RELEASE toolkit for consumers

Introduction to the RELEASE resources

The RELEASE toolkit website contains information and resources to support people to stop antidepressants by minimising withdrawal symptoms via slow hyperbolic tapering of antidepressant dose (usually months).

The RELEASE toolkit includes resources that have been co-designed with both doctors (GPs) and people with lived experience of long-term antidepressant use. Resources include tapering plans for 15 of the most common antidepressants, including ‘faster’, ‘slower’, and ‘even slower’ versions, and using custom prescription capsules or self-made liquid suspension.

For consumers, other resources include information brochures and brief videos including on antidepressant withdrawal symptoms and how to distinguish withdrawal from relapse, and a Decision aid.

We recommend that you share and discuss the RELEASE resources with your doctor. The information in the RELEASE resources is not medical advice. Rather, the resources have been designed to help your doctor to help you.

The RELEASE resources have been officially recognised by The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners as an Accepted Clinical Resource.

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© Copyright 2025 The University of Queensland. These materials are subject to copyright and may only be reproduced with permission of the University of Queensland. CRICOS Provider 00025B | TEQSA PRV12080. Reasonable care is taken to provide accurate information at the time of creation. This information is not intended as a substitute for medical advice. Read here for the Terms and Conditions.

Tapering plans

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Research Lead: Professor Katharine Wallis.
Funding:   Medical Research Future Fund, Clinician Researchers Applied Research in Health - MRFAR000079.
National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) 2021 Partnership Projects PRC3 - 2015744.
Ethical approval: The University of Queensland Human Research Ethics Committee (2022/HE001667).
Further information is available via the RELEASE website: medical-school.uq.edu.au/release