Doctors, including psychiatrists, prescribe antidepressants, neuroleptics ("antipsychotics"), mood stabilizers, tranquilizers and psychostimulants all over the world, and, in most cases, without providing information about the risks of taking them and problems when stopping, for example, adverse effects, tolerance formation, bodily and psychological dependence and withdrawal symptoms. Nor they tell people about ways to avoid or minimize the risks. +++ This volume presents a collaboration of users and survivors of psychiatry (ex-patients), professionals, researchers, lawyers, and academics around the world committed to helping people understand the potential harm (including drug dependence) that prescribed psychotropic drugs can cause and how to safely reduce or stop taking them. The chapters include individual accounts of people who discontinued their prescribed psychotropic drugs, information about withdrawal groups, research data (especially about antidepressants and neuroleptics) and a commitment to safe withdrawal that will offer hope to many people; those who want to help and those who want to withdraw. +++ Contributions by Volkmar Aderhold, Paulo Amarante, Peter Breggin, Tatiana Castillo-Parada, Mary Ellen Copeland, Anna Emmanouelidou, Fernando Freitas, Jim Gottstein, Peter Groot, Swapnil Gupta, Marina Langfeldt, David Richman, Olga Runciman, Jann Schlimme, Trudy Slaght, Jim van Os, Robert Whitaker, Martin Zinkler and many more.

Peter Lehmann, D. Phil. h.c., is a certified pedagogue, independent publisher, author, freelance activist in Berlin, and Associate of the International Institute for Psychiatric Drug Withdrawal. Since 1979, he regularly speaks on and publishes in the field of alternatives beyond psychiatry, support in coming off psychiatric drugs, and safeguarding human rights of people with psychiatric diagnoses. He was co-founder and, until 2010, for many years board-member or Chair of the European Network of (ex-) Users and Survivors of Psychiatry. In 2010, he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate by the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, and in 2011, the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany by the President of Germany. English publications include, "Coming off Psychiatric Drugs: Successful withdrawal from neuroleptics, antidepressants, mood stabilizers, Ritalin and tranquilizers", edited in 2004; ebook in 2022); "Alternatives beyond Psychiatry", edited together with Peter Stastny in 2007; ebook in 2022). +++ Craig Newnes, critical psychologist, editor, historian, publisher, musician and author. He has published numerous books, book chapters and academic articles and edits The Journal of Critical Psychology, Counselling and Psychotherapy. In 2003, he was Chair of the British Psychological Society's Psychotherapy Section. Until 2007, he directed one of the largest NHS psychological therapies services in the UK. His latest books are "Racism in Psychology: Challenging theory, practice and institutions"; "A Critical A-Z of Electroshock"; and, with Cemil Egeli, "Psychomusicology".