AI, therapy and the people in your life
Can an AI mental health app replace my medication?
By Siri Bandagiriye · No. Never stop or change medication without talking to the doctor who prescribed it; stopping some medications suddenly can be dangerous. An app can sit alongside medication, not replace it.
No. Never stop or change medication without talking to the doctor who prescribed it. Stopping some medications suddenly can be dangerous.
An app can sit alongside medication. It can help with the parts medicine doesn't touch, like talking through a hard day or building a small routine.
Those are complements, not replacements.
What the research says
CAMH warns that stopping antidepressants too soon or abruptly can cause depression or anxiety symptoms to return, and stopping suddenly can lead to withdrawal effects.1
The NHS advises never stopping an antidepressant suddenly or without talking to your doctor, who can help plan a gradual dose reduction.2
Written by Siri Bandagiriye
I've been a Buddhist monk and mindfulness teacher for 30 years, and for six years a chaplain with Correctional Service Canada, sitting with people in crisis. I built Saati in Halifax as a companion for the ordinary hard days. If you'd like to see what it's like, it's free to try.