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 meds Find Laura: lauradelano.com theinnercompass.org X: @LauraDelano Book: Unshrunk: A Story of Psychiatric Treatment Resistance - unshrunkthebook.com Submit your experience at: prescribed-harm.com Resources for tapering/studies: prescribed-harm.com For a high quality education and community consider enrolling in Peterson Academy: https://petersonacademy.com/ —Research Sites— Newsletter/website: https://mikhailapeterson.com Fuller Research Foundation: https://fullerresearch.org Lion Diet: https://liondiet.com Biotoxin: https://biotoxin.com Prescribed-Harm: https://prescribed-harm.com —Socials— Meta: https://facebook.com/mikhailapete​rsonpodcast X: https://x.com/MikhailaFuller Instagram: https://instagram.com/mikhailapeterson TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mikhailapeterson