111. Dr. Mark Horowitz: The Safe Way to Get Off Antidepressants

What if the fatigue, anxiety, and sleeplessness you feel when tapering off antidepressants aren’t a “relapse,” but withdrawal your doctor was never trained to recognize?

In this episode of The Well Drop, I sit down with psychiatrist and researcher Dr. Mark Horowitz, co-founder of Outro Health, a telehealth clinic dedicated to science-backed tapering support. Together we unpack why traditional guidelines fail long-term users, how hyperbolic tapering works, and what a personalized, monitored taper actually looks like.

You’ll learn the five questions to ask before starting or stopping any medication, the difference between withdrawal and relapse, and why the smallest doses can still have powerful effects on your brain. 

Dr. Mark Horowitz is a psychiatrist, researcher, and co-founder of Outro Health, a telehealth clinic for safe, science-backed antidepressant tapering. After experiencing withdrawal himself, he pioneered the concept of hyperbolic tapering, now endorsed by UK health authorities.

What's Discussed:

00:00 — The hidden problem with antidepressant withdrawal

06:20 — Mark’s personal journey: when tapering goes wrong

10:45 — Why short-term studies misled long-term patients

13:50 — Doctors aren’t trained to stop antidepressants—here’s why

17:30 — The five questions to ask before starting or stopping a medication

24:10 — How hyperbolic tapering works (and why it’s safer)

29:30 — The truth about withdrawal vs. relapse

35:40 — Natural supports that match antidepressants in long-term results

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Find out more about Dr. Mark Horowitz:

Website: https://markhorowitz.org/

Website: https://www.outro.com/

Instagram: @outrohealth