About Clarify Meds
When Dr. Manipod was training as a psychiatry resident physician, she observed cases where deprescribing certain psychiatric medications (instead of prescribing more) was a critical component of a patients’ treatment plan. In 2015, she wrote a blogpost about some of the terrible withdrawal effects her patients experienced when meds were abruptly discontinued, and was subsequently added to a patient-created list titled “doctors who are open to discontinuing antidepressants.” It was then that she realized the need for doctors open to this as a possible intervention. Over the years she has been in practice, she regularly sees several patients who specifically ask for assistance in tapering off medications.
Many people remain on psychiatric medications longterm for various reasons, and for many, it’s absolutely crucial to continue taking them. However, if you’ve ever wondered if you can taper off a medication, this program was created for you.
More about the founder,
Dr. Vania Manipod
Dr. Vania Manipod is a board certified psychiatrist based in Orange County, California. She is also a clinical assistant professor of psychiatry at Western University of Health Sciences. Dr. Manipod has built a following on social media based on her work to promote the importance of mental health, particularly through her Instagram, @drvaniamanipod, and blog, Freud & Fashion. She is a featured medical expert and contributor to various publications and TV shows, and is also an internationally invited speaker on topics such as burnout, mental health, nutritional psychiatry, and social media. Her various roles also include leading case consultation groups for psychotherapist trainees at Fuller School of Psychology and Marriage and Family Therapy, innovating as the Chief Medical Officer of an AI mental health startup (more to come on this soon!), serving as Editor in Chief of The DO Magazine, and being a new mom to her vibrant baby daughter.
As featured in:
“I was a patient of Dr. Manipod for 3+ years while she was practicing in Ventura. I seriously considered setting aside days to drive a couple hours each way and also looked at train schedules to see if I could take the Metrolink and then Lyft/Uber to her new office so I could continue working with her. That is how highly I think of her. This is my experience: When I first met with Dr. Manipod, I was extremely fragile. I was on disability for psych issues and incapable of doing most things. Working wasn’t possible and didn’t feel like it would ever be. I had what seemed an unwinnable battle with suicidal thoughts which plagued me since childhood and resulted in multiple failed attempts. I felt trapped in the darkest and scariest parts of my head. Getting through each day alive was an accomplishment. Leaving the house - even just to spend time with friends - was quite often a victory. After some pretty bad experiences with other doctors, it was difficult for me to trust a new one. Dr. Manipod was different. She was truly invested in my well-being. She fought so hard for me, so I stayed in the fight in part because I didn’t want to let her down. I wanted to be better for myself, but I also wanted her to see the victory for all of her efforts. It took a lot of time and work, but I beat the suicidal thoughts. I definitely still have battles, but that isn’t one. I was even well enough to throw a party celebrating the 5-year anniversary of surviving my most recent (and final) suicide attempt. I am taking positive steps to improve my physical health as well as my mental health. I was even able to take a job for a short time. Baby steps maybe, but it was a massive achievement for me. Dr. Manipod deserves a great deal of the credit for all of my growth and success. Others played their roles, but I could never have made so much progress without her.”