Laura Delano was diagnosed with bipolar disorder at 14 and spent the next 13 years on psychiatric medications including lithium, Lamictal, Abilify, Effexor, and Ativan.After being labeled “treatment resistant” and nearly ending her life, she started questioning whether the medications themselves were part of the problem.In this conversation, Laura walks through what happened when she came off five psychiatric drugs, the years-long withdrawal process that followed, and how she rebuilt her health afterward. She also explains why she founded the Inner Compass Initiative, a nonprofit helping people taper off psychiatric medications safely.We discuss:• Psychiatric drug dependence and withdrawal• Withdrawal vs. relapse• Hyperbolic tapering• The chemical imbalance theory• Akathisia and neurological symptoms• Diet and recovery• Birth control and psychiatric medication• RFK Jr. and psychiatric drug policy• TikTok censorship• Why 1 in 4 Americans are now on psych medsFind Laura:lauradelano.cominnercompass.orgX: @LauraDeLanoBook: Unshrunk: A Story of Psychiatric Treatment Resistance - unshrunkthebook.comSubmit your experience at: prescribed-harm.comResources for tapering/studies: prescribed-harm.comChapters:00:00 Intro02:08 Why Laura Delano Thinks the RFK Moment Is a Real Opportunity07:45 Laura Delano Believed She Would Be a Monster Without the Medications10:13 How Psychiatry Turns Every Human Experience Into a Symptom17:24 What Long Term Psychiatric Medications Actually Do to the Brain20:32 The Moment Laura Delano Asked: What If It's the Treatment, Not the Illness23:04 The First Year Off All 5 Drugs: Brushing Teeth Was the Whole Day36:27 The First Time Laura Delano Was Free From Pharmaceuticals as an Adult43:58 What Laura Delano Actually Thinks About the RFK Psychiatric Medication Rumor53:01 Withdrawal vs Relapse: The Distortion Keeping 65 Million Americans on These Meds56:45 What Akathisia Actually Feels Like From the Inside01:00:09 Laura Delano's Advice for Anyone Who Wants to Come Off These Medications01:02:12 Tapering Is Not About the Drugs. It Is About Reclaiming Your Life and Your Agency.01:10:45 Why Laura Delano Thinks a Genetic Sensitivity to Mold May Explain the Worst Reactions01:16:03 The Real Mental Health Crisis: Our Relationship to Emotional Pain and What It Means to Be Human01:16:47 Laura Delano Is Still Intense, Still Cries, Still Gets Anxious. She Just Does Not Call It Illness Anymore.01:19:39 What SSRIs Did to Sexual Function and What Laura Delano Didn't Know Until She Was 2101:32:21 Where to Find Laura Delano, the Free Tapering Guide and the Book UnshrunkFor a high quality education and community consider enrolling in Peterson Academy: https://petersonacademy.com/—Research Sites—Newsletter/website: https://mikhailapeterson.comFuller Research Foundation: https://fullerresearch.orgLion Diet: https://liondiet.comBiotoxin: https://biotoxin.comPrescribed-Harm: https://prescribed-harm.com—Socials—Meta: https://facebook.com/mikhailapete​rsonpodcastX: https://x.com/MikhailaFullerInstagram: https://instagram.com/mikhailapetersonTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mikhailapeterson