If you’re tapering an SSRI and wondering “is this withdrawal or relapse?”, the problem you’re facing is an intrinsically messy distinction.

“Withdrawal vs relapse” is often treated as two separate bins, then we act surprised when the same symptoms fit both. That category error drives a lot of bad advice. This piece sets out the clinically relevant distinctions, and why some relapse-prevention evidence can accidentally count withdrawal as relapse when withdrawal isn’t properly measured.

If you’re stopping Wegovy/Ozempic, here’s an evidence-based review of what to expect, plus a calm, practical off-ramp to reduce rebound.

Because here’s the uncomfortable truth: “Build habits while you’re on it and you’ll be fine” is not the slam-dunk people sell it as. The off-ramp works best when you treat it like a protocol: strength training as infrastructure, simple monitoring, and early course-corrections, not motivation speeches.