In Dr. Howard Schubiner’s new book, Unlearn Your Pain (2026), he has devoted some pages to discussing how people with protracted withdrawal after tapering off psychiatric medications can experienced symptoms that are reversible using neuroplasticity.

Many patients who have chronic pain, fatigue, or dizziness have also experienced protracted withdrawal and the symptoms can overlap in confusing ways. Neuroplastic symptoms are real, as are symptoms that emerge as the brain rewires itself after a daily dose of psychoactive medications are reduced. Both can also be quite debilitating. So how do we differentiate neuroplastic symptoms from withdrawal symptoms? We do that using the FIT criteria, which you can read more about here: https://www.thismighthurtfilm.com/how-to-assess-pain. FIT criteria help patients look for signs that the symptoms come and go, move around, get triggered by stress, or get triggered by harmless stimuli. The more the symptoms shift and change, the more likely they are to be neuroplastic. But even some symptoms that do not change can also be neuroplastic—the FIT criteria is just a starting point. Working with a clinician to apply and interpret the assessment can be quite helpful.

In my work with clients, I can help assess symptoms for signs of neuroplasticity. I also support people in being their own decision-makers about which medications they want to be on, how much of it, and for how long. When they want to come off medications, I can support them in differentiating typical withdrawal symptoms from symptoms that may be due to fear, expectations, conditioned responses and other factors that can be addressed through neuroplasticity. You can learn more about this approach in the videos below.