Struggling to come off antidepressants and tranquillisers, and battling withdrawal effects, writer Miranda Levy, 51, thought she was very much alone – until she stumbled on a report officially acknowledging a pill-addiction crisis, and started to find other women with similar stories Prescription-pill addiction is one of the biggest health issues of the day
Eight weeks after I stopped being able to sleep, I had an appointment with an NHS psychiatrist. It was autumn 2010, and the sleeping tablets and antidepressants prescribed by my GP hadn’t worked. I was so exhausted I could barely speak. The consultant was compassionate, but just to make sure, I begged him to prescribe me something that would…