
4, 5, 6 NOVEMBER, 2022
World Tapering Day is an online event that focuses on the prescribing, use and tapering of antidepressants, benzodiazepines, sleeping medication, antipsychotics, anti-epileptic drugs, mood stabilisers and opioids painkillers: current practice and how it could be improved.
Due to the diversity of the subjects that we want to address, we have decided to expand the programme to three days: Friday, Saturday and Sunday 4, 5 and 6 November.
The webinars are free to join, but you need to register in advance.
We will also be live streaming; which webinars, we'll announce later.
All webinars can be watched back on the
World Tapering Day videochannel
FRIDAY 4 November: Personal experience


14.00 PM Amsterdam time
"Who is actually crazy? The client, psychiatry or society?"
Author Ewout Kattouw
(Dutch, English subtitles)

16.00 PM Amsterdam time
Being a prescriber and experiencing prescribed harm
Dr. Mark Horowitz and dr. Louise Bundock

19.00 PM Amsterdam time
Life with akathisia; coping with the side effects
Monique Timmermans (Mad in the Netherlands)
(Dutch, English subtitles)
SATURDAY, 5 November: Problems and ways forward

12.00 PM Amsterdam time
The gap between academic knowledge and knowledge from lived experience
Ewout Kattouw, Dr. Dick Bijl, Prof. Floortje Scheepers (Netherlands)
(Dutch, English subtitles)

14.00 PM Amsterdam time
Tackling Psychiatric Drug Withdrawal Through Research and in Practice
James Moore interviews Anders Sørensen (Denmark)

Paneldiscussion: Time for Change
Due to unforeseen circumstances, this discussion has been cancelled. It is being rescheduled for the beginning of 2023.

19.00 PM Amsterdam time
Tapering opioids for chronic pain patients
Eglantyne Drenth Hoeksta, Dr. Nicholas Schräder
(Dutch, English subtitles)
SUNDAY, 6 November: Improving treatment, guidance,
information

12.00 PM Amsterdam time
The power of self-care and self-inquiry
Dr. Rani Bora

14.00 PM Amsterdam time
New data on taperingstrips
Dr. Peter Groot and Prof. Jim van Os
(Dutch, English subtitles)

16.00 PM Amsterdam time
What helps and what hinders when psychologically supporting someone thinking about, or already withdrawing from psychiatric drugs?
Dr. Anne Guy (PsychD)



19.00 PM Amsterdam time
Promoting awareness among doctors and patients in a transcultural framework
Dr. Marcos Bicalho, Dr. Javier Romero Cuesta
(English, with Spanish and Portuguese subtitles)
About 50% of people trying to come off
psychiatric drugs
FRIDAY 4 NOVEMBER

Open Dialogue
Dr. Tom Cant
Open Dialogue is a community-based, integrated way of helping people with psychiatric problems by engaging with families or a person’s social network. This happens from the very start of seeking help, within 24 hours of a crisis.
The treatment model originated in Finland in the 1980s and has led to impressive results around recovery, return to employment and reduced medication.
Afterwards, there will be a Q&A session and a discussion.
More specific information about the webinar will follow.
NEW
@
WTD

Dutch with English subtitles
'Who is actually crazy?
The client, psychiatry or society?'
Ewout Kattouw
Author Ewout Kattouw spent 23 years under psychiatric care, receiving 22 different DSM diagnoses and 40 types of medication.
Ewout wrote a book about it. For WTD, he will read two short chapters from his book and then invite the audience to join him in a discussion about what goes on in psychiatry.
Ewout is chairman of the Stichting PILL (PILL Foundation), which advocates the responsible use of psychiatric medication.
Since 4 years, Ewout lives a life without medication. But he still carries the invalidating effects of the medication and recovery is painfully slow.


Being a prescriber and experiencing prescribed harm
Dr. Mark Horowitz and Dr. Louise Bundock

Coming at it from both sides of the desk, as both patients and doctors, junior psychiatrist Mark Horowitz and psychiatrist Louise Bundock will give their perspectives as people with experience of both worlds: being a prescriber and experiencing prescribed harm.
Interview: Nicole Lamberson.
Afterwards, there will be a Q&A session and a discussion.


Dutch with English subtitles
Life with akathisia; coping with the side effects
Monique Timmermans
Monique Timmermans is founder and editor of Mad in the Netherlands. Monique explains what akathisia (acathesia) is and talks about living with this debilitating condition. She and explain how she herself handles it: not just in words but also by showing how she does this, in a beautiful area close to her home.

Why do many psychiatrists and GP's
refuse to acknowledge
SATURDAY 5 NOVEMBER

Dutch with English subtitles
The gap between academic knowledge and knowledge from lived experience
Ewout Kattouw, Dr. Dick Bijl, Prof. Floortje Scheepers
Ewout Kattouw, author and experience expert of psychiatry/ psychiatric medication talks with Dr. Dick Bijl (former GP/ epidemiologist/ President International Society of Drug Bulletins) and Prof. Floortje Scheepers about tapering antidepressants.
-
Why has knowledge from lived experience has been ignored and downplayed for so many years?
-
How can academic knowledge and knowledge from lived experience be combined to provide better, practical guidance during tapering?
Afterwards, there will be a Q&A and a discussion.




Tackling Psychiatric Drug Withdrawal Through Research and in Practice
Anders Sørensen (psychologist, Denmark)
James Moore interviews Danish psychologist Anders Sørensen about insights he has gained from reviewing brain imaging studies and how he uses them to guide his own patients. His research proves the importance of slow, gradual withdrawal from antidepressants, benzo's, antipsychotics, anticonvulsants and opiates and the importance of hyperbolic withdrawal.
Anders Sørensen advocates revising the guidelines for tapering off psychoactive medication.





Panel discussion: Time for Change!
with Mark Horowitz, Adele Framer (SurvivingAntidepressants.org), Dr Swapnil Gupta (IIPDW: International Institute for Psychiatric Drug Withdraw) and moderator Prof Jim van Os
Due to unforeseen circumstances, this webinar has been cancelled. It is being rescheduled for the beginning of 2023.





Dutch, with English subtitles
Tapering opioids for chronic pain patients
Eglantyne Drenth Hoekstra and Dr. Nicholas Schräder
Nurse practitioner Eglantyne Drenth Hoekstra and Dr. Nicholas Schräder talk about the best way to help long term users of opioid pain medication who are suffering from severe chronic pain to taper off their medication.
Nic Schräder will discuss the use of cannabinoids in opioid tapering.
Afterwards, there will be a Q&A and a discussion.
Especially for healthcare professionals


Why is there so little
acknowledgement
SUNDAY 6 NOVEMBER

The power of self-care and self-inquiry
Dr. Rani Bora
NEW
@
WTD
In this session, Dr Rani Bora, Mental Wealth coach and holistic psychiatrist, will explain the importance of self-care during tapering. She will talk about potential challenges and share ways to deal with doubt, fear, anxiety, panic and withdrawal symptoms, by understanding the power of Thought and through Self-inquiry.
She will talk about the difference between the ‘intention’ and the ‘commitment to self-care and how to take small but consistent action every single day towards self-care.
Afterwards, there will be a Q&A and a discussion.


Dutch with English subtitles
New data on taperingstrips
Peter Groot and Jim van Os
Dr. Peter Groot explains how taperingstrips work and talks about their successful use in daily clinical practice.
Prof. Jim van Os presents new data on scientific proof and evidence of the effectiveness of taperingstrips and the method behind the strips: slow, hyperbolic tapering based on shared decision making and proper (self)monitoring during as well as after the taper.
Afterwards, there will be a Q&A and a discussion.



What helps and what hinders when psychologically supporting someone thinking about, or already withdrawing from psychiatric drugs?
Dr. Anne Guy (PsychD)
Webinar by Dr Anne Guy (psychotherapist), lead editor and co-author of the ‘Guidance for Psychological Therapists: Enabling conversations with clients taking or withdrawing from prescribed psychiatric drugs’, endorsed by the leading UK therapy organisations. The talk will introduce the guidance and look at the current evidence on how to support someone psychologically prepare for, go through and recover from withdrawing from psychiatric drugs.
Afterwards there will be a Q&A and a discussion, which all healthcare professionals and peer support workers are invited to join.
Healthcare professionals are invited to register!




Dr. Marcos Bicalho and Dr. Javier Romero Cuesta
Psychiatrists Dr. Marcos Bicalho (Brazil) and Dr. Javier Romero Cuesta (Spain) discuss the challenges of creating awareness among patients and colleagues of the importance of de-prescribing.
-
Lack of awareness of the need to reduce medication intake among doctors and patients
-
Cultural, political and social barriers for deprescribing
-
The fears and doubts that the patient may have
-
Lack of clear, easily understandable information for patients
-
Lack of online support groups
After the discussion there will be a live debate. Psychiatrists and healthcare professionals are invited to join in a network to collaborate on improving awareness among collegues and pattients of the need to deprescribe.
This webinar offers live translations to/ from English, Spanish and Dutch.
Healthcare professionals are invited to register!


Many professionals are aware
of the need for change