Most clinicians were trained to prescribe psychiatric medications. Almost none were trained to stop them.
This is not a gap in continuing education. It is a gap in foundational medical training. The result is that millions of patients are kept on medications longer than necessary, tapered too quickly when they do stop, or left to manage withdrawal alone after a rushed discontinuation.
This curriculum is structured in three layers. Layer 1 builds the conceptual foundation — the mental models you need before you touch a single dose. Layer 2 gives you the protocols, drug by drug. Layer 3 prepares you for the hard clinical decisions that no protocol can fully cover.
Every module is built around a patient scenario. The theory serves the case, not the other way around.
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Caution
This curriculum is educational. It does not constitute medical advice, and no content here should override your clinical judgment or the specific circumstances of your patients.
A comprehensive, evidence-based curriculum for clinicians learning to safely taper psychiatric medications. Covers neuroadaptation, hyperbolic tapering, SSRI/SNRI/benzodiazepine protocols, and patient communication — built around real clinical scenarios.
Introduction
Introduction to Deprescribing
Layer 1 — The Foundation
What Happens at the Receptor — Neuroadaptation and receptor occupancy
Withdrawal Is Not Relapse — Differentiating withdrawal from relapse
The Wave-and-Window Pattern — Understanding non-linear recovery
The Reinstatement Trap — When stopping fails and patients return to medication
Layer 2 — The Protocols
Hyperbolic Tapering in Practice — Building evidence-based taper schedules
SNRI Deprescribing — Venlafaxine and duloxetine tapering
Benzodiazepine Tapering — The Ashton approach for lorazepam, diazepam, and alprazolam
Patient Assessment and Readiness — When to taper and when to wait
Layer 3 — The Hard Stuff
Polypharmacy — Sequencing tapers across multiple medications
Protracted Withdrawal — Managing symptoms months after discontinuation
The Difficult Conversations — Communicating with patients, families, and colleagues
Using Data to Guide Decisions — Symptom tracking and objective measures
Each module includes learning objectives, patient scenarios, video lectures from leading deprescribing researchers, clinical pearls, and self-assessment quizzes. Free to access with a TaperCommunity account.
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