Catastrophic Withdrawal: An Insomniac’s Attempt to Withdraw from Seroquel and How It Dramatically Altered Her Life”

[Kathleen]

Hello,

Please allow me to introduce myself. I am the Founder and President of the 501(c)(3) nonprofit charity, the National Organization for Tardive Dyskinesia (NOTD), TDHelp.org. TD now affects approximately 600,000 Americans and many others throughout the world. But TD is only part of my story. This book tells of the most horrific ordeal of my life, before starting NOTD. Though I had endured MDD and GAD a number of years prior, I was prescribed Seroquel for insomnia in 2004 and my life was forever changed. My attempt at withdrawal in 2018 set off a cascade of events. I wrote this memoir to share my story and to inform others as to what could potentially happen. I invite you to visit my author profile and book description on Goodreads and my author page, www.Facebook.com/CatastrophicWithdrawal on FB. I am sorry that it is not available in libraries, due to an ISBN issue. But, it is available on Amazon (with only 5-star reviews) and other online bookstores. Though a very difficult book to write, I am told it is an easy read and most finish it in one or two sittings.

Later this year, I will be co-authoring “A Patient’s Guide to Tardive Dyskinesia,” which will be reviewed for medical accuracy by a very prestigious movement disorder specialist with a special interest in TD research.

Thank you for your time and consideration!
Kathleen A. Shea, M.A., M.P.H.

[Kathleen]

I should add that besides within the U.S., my book has been read by individuals in Canada, the UK, Ireland, Italy, France, Malaysia and New Zealand to date.

[Leif]

I understand what you are saying about Seroquel. I was only on it for a few days and feared that I would sleep my life away. Fortunately I was able to go off of it, but it surprises me how many medications have horrible withdrawal symptoms. I was diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder and anxiety but once progressive medications such as depekane and fluoxetine came into play, I was able to both have a life and be free of most symptoms. I am eager to read your book, I keep a website where I write the occasional essay about mental health coping skills (www.edmontonwriter.com) and I wrote three memoirs about my experiences with mental health, medications and hospitals. If you are able to contact me, I would be happy to gift you an eBook of the latest of these three.Alert and Oriented X3: A Snapshot of Severe Psychosis

[Kathleen]

Hi Leif,
I am very interested in your website, but could not open the link. It is likely on my end, so I’ll try again later. I would like to read your book, but am having cognition issues as of late. Not sure of the cause. I was also diagnosed with Akathisia last week, which is likely playing a role; not the worst case but still interfering with my life significantly. I do really appreciate you responding to my post. I’d be happy to send you a PDF version of my book. Write to me at kashea@tdhep.org, if you are interested in the PDF. 😊 Kathleen

[Kathleen]

Leif,
It’s kashea@tdhelp.org