I'm Rebekah Beddoe from Melbourne, Australia.

I had three years of my life stolen by antidepressants and antipsychotics including the first two years of being a mum to my daughter. Even now, I have type 1 insulin dependent diabetes which I believe is caused by the antipsychotic olanzapine (Zyprexa) and I have scars on my forearm from one of the many suicide attempts I made. Without doubt this was a side effect of the drugs.  I've never been suicidal before I took the drug or since.

My story started when I was overwhelmed and exhausted  after the birth of my first baby and was diagnosed with mild postnatal depression. My GP  prescribed me Zoloft (sertraline).

I became irritable and quick to anger, and I couldn’t sleep even when my baby was sleeping. The Zoloft was doubled and Valium added. Soon I was cutting myself, then attempting suicide. I was admitted to a psychiatric hospital.

For over two years I was kept on a slew of psych medications, antidepressants, antipsychotics, lithium to just name a few; up to six different drugs at a time.

A chance viewing of a BBC documentary on antidepressants (Panorama) had me wondering if the Zoloft (sertraline) was the cause of my illness. I decided to stop medication, slowly and painstakingly, withdrawing everything over months and months.

I became me again, the familiar me, the psychologically healthy me. Seemed the antidepressant had been harming me after all.

I wrote and published a book . . . Dying For a Cure, Random House, Australia. Available on Amazon.