Mental Health Blog - antidepressant treatment review

Here, I'll nutshell it for you:

• I'm detoxing from Effexor XR which I cold turkeyed as of Saturday - this is sending my head into outerspace and my blood pressure into oblivion.  I feel discombobolated and incoherant, disconnected, dizzy, and bascially I feel like shit.  Turns out, THESE ARE KNOWN WITHDRAWL EFFECTS.. wtf... check out this scary page to learn more about this evil med. withdrawl -- or this one that states 78% of people have severe withdrawl effects.  Thanks a bunch, I'm not depressed anymore... I'm just disembodied.  Fan-frickin-tastic!
• Spent 4 hours in the ER yesterday because of this disembodied feeling, Dr. oh so gently said - yah, you have two choices, suffer thru the withdrawls, or go back on the med. at half dose until you go off completely in a week (and start the withdrawls all over again).  I took the script for the half dose, but thought better about starting this bologna over again, so I'm suffering.
• Grandmother fell, is currently in hospital in extreme pain.
• Mother is fed up with everyone falling apart around her, doesn't understand my weakness considering I've always been "the strong one."  Well guess what folks... someone else can have that job, I'm done doing the tears of a clown routine.
• Cats need their stitches out a week ago.... still can't find the time.  One of them is sick so my house smells wonderful.
• I'm totally unmotivated so my house is a WRECK, my laundry is over flowing and my bills are stacking up.
• My work is slipping and my boss called me on it today.  I just told him he was right, I've been someplace else in my head recently -- I'm not going to lie to the man -- he's right, my head has not been in the game.
• I'm considering checking myself into a psych ward as this seems SO out of control at the moment.

Calgon take me away!  This withdrawl shit is for the BIRDS.... how can I be in my body and not in my head?  And I was only on 75mgs only one bump up from minimum.  Here's the withdrawl effects listed and I'll highlight the ones I'm currently experiencing......

From the FDA medical products reporting program, the list of withdrawal symptoms from effexor include:

agitation, anorexia, anxiety, confusion, coordination impaired, diarrhea, dizziness, dry mouth, dysphoric mood, fasciculation, fatigue, headaches, hypomania, insomnia, nausea, nervousness, nightmares, sensory disturbances (including shock-like electrical sensations), somnolence, sweating, tremor, vertigo, and vomiting (coming soon).

One more common effect not mentioned above is long term vision problems.

What's not in dispute is the high number of 'serious' side effects from withdrawal.

The FDA defines as 'serious' any side effect that causes

Thanks... I think I'd rather be depressed.  Jesus!