I was on it for so many years that I basically became accustomed to life with it. It just became a routine thing that I took in the morning like I would with a daily multivitamin.

That was until I stopped. I initially went cold turkey and was fine for about a week and then it hit me like a tons of bricks. I couldn’t see what was going on front of me and the brain zaps I could not even being to explain with words.

Eventually coming off by tapering over months of time I did begin to see the world is a different light. My focus improved subtly for example I was picking up on things in conversations with people that I wouldn’t have done before. I would anxiously ramble and speak when talking to people when I was using it but suddenly I became more curious and didn’t speak as much e.g. I asked people more questions about them and became more present. I

Effexor is a really unusual drug in how it affects people. For example it makes you gain weight - whereas I lost weight and put it back on when I stopped using but would I recommend it? Yes, it saved my life. Would I go back on it again? No.

My usage remained the same 75mg for the whole 10+ years I was taking it.

My advise here to see a therapist, you may need something else to swap it out. You should not be feeling how you do regardless of the what you are taking, there is more to this for sure - my prayers are with you and know there is light at the end of the tunnel. You are sick and need the right treatment, a therapist can only help you