We are a team of experts with the goal of helping people understand the risks of taking antidepressants.

While antidepressants have helped many people, they can also have dangerous and life-changing side effects.

We want to make sure people are given enough information to make an informed choice before they begin taking antidepressants.

That’s why we created Antidepressant Risks - to give you access to evidence-based information, support from others who’ve been there, and real stories from those who’ve experienced both the ups and the downs.

Monthly Stolen Lives Recovery Support Group

Next meeting: Monday 6th October 2025

Our Stolen Lives Recovery Support Group runs on the first Monday of each month from 5pm - 6pm UK time on Zoom.

Each month there will be a guest speaker who will share their powerful recovery journey, followed by a chance for Q&A and open discussion. This group is a space for those tapering off and withdrawing from psychiatric medication to talk about their experiences and give each other hope. These groups are led by the founder of Antidepressant Risks, Katinka Blackford Newman.

We welcome participants from anywhere in the world, at any stage of their prescription harm healing journey, and ask for a minimum donation of £10 to Antidepressant Risks per session.

BOOK HERE

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Our next meeting is on Monday 6th October 2025. Join us to hear from Laura Delano.

Laura is the founder of Inner Compass Initiative, a nonprofit dedicated to helping people make informed choices about psychiatric diagnoses and medications, while elevating lived experience as a vital form of expertise alongside clinical perspectives.

Her journey has been featured in The New Yorker by award-winning journalist Rachel Aviv and in Aviv’s acclaimed 2022 book Strangers to Ourselves. In her own book, UNSHRUNK, Laura shares an unflinching account of her 13 years as a psychiatric patient and her decision to step away from the mental health system to reclaim her life.

First diagnosed with bipolar disorder at 14, Laura spent over a decade navigating a maze of labels, hospitalisations, and 19 different prescriptions. Though she was told her condition was incurable and “treatment-resistant,” she ultimately asked a radical question: What if the very treatments meant to save me were causing my suffering?

Petition: The Question That Will Save Lives

We have started a petition to get suicide prevention services to ask callers if they are taking medication that can cause suicidal ideation (thoughts about killing yourself). We believe that many lives could be saved if callers are made aware that their medication may be contributing to their distress.

SIGN OUR PETITION

Stolen Lives Picnic for Prescribed Harm Day 2025

To commemorate Prescribed Harm Day 2025, we hosted our annual Stolen Lives Picnic in Hyde Park, London, on 29 July 2025.

Thank you to everyone who joined us, creating a moving day, made even more special by coming together in person, with some attendess travelling from accross the globe. Huge gratitude to Dr Mark Horowitz, Professor Joanna Moncrieff and Debi Roberts for their powerful talks at the picnic and to Emma Saunders for her powerful music performance.

2026:

This is a global observance, and we encourage individuals and communities around the world to organise their own local picnics. If you are interested in hosting an event in 2026, please contact us so we can offer support and include your gathering in our international outreach efforts.

What to Know Before You Start Antidepressants

If you're thinking about starting (or stopping) antidepressants, please explore the rest of our site, especially:

Our Stolen Lives section
Our list of organisations offering support
Our virtual library

And remember - you are not alone, and you deserve to know all the facts.

As well as informing you, we are also committed to creating campaigns that will help prevent antidepressant induced suicides and reduce the impact on people's lives when an adverse drug reaction goes unrecognised.

We are a non-profit organisation and rely on your donations.

PSSD - What's that?

Post-SSRI Sexual Dysfunction. We’re not just talking about a lower libido. This can mean permanent numbness, loss of orgasm, and emotional disconnection - even after you stop the drug. Some people say it felt like a light switch suddenly turned off. It's now officially recognised by regulators, but many doctors still don’t mention it.

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Your emotions might go flat

Antidepressants don’t just turn down sadness - they can dial down everything. Many people report feeling emotionally ‘blunted’ or distant. Joy, love, tears - all muted. This isn’t just the depression talking; even people who take the pills for other reasons than depression experience it. It can quietly chip away at relationships and your sense of self.

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There’s a suicide risk - especially for young people

Antidepressants can make some people suicidal - people who have never felt suicidal before. This happens to about 1 in 100 people (according to drug company data) and the most dangerous time is when people go on, change dose or come off antidepressants. Families are often caught off guard, which is why it’s crucial to monitor changes closely and watch out for signs of akathisia (inability to sit still accompanied by inner terror) or serotonin syndrome (changes in temperature, delirium and an altered sense of reality).

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Some reactions can be misdiagnosed as bipolar

Sometimes, antidepressants cause symptoms like insomnia, impulsivity, or agitation. Instead of recognising these as side effects, doctors may diagnose bipolar disorder. That diagnosis brings new meds, new labels, and potentially a whole new treatment path - often based on a reaction not a real underlying condition.

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Brain fog is a real possibility

Struggling to focus? Forgetting things? Many people assume it’s the depression, but research shows SSRIs themselves can cause memory problems and foggy thinking - especially with long-term use.

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Weight gain

Antidepressants can affect appetite, slow down your metabolism, and lead to significant weight gain. For some, it also increases the risk of diabetes. This isn’t about willpower. It’s about the medication.

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Withdrawal can be tough - really tough

Studies on numbers vary, but some report that up to half of all people who stop antidepressants experience withdrawal. And for many, it’s severe. We’re talking brain zaps, panic, dizziness, and emotional distress that can last weeks, months - even years. People can be unable to work, are bedridden and lose relationships because of antidepressant withdrawal. Worse still, many doctors misinterpret withdrawal symptoms as a ‘relapse’.

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Antidepressants can affect your heart

Some antidepressants can interfere with your heart’s rhythm, which in rare cases can lead to arrhythmias or sudden cardiac events. This is more of a risk if you already have heart conditions, or if you're on certain combinations of medications. It’s important to be monitored.

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Antidepressants can cause internal bleeding

SSRIs can increase your risk of gastrointestinal bleeding - especially if you also take common painkillers like ibuprofen. It doesn’t happen to everyone, but it can be serious. Most people are never warned about this potential interaction.

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Antidepressants don’t work for everyone

Some people feel a bit better. Some don’t. Studies show that the average improvement from SSRIs is only slightly better than a placebo. They might help some people by emotionally numbing them or even in some cases causing a temporary euphoria. But they’re not a magic fix - and unfortunately, no one can predict if you’ll be one of the people they help.

If you’re considering antidepressants, it’s only fair you have the full picture . We’re here to inform you, so you can make decisions that feel right for you.

Here’s what we wish more people were told before they took that first pill. For more in depth information please visit the About Antidepressants page.