@happytoseeyou so sorry you are having trouble with the taper and your sleep isn’t improving. It’s good you’re seeing your NP given your dizziness and such.

I don’t really have any specific medical advice for you as I’m just a random person off the street, but can I give you a cognitive challenge that my psychologist gave me?

I’ve also been incredibly averse to traditional medications, as I’m very sensitive and scared of side effects or things not working. I spent a lot of time being anxious about what meds to take, or not.

He asked me, is what you’re currently doing working? Is it going to get better if you keep doing the same thing you’re doing right now?

The answers were: no, what I am currently doing is NOT working. I have tried the same strategies (avoiding meds, avoiding polypharmacy) for a long time, so it seems I will NOT get better using the thinking that meds/multiple meds are harmful.

What would happen if I just tried it? If I gave it a fair trial? What is the worst, best, or just maybe average thing that could happen? Is it worth a try?

This change in mindset helped me a lot because I really had unnecessarily constrained myself to certain meds with imaginary barriers. I could only find out what would work for me as an individual, if I actually tried it.

And you know what, many of these med trials just downright sucked. No sugar coating.

But eventually I did land on some things that really helped.

It’s an evolving process and not perfect. But I hope that you are open to the strange and sometimes scary world of psychopharmacology because you really deserve relief.

I hope this message comes across the way it is intended, with so much empathy for your very difficult situation, and hope for you to find something that works even some.

Wishing you the best and please keep us updated.