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By February 2017, after suffering an a intensive mobbing at my first year of university, I was suffering an a clinical picture of being unable to get concentrate and having headaches all the day. My doctor diagnosed me depression and prescribed me Zoloft. I took it about 45 days, 50 mg, and then I stopped abruptly due to an a side effect that I didn't like (I don't remember which one, it was something completely banal). I've to say that I experienced an a improvement, the headaches disappeared, my brain began to work fluenty, being able to concentrate and read perfectly. After 45 days, I stopped "cold turkey". That's when the catastrophe appeared. I've been really bad for about this 4 years, suffering an a extreme clinical picture - that I was not suffering from before taking the drug, only after the interruption, and achieved his peak after a month, maybe two from interruption - of cognitive deficits (to the point of not being able to read or speak correctly), akathisia, suicidal thoughts, anger episodes etc. I've been avoiding any kind of psychiatric drug, cause I thought I was still suffering from the withdrawal. I visited different doctors that tried to prescribe me an anticonvulsive (not being able to remember name) an a antipsychotic (Abilify). Refused both medications. In the middle (3rd year), I started mindfulness to try to heal my brain, and partially succeded. My suicidal thoughts disappeared after one month of mindfulness, my brain partially improved with more wellness and better functional performance. Despite that, I didn't notice an a better improvement superior to 15% about the cognitive deficits issue. After this 4 years, I've been unable to continue my studies (I was at university, I was 20 years old by then). The last year, I visited a psychiatrist who told me that clearly my problem was the cold turkey interruption (first time aware the problem was the cold turkey, I was thinking that I was still suffering from withdrawal symptoms). I used to play the piano, and it was though that my brain was not unable to send correctly the orders to my fingers, and I was failing to play correctly. For about 6 months, I was wondering that he was correct, that probably my problem was the cold turkey interruption. Thus, we started zoloft again three months ago, I started 6.25 and then increased after 15 days to 12.5 mg. Now I've been two months on 12.5 mg. I've been feeling an a improvement with my cognitive deficits (the problem with the piano has evolved to moderate to mild) an a improvement related with anger but akathisia and brain impairment still persists. I've come here to ask for follow up and advice. My aim is the following: in one month increase the dosage to 18.75 mg for three months, and then, increase to 25 mg again, and remain there for about 6 months, hoping to get healed and cure my brain from this clinical picture. And then, reducing following the 10% rule. I'm not considering getting into 50 mg. For me, 50 mg was too much, making me feel extremely well, extremely smart and focused, extremely creative, extremely capable, extremely everything, and I felt it was unreal and a hazard. And I don't want to feel the same anymore putting my brain in such a dose. I hope your veteran's wisdom and council are going to help me.

I’m new to the site and go by PDRE. I’m currently weaning off of Venlafaxine XR. I’m now to 37.5mg of regular I saw on another site to stay in the caps and count granules, but I shake, vision plays a part and I suffer numbness in my prominent hand, also anxiety ( Some symptoms due to other issues, although the drug prob makes it worse; as I’m finding out). My doctor did this so I can cut them. I just really need support and guidance. Ty I’m looking forward to meeting and learning. PDRE

I began a slow titration from 150mg venalfaxin one week ago, April 7, 2019. Alternating 150mg with 112.5mg every other day and then taking the 112.5mg two days between a 150mg. Tomorrow I add one more 112.5mg between a 150mg before advancing to four days 112.5mg between each 150mg through the end if April 2019. Today, April 14 I took three 112.5mg and plan to go back to 150mg tomorrow and then 3 more days with 112.5mg. I feel withdrawal today mid day concentration is off Neck and body starting to ache Feeling so tired want to lay down Help I want to stay with the schedule but getting tricky to stay clear mentally and physically comfortable Donna

I have been on Effexor 150mg for about 3years now. I stopped cold turkey 3 days ago , ( yes i know it’s not right to do ) so being i’m on my 3rd day will they get better, worse or remain the same?

Was taking Abilify 20 mg but tapered down to 5-10 mg. Was also taking Celexa 40 mg but tapered down to 20 mg. Doctor started me on Wellbutrin 150 mg a month ago to "give me a boost". Stopped taking the abilify and celexa but still take Wellbutrin 150 mg. The first month I felt fine, now even though I am on Wellbutrin, I am getting anxiety spells, some social phobia at times, and my depression is coming back. I come from a family with a lot of mental illness, and had depression with psychosis since I hit puberty, now I am almost 40. I think the medications worked in a way but by numbing me and dulling my feelings in general. In a way it was good in that it numbed me so much I didn't have anxiety and was able to talk to people. I would like to see if I could be okay now with out the help of meds but tried to go off them before cold turkey and my depression came back worse than ever. I thought since I am replacing the abilify and celexa with Wellbutrin I would be fine, and was then planning to wean off of that. But I don't know if I am just feeling my emotions more or it's discontinuation syndrome.

Have been on a variety of antidepressants and antipsychotics since a teenager. Currently take Celexa 40mg and Abilify 20mg. Have a history of just going cold turkey off medications (didn't know better). The last time I went cold turkey was a few months ago. - At first felt ok. Then became irritable, groggy, had a lot of bizzare vivid dreams and depressed again. Felt Ok for a little bit again, then the depression came back with a vengeance and was getting suicidal. So I went back on my medications. This has been my experience every time I would go cold turkey. I would think that my depression is returning and that I need to medications. Just got the book "The antidpressant Solution" and "Anatomy of an Epidemic" in the mail today to read. Realize I have to slowly taper off the medication. My History: I was hit with depression and anorexia when I hit puberty at 11. I was fine before that. It seemed like overnight I got depressed. After my bout with anorexia my depression became very intense and painful from 12-14. Then it turned to apathy and I started having a lot of hallucinations. I hallucinated almost daily until I was 18 (I didn't take medications until I was 17) while I was struggling with depression, apathy, social anxiety, panic attacks. I was hospitalized for a couple of weeks at 17. Given Lithium and reacted badly to that, shaking so much I couldn't even sit in a chair. I was afraid of taking any more medications after that experience. I refused medications in the hospital. After I was released I was required to go to therapy for 6 months. I finally agreed to try some medication. I took zoloft for a short period. It gave me this strange medicated numb feeling I didn't like so I went cold turkey. I couldn't get out of bed for a month and felt just awful. For a few years 1998-2003 or 2004, I didn't take any medications. I still had depression and very bad social anxiety, though my hallucinations and hearing things decreased a lot. Around 2004 my depression seemed to be getting worse and out of desperation I went to the hospital. They put me on Effexor, Seroquel, and clonazepam. Helped a little. But not much. They later put me of Adderall for ADHD. I had a bad reaction to that. I developed extremely bad short term memory, I'm not the angry type, and was angry all the time and irritable. I ended up getting taken away to the psych unit in the hospital for an angry outburst on Adderall in which I was kicking furniture and screaming in a lobby. Something totally out of character for me. I can't even remember what I was screaming or upset about. They knocked me out with Seroquel and let me go the next day but said I had Borderline Personality Disorder and that it wasn't due to adderall. I knew it was the adderall. I just went cold turkey after that and I can't remember if it was just from adderall or all the medications because my memory was so bad. For over a month I was sick, vomiting almost daily and went to the hospital a couple of times for dehydration. I didn't know it could or was withdrawals, I thought I had a stomach problem. I spent most of the time sleeping because I felt so awful. 2005-2009 I went to a new clinic. They changed my medications. Cymbalta, Celexa and ability. These medications seem to work at ridding my depression and anxiety, so I took them for a while. But sometimes I would try to go off them cold turkey to try natural methods instead and would end up getting depressed again. 2010-Present, on just Celexa and Abilify but can't seem to come off, every time I would go cold turkey the depression comes back with a vengeance. Feel stuck and dependent on these meds. I feel better on the medications but also a little numb and dumbed down. I would like to try a natural diet a exercise to treat my depression etc. My family has a history of Mental illness, so it's hard for me to know if my depression is circumstantial or a real lifelong condition but either way I want to to try to treat it with a natural diet/lifestyle.