Sometimes we hold. Sometimes we reverse and reassess.
If you're transferring your psychiatric care to us, yes. We coordinate with primary care or other prescribers when relevant.
When done with appropriate supervision and a real plan, yes. Stopping abruptly on your own, particularly with benzodiazepines, can be dangerous. Doing it carefully with a provider is the safer path.
