Healing the Nervous System with a Low Taper Fade - Working with Kindling, Withdrawal Sensitivity, and Akathisia
- Monica Williams - Frequency Specific Microcurrent Therapy
- Jun 13
- 13 min read
If you’ve ever tried to reduce or stop a psychiatric medication and felt worse than before—more anxious, foggy, agitated, or just not yourself—you’re not alone. Many people assume it’s a relapse or that they “need” the medication forever. But in reality, you may be experiencing something called kindling, withdrawal hypersensitivity, or even akathisia.
These are signs of a nervous system that has become sensitised and overwhelmed. The good news is, your brain can heal, and Frequency Specific Microcurrent (FSM) offers a gentle, drug-free way to help your body recover.
Tapering Is About Calibrating in a Low Taper Fade, not Stopping
Tapering off psychiatric medications isn’t about cutting things off abruptly—it’s about careful calibration. Abrupt changes can shock the nervous system, much like slamming the brakes while driving at high speed. In contrast, a well-paced taper - a 'low taper fade' - is like easing off the accelerator—smooth, responsive, and intentional. It gives the brain and body time to adapt, reducing the risk of kindling, withdrawal hypersensitivity, and emotional destabilization. Healing happens not through force, but through gentle, supported adjustments that allow the nervous system to find safety again.
Kindling: When the Brain Becomes Too Reactive to Heal Easily
Kindling refers to a progressive sensitization of the brain—especially the limbic system—caused by repeated exposure to stress, trauma, or psychiatric medications, particularly when those medications are started, stopped, or changed multiple times.
Each new exposure or withdrawal event lowers the brain’s threshold for stability, making it more likely to overreact with anxiety, emotional volatility, agitation, or even seizures.
This process is cumulative, meaning it worsens over time—especially when psychiatric drugs like antidepressants, benzodiazepines, or antipsychotics are involved. Repeated cycles of use, withdrawal, or switching medications can “train” the nervous system to respond more intensely to even small stressors, much like lighting a fire that burns faster and hotter each time it’s sparked.
What Happens in the Brain During Kindling?
At a cellular level, kindling involves:
Increased excitatory neurotransmission (especially glutamate)
Decreased inhibitory control (via GABA downregulation)
HPA axis dysregulation (chronically elevated stress hormones like cortisol)
Neuroinflammation and oxidative stress affecting neurons and glia in the brain
These changes are functional rather than structural, meaning they usually won’t appear on a brain scan, but they can still deeply impair emotional regulation, cognition, and stress resilience.
How Kindling Shows Up in Mental Health
Stronger side effects with each new medication or dose
More intense anxiety or depression—even while on treatment
Heightened sensitivity to stress, sound, or emotional input
Worsening withdrawal reactions with each taper attempt [1, 2]
Medication-Related Nervous System Challenges
The Top Ten:
Kindling is just one piece of a larger picture. In practice, clients who have taken (or are tapering off) psychiatric medications often face multiple overlapping nervous system stressors. Here are nine medication-related issues to be aware of when working with the brain and body in recovery:
1. Kindling
Kindling is a cumulative neurological process in which repeated exposure to medications, stress, or trauma sensitizes the brain, making it more reactive over time.
Key feature: Each withdrawal or exposure worsens the response.
Why it matters: Makes future withdrawal harder, raises risk of hypersensitivity or relapse.
Timescale: Long-term, often worsens with repeated medication changes.
Related to: Protracted withdrawal, withdrawal hypersensitivity, akathisia.
Think of Kindling as the foundation of dysfunction: the brain becomes “primed” to overreact.
2. Withdrawal Hypersensitivity
Withdrawal hypersensitivity is an exaggerated nervous system reaction that occurs during or after medication tapering. It reflects a brain and body that have become hyper-reactive, often due to previous kindling, long-term medication use, or trauma. In this state, even a very small change in dosage can cause disproportionately large symptoms.
Key feature: Intense responses—such as insomnia, panic, irritability, dizziness, or sensory overload—from very minor dose reductions. People often feel like their system is in freefall, even though the change was minimal.
Why it matters: This is a strong signal that the nervous system is destabilized and cannot self-regulate, requiring slower, more supportive tapering and nervous system repair strategies. Without proper support, hypersensitivity can spiral into protracted withdrawal or akathisia.
Timescale: Can appear during tapering or emerge days to weeks after stopping. Symptoms often improve if the taper is slowed, paused, or reversed slightly.
Related to: Kindling, protracted withdrawal, dysautonomia, and central sensitization.
This is the nervous system “overreacting” to change.
3. Protracted Withdrawal (PAWS)
Protracted withdrawal, also known as Post-Acute Withdrawal Syndrome (PAWS), is a condition in which withdrawal symptoms continue for months or even years after stopping psychiatric medications. It reflects deep neurological dysregulation that hasn’t resolved after the drug has left the system—particularly in individuals who were kindled, tapered too quickly, or have a sensitive nervous system.
Key feature: Ongoing symptoms such as anxiety, depression, insomnia, brain fog, sensory sensitivity, fatigue, and mood swings long after stopping the medication. These symptoms are often misdiagnosed as relapse or a new disorder.
Why it matters: Protracted withdrawal can be invisible and misunderstood, even by professionals. It’s not psychological—it's physiological. Understanding that the nervous system is still healing (rather than “broken”) is essential for reducing fear, avoiding overmedication, and guiding recovery.
Timescale: Symptoms persist long after acute withdrawal, often for 6 months to several years. Recovery is possible but requires patience, pacing, and nervous system support.
Related to: Kindling, withdrawal hypersensitivity, akathisia, emotional blunting, neurotoxicity.
Protracted withdrawal is the long tail of nervous system recovery.
4. Akathisia
Akathisia is a severe drug-induced neurological condition marked by an overwhelming sense of internal restlessness and agitation. People with akathisia often describe it as a torturous blend of physical and mental discomfort, feeling like they need to move constantly to escape their own body, yet unable to find relief. It is one of the most dangerous and misunderstood effects of psychiatric medications.
Key feature: Intense internal agitation and restlessness—people often say they feel like they’re “jumping out of their skin.” This can be accompanied by pacing, rocking, leg shaking, compulsive movement, panic, and suicidal thoughts.
Why it matters: Akathisia is frequently misdiagnosed as anxiety, agitation, or mania, leading to inappropriate increases in medication—which often worsens the condition. It requires recognition and very specific, careful support to avoid further harm.
Timescale: Can occur while on medications (especially antipsychotics, SSRIs, or stimulants), during dose changes, or after discontinuation. Symptoms may be acute or persist for weeks or months.
Related to: Kindling, protracted withdrawal, neurotoxicity, emotional blunting, and medication hypersensitivity syndromes.
Akasthisia is a crisis state of nervous system overstimulation.
5. Central Sensitization Syndrome (CSS)
Central Sensitization Syndrome (CSS) is a condition in which the central nervous system becomes hypersensitive to stimuli, causing ordinary sensations—like touch, light, sound, or even emotions—to feel overwhelming or painful. It occurs when the midbrain and spinal cord stop filtering out pain signals effectively and begin amplifying them instead, leading to widespread discomfort and systemic dysregulation.
Key features: Chronic pain (often migratory or unexplained), deep fatigue, sensory overload, emotional volatility, and disrupted sleep. Many people also experience "flare-ups" triggered by stress, food, environmental stimuli, or exertion.
Why it matters: CSS reflects a brain stuck in high alert, often following trauma, illness, or long-term stress. It overlaps with medication-related sensitivity syndromes like kindling and withdrawal hypersensitivity, and it often contributes to treatment resistance.
Timescale: Typically chronic, but symptoms can fluctuate. With proper support (nervous system regulation, trauma-informed care, FSM), healing is possible.
Related to: Fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), kindling, protracted withdrawal, dysautonomia.
Central Sensitisation is a process that overlaps with protracted withdrawal and kindling, increasing pain, anxiety and dysregulation.
6. Post-SSRI Sexual Dysfunction (PSSD)
PSSD is a condition where sexual side effects—such as genital numbness, loss of libido, or difficulty reaching orgasm—persist long after stopping SSRI or SNRI medications. While originally considered temporary, many individuals report these symptoms lasting months or even years, well beyond the expected withdrawal window.
Key features: Persistent genital anesthesia (numbness), reduced or absent libido, emotional blunting, anorgasmia (inability to orgasm), and a loss of sexual pleasure. These symptoms often occur without the presence of depression or other mood issues.
Why it matters: PSSD is frequently dismissed by clinicians, yet it can be emotionally devastating and severely impact quality of life. Its persistence suggests long-term changes in serotonin, dopamine, or peripheral nerve signaling.
Timescale: Symptoms can persist for months to years after stopping the drug. Some cases report onset even during treatment.
Related to: Protracted withdrawal, neurotoxicity, emotional blunting, and medication-induced nervous system dysregulation.
PSSD is a specific, often overlooked consequence of SSRI withdrawal.
7. Dysautonomia / Autonomic Nervous System Dysfunction
Dysautonomia is a malfunction of the autonomic nervous system (ANS)—the part of the nervous system that controls automatic bodily functions like heart rate, blood pressure, digestion, temperature regulation, and even pupil dilation. When the ANS becomes unstable or damaged, it can lead to unpredictable and often debilitating symptoms throughout the body.
Key features: Symptoms like dizziness, rapid heart rate (especially when standing), gut motility issues, cold hands/feet, and poor stress tolerance.
Why it matters: Dysautonomia is often overlooked or misdiagnosed, but it underlies many symptoms seen in withdrawal, trauma recovery, and chronic stress. It can also worsen kindling, making the nervous system more reactive to internal and external stimuli.
Timescale: Chronic, but symptoms can fluctuate or intensify during withdrawal, illness, or emotional distress.
Related to: POTS (Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome), vagus nerve dysfunction, protracted withdrawal, central sensitization, chronic fatigue, and EDS.
Autonomic dysfunction tends to underlie many symptoms seen in protracted withdrawal.
8. Emotional Blunting / Anhedonia
Emotional blunting is a condition marked by a lack of emotional responsiveness or the inability to feel pleasure, often described as numbness or detachment from life. While emotional blunting can be a symptom of depression, it frequently persists after medication use—especially with long-term antidepressant or benzodiazepine exposure.
Key features: Numbness, reduced emotional range (both positive and negative), diminished joy or excitement, loss of empathy or connection, and a flat or “empty” internal experience. People often say they “feel nothing” or live in a fog.
Why it matters: Emotional blunting is often mistaken for relapse or depression, when in fact it may be a side effect of psychotropic medication or a lingering withdrawal effect. It affects relationships, motivation, and overall wellbeing, and is deeply distressing for many.
Timescale: May begin during treatment and persist for months or even years after stopping the drug.
Related to: Antidepressant use (especially SSRIs/SNRIs), long-term benzodiazepines, protracted withdrawal, PSSD, and neurotoxicity.
A subtle but distressing symptom of nervous system impairment.
9. Neurotoxicity from Psychiatric Medications
Neurotoxicity is a proposed condition in which long-term use of psychiatric medications causes structural or functional damage to the nervous system. While it may not always show up on conventional imaging, it is believed to result in lasting changes to how neurons communicate, recover, and regulate mood, movement, and cognition.
Key features: Cognitive decline (memory issues, poor concentration), emotional dysregulation (rapid mood shifts, low frustration tolerance), motor symptoms (tremors, coordination problems), and heightened sensory sensitivity (light, sound, or touch intolerance). Some individuals report feeling as though their “brain is broken” or that they’ve lost access to their full cognitive or emotional range.
Why it matters: Neurotoxicity may explain why some people develop persistent symptoms even after medications are stopped, including resistance to further treatment. It reflects deep nervous system disruption and may underlie severe cases of protracted withdrawal or treatment-emergent akathisia.
Timescale: May develop insidiously over months or years of medication use or emerge abruptly during withdrawal. Recovery can be slow and requires nervous system support, not more medication.
Related to: Akathisia, kindling, protracted withdrawal, emotional blunting, and PSSD.
Neurotoxicity is a more severe or chronic outcome, sometimes described by patients with treatment-resistant withdrawal symptoms.
10: Paradoxical Reactions
Paradoxical reactions are unexpected and opposite responses to medications—for example, becoming agitated after taking a sedative, or anxious after starting an antidepressant. These reactions often indicate that the nervous system is overstimulated, traumatized, or chemically overwhelmed, and they can lead to misdiagnosis, polypharmacy, or withdrawal complications if not recognized early.
Key feature: A medication intended to calm or regulate instead causes stimulation, agitation, or emotional instability.
Why it matters: These reactions can be deeply distressing and are often mistaken for worsening mental illness, rather than drug sensitivity.
Timescale: Can occur with first exposure, after dose changes, or during reinstatement.
Related to: Kindling, withdrawal hypersensitivity, akathisia, neurotoxicity, and trauma history.
Interconnectedness
These ten conditions are deeply interconnected—each one reflecting a different expression of nervous system overwhelm, sensitization, or injury. Understanding how they relate helps us recognize patterns, reduce fear, and guide recovery more effectively.
All of these conditions can emerge from or be worsened by psychiatric medication exposure, withdrawal, and trauma—especially when medications are introduced or discontinued rapidly or without adequate support.
They reflect dysregulation of both the autonomic and central nervous systems, impacting mood, cognition, physical health, and emotional resilience.
These conditions often coexist and overlap, creating complex, layered symptom pictures. For example, someone may experience kindling, dysautonomia, and emotional blunting simultaneously, all reinforcing one another.
Importantly, they often respond to nervous system repair approaches—including Frequency Specific Microcurrent (FSM), vagus nerve stimulation, trauma-informed care, gentle movement therapies, somatic work, and pacing strategies that help restore neurological balance and safety.
Healing is possible—not by silencing symptoms, but by working with the nervous system to gently unwind the patterns of reactivity and restore self-regulation.
How FSM Can Help
Frequency Specific Microcurrent (FSM) is a gentle treatment that uses tiny electrical currents to support healing at the cellular and neurological level. Different frequencies are used to target specific tissues and problems—like inflammation in the brain, spinal cord irritation, or an overactive limbic system.
Here’s how FSM may help with kindling, withdrawal sensitivity, and akathisia:
Reduces Neuroinflammation - FSM protocols using frequencies like 40 Hz (reduce inflammation) and 10 Hz (spinal cord) have been shown to rapidly lower inflammatory markers like IL-1, IL-6, TNF-alpha, and substance P—often within a single session [7]. These compounds are elevated during psychiatric medication use and withdrawal, contributing to both mood dysregulation and pain.
Restores Neurotransmitter Balance - FSM increases natural endorphins and cortisol levels (in a non-stress-driven way), and helps regulate serotonin and dopamine. In one study, serotonin rose rapidly after applying the FSM “concussion protocol” to the medulla, while endorphins surged—providing both calm and emotional resilience [8].
Calms the Limbic Brain - By targeting frequencies for the amygdala, thalamus, hippocampus, and medulla, FSM helps quiet the emotional brain and the “fight-or-flight” loop that drives fear, agitation, and hypervigilance [8].
Improves Vagal Tone - FSM supports the vagus nerve, which controls digestion, heart rate, immune function, and emotional regulation. Better vagal tone helps the body feel safe and grounded—essential during recovery from withdrawal or akathisia [8].
Supports Safe, Gradual Healing - FSM works with your body’s natural healing rhythms rather than forcing or suppressing symptoms. It helps stabilize the nervous system so that tapering can feel safer, steadier, and more sustainable [8, 9].
A Real-Life Example
A woman in her 40s came to clinic after years of burnout, medication changes, and unresolved trauma. Every time she tried to reduce her antidepressant, she would crash—overwhelmed by anxiety, insomnia, and deep emotional sensitivity. Her nervous system felt stuck in overdrive, reacting to everything from food and light to stress and noise.
Using Frequency Specific Microcurrent (FSM), we focused on calming her limbic system, reducing inflammation in the gut and brain, and supporting vagus nerve function. Within weeks, her sleep improved, her anxiety began to soften, and—for the first time—she was able to very slowly taper her medication without spiraling.
With consistent sessions and a whole-body approach to healing, she continued to improve over the next six months. We supported her progress with FSM, nutrition, nervous system tools, and deep rest. One day, she paused and said, “I think my body feels safe now—for the first time in my life.” There was still healing ahead, but her system was no longer in survival mode. She was beginning to thrive.
Final Thoughts: You're Not Broken.
Kindling, withdrawal hypersensitivity, and akathisia aren’t signs that something is wrong with you—they’re signs that your nervous system has been overwhelmed. Your brain is trying to heal, but it may need help calming down, reconnecting, and rebalancing.
We are here to help you. When you come for FSM, you lie down and receive this treatment in gentle, relaxing, neurolgically-nourishing way.
FSM offers a gentle, evidence-informed, non-drug path to help you feel like yourself again.
If you or a loved one is struggling with this, book a session and let's see if FSM might be a helpful step forward.
Resources & Further Reading on this topic:
Post, R.M., & Weiss, S.R. (1998). Sensitization and kindling: implications for the evolving neural substrates of PTSD. Biol Psychiatry.
Fava, G.A., et al. (2015). Withdrawal symptoms after SSRI discontinuation: a systematic review. Psychother Psychosom.
Horowitz, M.A., & Taylor, D. (2019). Tapering of SSRI treatment to mitigate withdrawal symptoms. Lancet Psychiatry.
Ashton, C.H. (2002). Benzodiazepines: How They Work and How to Withdraw (The Ashton Manual). University of Newcastle.
Muench, J., & Hamer, A.M. (2010). Adverse effects of antipsychotic medications. Am Fam Physician.
Bhala, N., et al. (2018). Akathisia: an under-recognised side effect of antidepressant and antipsychotic treatment. Ther Adv Psychopharmacol.
McMakin, C.R., et al. (2005). Cytokine changes with microcurrent treatment of fibromyalgia associated with cervical spine trauma. J Bodyw Mov Ther.
McMakin, C.R. (2020). Mental Health, the Brain, and PTSD. Townsend Letter, October 2020.
Lambert, M.I., et al. (2002). Electro-membrane microcurrent therapy reduces signs and symptoms of muscle damage. Med Sci Sports Exerc.
Scientific & Clinical References
Kindling and Sensitization
Post, R.M. & Weiss, S.R. (1998). Sensitization and kindling: implications for the evolving neural substrates of post-traumatic stress disorder. Biological Psychiatry, 44(9), 873–887.➤ Explains the neurological basis of kindling in psychiatric illness.
Fava, G.A., Gatti, A., Belaise, C., Guidi, J., & Offidani, E. (2015). Withdrawal symptoms after selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor discontinuation: a systematic review. Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, 84(2), 72–81.➤ Documents withdrawal hypersensitivity and neurochemical rebound after SSRIs.
Guerra, L., Maviglia, M., Gandolfi, M. (2024).Stopping Psychotropic Drugs: How and Why – Building a Personalized and Effective Path.The Sign Factory.A practical, science-based guide to tapering and healing from psychiatric medication.
Breggin, P. (2018).The Suspension of Psychotropic Drugs: A Manual for Prescribers, Therapists, Patients, and Families.Fioriti Editore.A foundational resource on withdrawal planning and harm reduction.
Framer, A. (2021).What I Have Learned From Helping Thousands of People Taper Off Antidepressants.Therapeutic Advances in Psychopharmacology.https://doi.org/10.1177/2045125321991274
Hengartner, M.P., Schulthess, L., Framer, A. (2020).Protracted Withdrawal Syndrome After Stopping Antidepressants: A Descriptive Quantitative Analysis of Consumer Narratives.SAGE Journals.https://doi.org/10.1177/2045125320980573
Surviving Antidepressants (2022).Hypersensitivity and Kindling – Symptoms and Self-Care.Practical insights and community wisdom on living with drug-induced nervous system sensitivity.https://www.survivingantidepressants.org
Gratrix, N. (2018).Kindling / Limbic Ignition: Hard-Wiring the Brain for Hypersensitivity and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.Health Rising
Withdrawal Hypersensitivity & PAWS
Horowitz, M.A. & Taylor, D. (2019). Tapering of SSRI treatment to mitigate withdrawal symptoms. The Lancet Psychiatry, 6(6), 538–546.➤ Supports slow, structured tapering due to CNS instability after long-term medication use.
Ashton, C.H. (2002). Benzodiazepines: How They Work and How to Withdraw (The Ashton Manual). University of Newcastle.➤ A leading guide describing symptoms of withdrawal hypersensitivity and tapering needs.
Akathisia
Muench, J., & Hamer, A.M. (2010). Adverse effects of antipsychotic medications. American Family Physician, 81(5), 617–622.➤ Details akathisia and other neurological side effects of psychiatric drugs.
Bhala, N., et al. (2018). Akathisia: an under-recognised side effect of antidepressant and antipsychotic treatment. Therapeutic Advances in Psychopharmacology, 8(12), 355–358.➤ Highlights the clinical signs and risks of untreated akathisia.
FSM & Nervous System Recovery
McMakin, C.R., Gregory, W.M., & Phillips, T.M. (2005). Cytokine changes with microcurrent treatment of fibromyalgia associated with cervical spine trauma. Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies, 9(3), 169–176.➤ Shows rapid reduction in IL-6, TNF-α, and substance P with FSM; increase in cortisol and endorphins.(5) Cytokine paper
McMakin, C.R. (2020). Mental Health, the Brain, and PTSD. Townsend Letter, October 2020.➤ Discusses FSM’s impact on inflammation, vagus nerve tone, serotonin levels, and PTSD symptoms.Mental Health, the Brai…
Lambert, M.I., Marcus, P., Burgess, T., Noakes, T.D. (2002). Electro-membrane microcurrent therapy reduces signs and symptoms of muscle damage. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 34(4), 602–607.➤ Clinical study on microcurrent therapy’s effects on recovery and inflammation.
Educational & Patient Support Resources
Surviving Antidepressants (www.survivingantidepressants.org)➤ Community and database for tapering strategies, withdrawal symptoms, and kindling awareness.
The Inner Compass Initiative (www.theinnercompass.org)➤ Resources on psychiatric drug withdrawal, akathisia, and nervous system repair.
Dr Joseph @TaperClinic - https://www.youtube.com/@taperclinic
