Alanmane: try hard

[ChessieCat]

6 hours ago, Alanmane said:

I'm really not that bad, it's not unbearable since I can continue working, tattooing, eating out, I can enjoy sex again

 

When you have posted it's always been about how bad everything is.  I think this is the first time you have told us that there are some things that are okay.

 

From now on when you post, please remember to include some good things.

 

Alto has already said that you should learn ways to change your bad thinking habits.  I suggest that instead of focusing on the bad things you start focusing on the good things.  Only you can do this.

 

Unhelpful Thinking Habits With Alternatives

 

This is an example of how our thinking can affect how we feel:

 

When we are waiting in a queue at the supermarket or stuck at traffic lights we can either let our negative emotions/thoughts take over or we can wait calmly, check out our surroundings, think about something pleasant, listen to the radio.  We have a choice about how we are going to get through the waiting time.  We can either get angry, upset and frustrated by it or we can accept that it is what it is AT THIS TIME and try to get through it as best we can.

[Alanmane]

I haven't posted anything for a long time, I'm still keeping my last dose of 24 pearls and my life is not being easy at all, either because of WD or because my mind is bad since I don't give it enough dose.

 

I feel confused and paralyzed, I am living in inertia repeating what I have learned at work but without mental clarity, for a long time everything has affected me a lot, they get angry with me even though I do not have the responsibility, the attitudes of the people, the thinking about my life ... I feel incapable of enjoying myself and I look worse every time.

 

I spend many hours working and I am aware that I do not hide my low spirits, my face, all my non-verbal language shows that I am bad and people get tired, with the colleagues that I took the most, I already feel that they are moving away, and I understand it Because it must not be pleasant to be with someone bitter like me. I do not want to say that it is something new but I feel that these last weeks the '' depression '' is returning and I know how to handle it, if I cannot think clearly, feel minimally stable enough to be more pleasant, have ideas, plans ... how can I to get better? The reality is that I detest how I am now, I do not feel with energy to improve because it exceeds me to feel that way and not even be able to express it because my mind makes me express myself badly, messing up the thought, the speech ... I notice that the tone of voice is low and many times they ask me to repeat what I said because I speak lazily.

 

I am aware of everything that happens to me, I just don't know what to do, I am not going to increase the dose, I am not going to continue reducing it for a long time, now I know what I am after years medicated and anesthetized, if I want to be better I have a lot of work What to do, I just have to find a way to prosper.

[ChessieCat]

What improvements have you had?

[Alanmane]

I guess I feel more connected when I am comfortable with according to which people, enjoy sex, I have read again after a long time (although themed about depression, lost connections of Johan Hari), I am tattooing better and making extra money. There are some good things, although knowing that my mind is saturated and that I have difficulties weighs heavily on me. I think my mind is wired to be pessimistic and I hate that, I am realizing what I need to change.

[Alanmane]

I want to update and I hope to do it in a positive and constructive way: I recently reached 22 pearls after holding for two months or so, soon I had to go up to 26 because I felt too bad in every way, since I went up to those few pearls I am better, I can tolerate my existence although I realize that I am not doing things at all well and surely that is why I feel so anguished, it is stupid because I am really the one who is complicated things (and I do not know until point I want to do stupid things to feel bad, sometimes I think I like to suffer).

 

Not long ago I was confined for being positive for covid, it was difficult to be locked up for so many days and it affected my mental health, then I worked one day and took vacation, I still have ten days left before going back to work. That is one of my stressors, work. In the last month I made mistakes, my apathy and my bad faces were evident, I was little concentrated and dispersed and my manager noticed it and was angry with me for days, when I finally spoke with her she was tough and made everything clear to me, it is difficult for My because I, despite feeling bad, made an effort every day and did the job, but in my work it is important to show a positive attitude and mine is leagues that it is not.

 

Anguish, disconnection, not thinking clearly ... all of that is a great difficulty in doing my job, that's why I already have a second job option in case I can't take it, although now I'm undefined and I plan to become independent in two months. The positive is that it is not an extreme situation like many others that I have lived, and I know that at some point it will improve, although I do not know to what extent my mental state of indeference, anguish, total distrust in me, apathy ... it is something natural or something product of just taking effexor, I know that I will not be able to know but that question worries me, I do not come to believe that I can be well without taking antidepressants, not everything is always bad and I have good times when I feel good, but the biggest part of the day I could be lying in bed distracting myself with my cell phone.

 

I know that the only useful thing is to catch what I do wrong, such as frequent social drinking, wasting money, eating too little, sleeping too much, wasting time, consuming too much nicotine or caffeine ... if I can't find the motivation to change that, I'm doomed to fall deeper, I must try to keep this present even though I feel little connected.

[Alanmane]

I think I was wrong to go up to 26 pearls, in August it was 25 so my last reductions were miniscule, but for some reason since taking 4 more pearls I feel a lot worse. Strong apathy, no thoughts, no hunger, no sleep, even the last two sexual relationships I have had have been horrible, without getting turned on or getting an erection (for months my sex life was perfect!). I think I've done wrong, I guess tomorrow I'll go back to the dose I was in. Perhaps all this is causing me, I find it hard to believe that taking four extra mini pearls can have such a serious effect. When I read that the final part was the hardest, I did not imagine that it would be like this, I am afraid and I feel alone in this.

[Alanmane]

I am writing to record the situation. In recent months my life has had good and bad moments, it is in the last weeks that I know that my life is at a difficult point and that it is very difficult to cope.

 

It is not my intention to be negative or to see it all black, I just want to narrate that dealing with a blocked mind, blank all the time is torture, feeling fear almost all the time too, not having energy, anxiety ... all this is to Cause of being in the dose that I am and it seems that my system does not know how to live this way. Something in me tells me that clearly what I feel is depression and another part that is the effect of leaving effexor, whenever I have felt that way I have taken medication because I could not bear to feel this mentally diminished but now I am resisting and I am afraid.

 

Between August and November I have barely reduced my dose (from 25 pearls to 23), so I think I am like that without drugs. I don't know how long I can bear to live like this.

[ChessieCat]

We have told you many times that what you are experiencing is the same as what many other SA members experience.

 

What you are experiencing are VERY COMMON withdrawal symptoms from tapering your drug TOO FAST.

 

Your brain is working very hard to make things right again.  But it is going to take time.

 

Unfortunately there is nothing that we can do or take to make it happen quicker.  All you can do is hold on the current dose and let your brain do what it needs to do.

 

I know it doesn't feel like you are doing anything but you are.  You are giving your brain the time to adapt. 

 

5 minutes ago, Alanmane said:

In recent months my life has had good and bad moments

 

This is VERY COMMON and a NORMAL part of recovering.

 

5 minutes ago, Alanmane said:

it is in the last weeks that I know that my life is at a difficult point and that it is very difficult to cope.

 

This is also VERY COMMON and NORMAL.

 

SUGGESTION:

 

When you feel that it is difficult to cope read back through your Introduction topic and you will see that you post about the bad and then not long afterwards you post about some good and then bad again and then good again.  That is the normal pattern of recovery.

 

12 minutes ago, Alanmane said:

Something in me tells me that clearly what I feel is depression and another part that is the effect of leaving effexor, whenever I have felt that way I have taken medication because I could not bear to feel this mentally diminished but now I am resisting and I am afraid.

 

Is it withdrawal or relapse?  Or something else?

How do I know it's withdrawal and not relapse?

 

The staff at SA think that it is caused by tapering too fast, not relapse.  However, whether it is caused by the withdrawal symptoms or you were suffering from depression before you started a drug (or a combination), if you want to get off your drug and stay off psychiatric drugs in the future you are going to have to learn non drug ways to manage the low moods.

 

I think it has already been suggested by Altostrata that you see a counsellor.  I agree that it would be a good idea to learn life coping skills and ways to cope when you get the low moods.  I've had to learn to cope with them as have many other members of SA.

 

[Alanmane]

Thanks for the message Chessie. It is really the first time that I reduced an antidepressant in this way, all the times I stopped it were quick and I paid dearly for it, now it is different, although taking two years of reducing it seems very long, but the best option is to hold on this dose for a long time before continuing to go lower. I know starting antidepressants would be a bad thing for me and I'm not going to fall into that trap.

 

Today I have been looking to find a way to do psychotherapy in a way that I can pay for it since it is difficult for me to spend a lot of money. I have no doubt that what I am going through is very similar to what happens to most people, after all adapting to live without the profound effects that these drugs cause is a very big job. I'll tell you how I'm doing in a while, thanks for everything.

 

Edited November 19, 2020 by ChessieCat
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[ChessieCat]

9 hours ago, Alanmane said:

It is really the first time that I reduced an antidepressant in this way, all the times I stopped it were quick and I paid dearly for it, now it is different, although taking two years of reducing it seems very long, but the best option is to hold on this dose for a long time before continuing to go lower.

 

I've been reducing from 100mg Pristiq for 5 years now (started in October 2015) and I've still got another year to go.  You were on 150mg venlafaxine in May 2018.  That gives you a comparison of how quickly you have been reducing.  Whereas I have been following SA's tapering guideline of no more than 10% about every 4 weeks.

 

9 hours ago, Alanmane said:

Today I have been looking to find a way to do psychotherapy in a way that I can pay for it since it is difficult for me to spend a lot of money.

 

If you cannot afford to pay for counselling to learn non drug coping techniques that are a lot of free online courses/resources.

 

[Alanmane]

Now I am aware that I have gone too fast even though I thought I could handle it, I feel stupid.

 

If it were now at 30.40 pearls it would be much better, but being at 23 right now is becoming very difficult. Today I woke up worse than any other day, unable to hold a conversation, wanting to cry, dizzy ... my visual perception is different, as if I had low blood pressure although I have measured it and I have it well, but I feel dizzy all the time and that is why I have gone from the ER to the doctor and I have explained my situation.

 

There they have recommended me to raise the dose a little (3 more pearls), this is something I did a week ago and I got worse, that's why I returned to the stable dose of 23 accounts.

 

Honestly, the way I feel today, if I had to work, I couldn't because the lack of concentration and energy is too strong. If I can't stand being like this, what can I do? I don't want to lose my job but it is something that if I continue like this will happen, my mind is blocked. I am trying to seek psychotherapy and hope to start as soon as possible.

 

Edited November 20, 2020 by ChessieCat
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[ChessieCat]

3 hours ago, Alanmane said:

Now I am aware that I have gone too fast even though I thought I could handle it, I feel stupid.

 

You know now.  You have learned your lesson.  Unfortunately you will have to endure the results of going too fast.

 

3 beads/pearls might have been too much. 

 

You have 2 options: 

 

hold on 23 beads/pearls

 

or

 

you could try taking 1 extra bead/pearl.  But there is no guarantee that it will help. 

 

And I suggest that you do a very long hold.  At least 3 months, perhaps even 6 months.  It would be better to hold for long time and give your brain a rest from all the changes and let it catch up.

 

But please note that it is bad to keep going up and down and up and down all the time.

 

REMEMBER the idea is to get your withdrawal symptoms to a level that you can live with.  You aren't trying to get rid of them completely.

[Alanmane]

be this WD or the condition for which I started taking antidepressants, it is something difficult to handle especially at work level.

 

Today I started my seven-day journey and I already feel dejected because I am aware that I do not concentrate well and I make mistakes due to lack of attention, although I know that I do the best I can, it is inevitable that I will feel bad about it and I fear that if this continues so I won't be able to continue working at least where I am now.

 

The vast majority of the people I work with know about my mental health issues and that I'm off an antidepressant, yet I still can't expect polite treatment when I fail because of nonsense. I'm going to keep trying no matter how hard it is.

 

Of course, I'm scared enough already not to cut back for a long time, maybe a year or more. I do not know if what happens to me has a solution, I do not know 100% if my dysfunction is the basic problems (to a large extent sure that it is), or if I am neurologically damaged by AD, the marijuana that I smoked ... still It hurts me to accept that I don't know anything for sure.

 

I feel the catastrophism but today I feel really bad and without control of my mind.

 

PS: I have uploaded an account, now I am at 24 pearls.

 

Edited November 23, 2020 by ChessieCat
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[ChessieCat]

Please add dates (not just the month) to your drug signature for November.

 

Please update your drug signature to show the 23 pearls and the 24 pearls.

[Alanmane]

I already updated my signature. I don't know much else to say, I have a lot of information about the retreat, I have read the forum almost daily for the last two years since I started this trip.

 

I'm just at a point where most people would go back to taking an antidepressant and stop working, try as I might, I can't increase my mental clarity and my spirits are 0 whatever I do. I have a feeling of tension in my forehead, the same as I have had previous times when I was sick, surely my frontal lobe is suffering and does not perform well, so I can hardly speak, think, use common sense, logic and others , I feel disabled and I am dealing with people with cerebral palsy at work, it is crazy.

 

Today I have been so stressed that I wanted to cry, I could not have this feeling in effexor, at least I am feeling something, even if it is an inhuman pain and a dysfunction that makes me not feel control. This is being hell, and I am sorry to be so negative but it is the pure reality that I live day after day.

 

I'm tired.

 

Edited November 25, 2020 by ChessieCat
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[ChessieCat]

26 minutes ago, Alanmane said:

I'm tired.

 

Yes, we do get tired of fighting this invisible "monster".

 

Q:  What self care and non drug coping techniques are you using?

 

Q:  Have you looked at or tried any of the self help resources that I have previously posted?

 

Mindfulness is something that can help.  Noticing a few things each day that are in your surroundings.  It helps you to get your mind off yourself, out of your own thoughts, and to see things in the world around you.  To get into the habit of doing it you could set a reminder on your phone.  It doesn't have to be big or important things that you notice.  If you are outside it can simply be feeling the warmth or chill of the air, listening for the noises around you, if inside you could look through a window and see who is walking or driving past.  If no window, look at what is in the room.

 

https://www.getselfhelp.co.uk/mindfulness.htm

[Alanmane]

On 25/11/2020 at 23:41, ChessieCat said:

 

Sí, nos cansamos de luchar contra este "monstruo" invisible.

 

P:  ¿Qué técnicas de autocuidado y de afrontamiento sin drogas está utilizando?

 

P:  ¿Ha mirado o probado alguno de los recursos de autoayuda que publiqué anteriormente?

 

La atención plena es algo que puede ayudar. Notar algunas cosas cada día que se encuentran en su entorno. Le ayuda a dejar de pensar en sí mismo, de sus propios pensamientos y a ver las cosas del mundo que lo rodea. Para adquirir el hábito de hacerlo, puede configurar un recordatorio en su teléfono. No tiene por qué ser cosas grandes o importantes que notes. Si está afuera, puede simplemente sentir el calor o el frío del aire, escuchar los ruidos a su alrededor, si adentro puede mirar a través de una ventana y ver quién pasa caminando o conduciendo. Si no hay ventana, mire lo que hay en la habitación.

 

https://www.getselfhelp.co.uk/ mindfulness .htm

To be honest, I have never used any technique to deal with my emotional, obsessive, anxiety problems ... the answer has always been to medicate myself, that is a mistake that I am paying for and I am going to start therapy in a short time.

 

I looked at the resources you published, although on a day-to-day basis I simply let myself be trapped by anguish and helplessness, I know that my attitude is terrible with this issue and I am largely responsible for how I feel.

 

Today I went to the hospital urgently to tell my situation to a psychiatrist, he understood my decision to stop effexor and the method of counting beads, although he explained to me that although I count 24 pearls, I am hardly taking the same dose every day, it is something which I already knew but couldn't find a better method to reduce. He has told me about switching to liquid fluexetine and has scheduled me to visit a psychiatrist on Thursday to discuss it with him. I am very afraid to do the prozac bridge and I know it can go wrong, although it could also go well and eventually get off venlafaxine. Anyway, now I wouldn't try it as if it went wrong I could lose my job or have to be off work for a while and I plan to leave home in a month or two.

 

I will try to get psychotherapy through the psychiatrist and try to take advantage of this service. I'm going to reread a book I bought on mindfulness, I want to improve but it seems like my mind is programmed to hurt me even though I want to be okay.

[ChessieCat]

Q:  Do you take your dose at a regular time?

 

Q:  Do your withdrawal symptoms get worse in the hours leading up to (ie before) you are due to take your dose?

 

If you keep notes for a few days you might notice that there is a pattern.

 

It might be that you are experiencing interdose withdrawal because of the half life of Effexor.

 

If you are getting interdose withdrawal, then you try taking part of your dose at a later time.  You would move part of your dose by 1 hour each day and keep notes to see how it affects your symptoms.

 

Please post letting us know.

 

Edited November 30, 2020 by ChessieCat

[Alanmane]

11am: I wake up and drink coffee, bad mood and lack of energy.

12h: I go out to buy, I feel confused, unrealized, I find it difficult to use words when speaking.

1pm: I draw without enthusiasm for a tattoo that I have to do, it is difficult for me to focus on the task although I get a good result. I have another coffee.

2pm to 4pm: I take 24 effexor pearls and fish oil. I am at home spending time, no ideas, motivation, thinking ahead and worried.

 

5pm to 7pm: In cass, I go for a walk, I feel a little better, I call a friend and we chat a bit.

 

8pm to 10pm: I'm going to have a single beer, have dinner with a friend and go home, I feel much better.

11pm to 1:30 am: At home watching videos with my mobile, comparing the state of the morning, I feel better at night.

 

I do not know if writing this is really useful since I already know that I feel worse in the morning and better at night, nothing changes before taking effexor to later, I do not feel better when taking my dose and there is no way of knowing if my problems are WD. Cognitive problems can be due to consuming little effexor, or they can be due to "depression", or low mood, or whatever you want to call. On Thursday I will see the psychiatrist that I have assigned and that I have never seen since I have not been to psychiatry for two years. I hope to get therapy and value the prozac bridge, although this option is not viable right now, I think that if it went wrong it would be the end of my job and maybe I would have to be at home for months.

 

I have not tried splitting the dose of 24 pearls into two daily doses, I will try it from tomorrow.

[Alanmane]

well, today I saw the psychiatrist I have assigned, just out of curiosity to see what he was saying and comment on my situation. He did not know me so I have told him my history and current situation, he has said that he thinks I am suffering from moderate depression (lack of joy, motivation, concentration problems ... these are symptoms that I have and typical of depression). The idiot has suggested that I take 5mg of Trintelix along with the 24 effexor pearls.

 

I told him I wouldn't do that. He has also not been able to help me to give me psychological therapy, so I will not go back to the psychiatrist. In part I think I may be suffering from depression, my symptoms are typical, but switching to another drug terrifies me, staying months or years in 24 hours and not getting better also terrifies me. Everything is too uncertain and there is not much you can do to get a quick and clear mind. If the truth is that I am suffering from depression and not WD, I am in serious trouble, and no doctor, not this forum, nor I know the reality.

 

This puzzle is absurd and I'm sick of it all. I'm not going to post daily notes because every day is the same, worse in the morning and better at night, although always miserable and feeling sick.

[ChessieCat]

Please look at this list of common withdrawal symptoms.  There is a heading "Mimic Depression":

 

Dr Joseph Glenmullen's WD Symptoms Checklist

 

20 minutes ago, Alanmane said:

The idiot has suggested that I take 5mg of Trintelix along with the 24 effexor pearls.

 

I told him I wouldn't do that.

 

I am glad that you have decided not to take Trintellix.

 

21 minutes ago, Alanmane said:

He has also not been able to help me to give me psychological therapy, so I will not go back to the psychiatrist.

 

It would be better to see a counsellor or psychologist and tell them that you want to learn life coping and self soothing skills.

[Alanmane]

17 hours ago, ChessieCat said:

Consulte esta lista de síntomas de abstinencia comunes. Hay un título "Depresión mímica":

 

Lista de verificación de síntomas de WD del Dr. Joseph Glenmullen

 

 

Me alegro de que haya decidido no tomar Trintellix.

 

 

Sería mejor consultar a un consejero o psicólogo y decirles que desea aprender habilidades para afrontar la vida y calmarse a sí mismo.

I know that a possible symptom of WD is depression and that it can be confused with a relapse, even so I cannot know for sure if what I feel is a mild form of depression, I would not be surprised to have it after everything I have been going through for months, and it's something that has gradually gotten worse as I've been slowly reducing effexor.

 

I know that if I want to live without drugs I have to do therapy and as soon as I can pay for it I will do it, right now I can't afford it. I honestly do not know what decision to make, staying in 24 pearls for months seems the safest thing although as I am now it is difficult to live and even keeping my job is in danger.

 

Trying the prozac bridge could be good or bad, increasing my dose of effexor does not assure me anything either. Neither option gives me security, although I am tempted to try the bridge, perhaps with this I could reach 0mg of effexor and then leave the prozac easily, at least with prozac I would control the exact dose since it is liquid, with effexor I do not take the same every day even if it's 24 pearls.

 

No doctor can help me, and I have to make the decisions.

[Alanmane]

Update: Today I have been looking for therapists and tomorrow I am going to initiate therapy with a psychologist who seems to convince me, now I will have to see if I feel that we can work together to improve my situation.

 

During these days I went to psychiatry three times, two emergency and once with the psychiatrist who takes me and I did not know. The first visit in the ER was for the same as the second, just to talk about what happens to me and what options I have, none of the visits has solved something for me but at least I have been able to speak, I have been advised to increase the dose to when I was feeling better, taking prozac bridge, going to another antidepressant ... all the options terrify me and the one I'm opting for now which is to keep 24 pearls, it also scares me because it doesn't work, every day is restless, dull mind , without pleasure, with difficulty expressing myself, without appetite, wanting to be in bed all the time ... honestly I would change this to increase the dose if that would make me more active and less distressed, but that could help or make it worse.

 

The only thing I know that can benefit me is psychotherapy and nothing is short term. Yes, I am at a point of despair and if this increases or continues the result will not be positive. Not being able to have anything clear and that nobody can know it does not anguish me either.

 

Am I depressed for the third time in my life? is this just discontinuation but i'm not sick? will I be able to live well without SSRIs? This emotional and cognitive limitation is irreparable damage or is it due to depression? there are so many unanswerable questions, I am obsessed with the problem.

[Alanmane]

Sorry to say this, four days ago I increased my dosage to 40 pearls because I couldn't take this hell any longer.

 

I have no words to describe the degree of mental pain that I have endured for months and each time it was increasing. I tried weeks ago to incorporate some pearl and it did not help, I do not dare to do the prozac bridge, and I would not change to another antidepressant, the only option that I saw safer was to increase a little. Since I have done this increase I feel worse, I already knew that it could happen and I will surely need months to feel any improvement, the dose of 50 40 pearls was better, more tolerable than below 30, that is why I have gone there again.

 

If I have done this it is because I could not continue without making a change, instead of stabilizing myself every day I was suffering more and perhaps this can be useful, although I do not know when. At this point I am fully aware of how bad I did, I thought I could go fast and now I have crashed.

When I took 40 pearls a few days ago, I felt after a few hours an increase in agitation, a strange dizziness, a very strange sensation, the first two days were horrible and yesterday and today very bad although tolerable. I've even thought about going back to 37.5 if that would give me some peace, but nothing is certain.

[ChessieCat]

If you had posted here asking for our thoughts on an updose we would have suggested a smaller increase.  Definitely no more than 30 pearls.

 

If you are going to reduce your dose then it would be better to do it now.  You could try reducing to 30 pearls.

[Alanmane]

They have been very difficult days, I have been desperate and unable to think clearly although I knew I had to do something, the idea of keeping the 24 pearls and suffering like that for more months was not something viable.

 

I know there are no quick and easy solutions to this and of all the options the best one I saw was this. In January of this year I was taking 50 pearls so I have regressed quite a bit. Do you think it would be better to go to 30? of all the options is the best? Right now I don't think about giving up drugs, I just want to be functional and be able to continue living.

[ChessieCat]

21 minutes ago, Alanmane said:

Do you think it would be better to go to 30?

 

I've already suggested this:

 

36 minutes ago, ChessieCat said:

If you are going to reduce your dose then it would be better to do it now.  You could try reducing to 30 pearls.

 

[ChessieCat]

39 minutes ago, Alanmane said:

Right now I don't think about giving up drugs, I just want to be functional and be able to continue living.

 

I think it would be a good idea for you to go back and read your own Introduction topic from the beginning and to read all the links which have been provided.

 

You have tried to get off your drug too quickly and SA staff have continually suggested that you slow down.

 

Sometimes understanding what is happening can help us to be more patient with the process.

 

The brain is always adapting which is called homeostasis.  When we add a drug then the brain adapts and changes what it needs to do, it balances things out.

 

When we take the drug away then it tries to balance things out again.  If we take the drug away too quickly it has to do a lot of sorting out to get the balance right.  If we take the drug away slowly then the brain doesn't have to try and make as many changes.

 

So every time you change your dose the brain has to change.  When you keep the dose the same then the brain doesn't have as much work to do to balance things out.

 

Think of it like a game of tennis.  If your opponent keeps hitting the ball to your right you get used to it and are more prepared for it and you don't have to move very much and can keep your balance better.  But if all of a sudden your opponent changes the direction of where they are hitting the ball then all of a sudden you have to change what you are doing, you have to work harder.  If your opponent keeps hitting the ball in a different direction every time they return it you have to run all around the court.

 

I hope that helps.

 

Edited December 12, 2020 by ChessieCat

[Alanmane]

13 hours ago, ChessieCat said:

 

Creo que sería una buena idea que regresara y lea su propio tema de Introducción desde el principio y lea todos los enlaces que se han proporcionado.

 

Ha intentado dejar su medicamento demasiado rápido y el personal de SA le ha sugerido continuamente que disminuya la velocidad.

 

A veces, comprender lo que está sucediendo puede ayudarnos a ser más pacientes con el proceso.

 

El cerebro siempre se está adaptando, lo que se llama homeostasis. Cuando agregamos una droga, el cerebro se adapta y cambia lo que necesita hacer, equilibra las cosas.

 

Cuando retiramos la droga, intenta equilibrar las cosas nuevamente. Si eliminamos el fármaco demasiado rápido, es necesario realizar una gran selección para lograr el equilibrio correcto. Si eliminamos la droga lentamente, el cerebro no tiene que intentar hacer tantos cambios.

 

Entonces, cada vez que cambia su dosis, el cerebro tiene que cambiar. Cuando mantiene la misma dosis, el cerebro no tiene tanto trabajo que hacer para equilibrar las cosas.

 

Piense en ello como un partido de tenis. Si tu oponente sigue golpeando la pelota a tu derecha, te acostumbras y estás más preparado para ello y no tienes que moverte mucho y puedes mantener mejor el equilibrio. Pero si de repente tu oponente cambia la dirección de donde está golpeando la pelota, entonces de repente tienes que cambiar lo que estás haciendo, tienes que trabajar más duro. Si tu oponente sigue golpeando la pelota en una dirección diferente cada vez que la devuelve, debes correr por toda la cancha.

 

Espero que eso ayude.

 

I understand the mistakes I have made and also why I wanted to go fast even though I thought I was doing it at a pace that I could tolerate.

 

First: I know that during these years I have not learned to manage my emotions or my life correctly, I have made mistakes by being emotionally immature and letting myself be carried away by catastrophism.

 

Second: I didn't think I could get that bad with cutting back, I had never really slowed down an antidepressant and I thought that even without following 10% I could do it without much trouble.

 

Third: I have been working in a place for a year that causes me stress because I feel that I do not meet expectations, apart from the fact that it requires being in good mood and mental state and I have been suffering anguish for months. I have restored to 30 pearls, I do not feel well in any way, I have tested positive for covid again and I cannot work because I do not have antibodies either, so the situation is distressing although I do not present symptoms. I notice that my mental fog is even worse, it is difficult for me to even write a text message, my whole body hurts, I feel like I have a hangover after holidays.

[ChessieCat]

You cannot change what has already happened.

 

But you now have more knowledge about the withdrawal process than you did before.

 

You have been a member of SA for 2 years now and we have been offering suggestions during those 2 years but you have not listened to us and have kept changing your dose, reducing too fast and then 5 days ago you updosed too much.  You did not ask us before you updosed what dose we would suggest.

 

SA does not make members follow SA suggestions.  It is a member's decision what they do.  However, moderators, who do not get paid and whose time is valuable, put a lot of time and effort into trying to help members.  When a member decides that they will do things their own way the moderators become very frustrated and worn out because the member keeps making their own problems.  The moderators do not want to waste their time so they stop helping the members who keep doing things their own way and use their time more wisely assisting the members who want to follow SA suggestions.

 

Hopefully now you have learned that you need to be patient and stop changing your doses.  And when you do start tapering again, that you do it slowly.

 

My suggestion would be to hold on 30 pearls for at least 4 months, and I think that 6 months would be even better.  You need to give your brain a chance to get things worked out.  And then when you start tapering again, go slowly.

 

You have already been given all the information you need.  Read back through your own Introduction topic.

 

Sorry, but I have decided that I will not be spending any more of my time trying to assist you.  Other mods will need to decide for themselves if they will assist you.

 

I wish you well and hope that you have learned to be more patient.

[Alanmane]

31 minutes ago, ChessieCat said:

You cannot change what has already happened.

 

But you now have more knowledge about the withdrawal process than you did before.

 

You have been a member of SA for 2 years now and we have been offering suggestions during those 2 years but you have not listened to us and have kept changing your dose, reducing too fast and then 5 days ago you updosed too much.  You did not ask us before you updosed what dose we would suggest.

 

SA does not make members follow SA suggestions.  It is a member's decision what they do.  However, moderators, who do not get paid and whose time is valuable, put a lot of time and effort into trying to help members.  When a member decides that they will do things their own way the moderators become very frustrated and worn out because the member keeps making their own problems.  The moderators do not want to waste their time so they stop helping the members who keep doing things their own way and use their time more wisely assisting the members who want to follow SA suggestions.

 

Hopefully now you have learned that you need to be patient and stop changing your doses.  And when you do start tapering again, that you do it slowly.

 

Mi sugerencia sería conservar 30 perlas durante al menos 4 meses, y creo que 6 meses sería incluso mejor. Necesitas darle a tu cerebro la oportunidad de hacer las cosas bien. Y luego, cuando empiece a disminuir de nuevo, hágalo lentamente.

 

Ya se le ha proporcionado toda la información que necesita. Vuelve a leer tu propio tema de Introducción.

 

Lo siento, pero he decidido que no dedicaré más tiempo a tratar de ayudarlo. Otros mods deberán decidir por sí mismos si te ayudarán.

 

Le deseo lo mejor y espero que haya aprendido a ser más paciente.

I'm sorry to read this Cheesie,

 

I know that you have always recommended and advised me during this time and that even so I have made my decisions, which have not been the correct ones. I assume that I have created what I am suffering and that you have tired of helping me without seeing results in my attitude when working on this process.

 

I can only apologize, I fully understand your decision to walk away. Understand that even receiving all the information you have given me, I have been confused and at times wondering what would be the best for me. I want to thank you for the help you have given me throughout this time, despite not having followed the instructions as advised, I have felt supported many times and I will never forget it.

At this point I have no doubts and I will end up reducing as I should have done from the beginning. I don't like the idea of losing you but I get it, maybe I should stop posting on this site as it caused annoyances and frustrations.

 

I wish you the best Chessie.

[ChessieCat]

8 hours ago, Alanmane said:

maybe I should stop posting on this site

 

Please continue to post.  What you write in your Introduction topic can help other members.  And we also want to know how you are.  And the other mods and mentors might want to support you.

 

8 hours ago, Alanmane said:

I can only apologize, I fully understand your decision to walk away. Understand that even receiving all the information you have given me, I have been confused and at times wondering what would be the best for me. I want to thank you for the help you have given me throughout this time, despite not having followed the instructions as advised, I have felt supported many times and I will never forget it.

 

Thank you.  And you are very welcome.  It was a hard decision for me to make, but I have to look after myself.

 

And I hope you look after yourself.  I might post again sometimes once you get stabilised.

[Altostrata]

Hello, Alanmane.

 

Going off venlafaxine can be very difficult. Please don't blame yourself.

 

On 11/6/2020 at 2:34 PM, Alanmane said:

frequent social drinking, wasting money, eating too little, sleeping too much, wasting time, consuming too much nicotine or caffeine

 

Your nervous system is sensitized from your earlier more drastic drug changes. If you have been drinking, it's very possible this has set back your taper off venlafaxine. Alcohol is a drug and it can upset your nervous system like any other drug. Caffeine can make you nervous, too.

 

The other things you've listed are also areas where you can improve in taking care of yourself. You need to eat regularly, get good sleep, and avoid caffeine or other substances that can upset your nervous system.

 

You've been anxious at your job from the start. As we've discussed before, working with a psychotherapist may help you find out why you are so critical of yourself and cannot relax. Or, it's possible the job is the wrong job for you. It's a very difficult time and you are feeling a lot of stress, like so many people.

 

On 12/4/2020 at 8:18 AM, Alanmane said:

Trying the prozac bridge could be good or bad, increasing my dose of effexor does not assure me anything either. Neither option gives me security, although I am tempted to try the bridge, perhaps with this I could reach 0mg of effexor and then leave the prozac easily, at least with prozac I would control the exact dose since it is liquid, with effexor I do not take the same every day even if it's 24 pearls.

 

No doctor can help me, and I have to make the decisions.

 

Unfortunately, every person on this Web site is in the same difficult position. 

 

How do you feel now on your increased venlafaxine dose?

[Alanmane]

3 hours ago, Altostrata said:

Hola, Alanmane.

 

Dejar la venlafaxina puede ser muy difícil. Por favor, no se culpe.

 

 

Su sistema nervioso está sensibilizado por sus cambios anteriores más drásticos de medicamentos. Si ha estado bebiendo, es muy posible que esto haya retrasado su disminución de venlafaxina. El alcohol es una droga y puede alterar su sistema nervioso como cualquier otra droga. La cafeína también puede ponerlo nervioso.

 

Las otras cosas que ha enumerado también son áreas en las que puede mejorar en el cuidado de sí mismo. Debe comer con regularidad, dormir bien y evitar la cafeína u otras sustancias que puedan alterar su sistema nervioso.

 

Ha estado ansioso en su trabajo desde el principio. Como hemos comentado antes, trabajar con un psicoterapeuta puede ayudarlo a descubrir por qué es tan crítico consigo mismo y no puede relajarse. O es posible que el trabajo no sea el adecuado para usted. Es un momento muy difícil y estás sintiendo mucho estrés, como tanta gente.

 

 

Desafortunadamente, todas las personas en este sitio web se encuentran en la misma situación difícil. 

 

¿Cómo se siente ahora con su dosis aumentada de venlafaxina?

Hi Alto,

 

I know I have not done my best to take care of my health by drinking occasionally, using nicotine, staying in a job that stresses me out, cutting back when I was not ready ... this has gotten me to where I am now.

 

If I want to improve now I can only act as I should, I have no other choice because my state is quite difficult.

 

To give you an idea, writing this text up to here is costing me a lot because I cannot concentrate well or think clearly, I am in a heightened state of alert, it is difficult for me to speak because I do not organize my thoughts, my vision is altered , I see everything fine but the light bothers me and I feel like dizzy, drunk, I see things more slowly, feeling of being in danger, confusion, high fatigue ... since I reset 30 pearls it is something better than when I went to 40 Even so I feel that I have altered my system too much, the last months in 28.24 pearls were already similar to this although now it is more worrying.

 

A few days ago I tested positive for Covid again and having to be at home in this state is costing me, although I can't imagine going to work like that.

 

I started psychotherapy a week ago but I have to postpone the next session. I don't know what I should do now, a part of keeping this dose for a long time with the idea of improving, I feel on the brink of disability Alto.

[Altostrata]

Can you do psychotherapy over video chat?

 

If you feel better on 30 beads, you might stay there for a while. You'll have to stop drinking, sorry. No drinking. Your nervous system probably is too sensitive for any alcohol.

[Alanmane]

11 hours ago, Altostrata said:

¿Puedes hacer psicoterapia por video chat?

 

Si se siente mejor con 30 cuentas, puede quedarse allí por un tiempo. Tendrás que dejar de beber, lo siento. No beber. Es probable que su sistema nervioso sea demasiado sensible para el alcohol.

Hi Alto,

 

I have the possibility of doing therapy online although I prefer to wait a week and go in person, it is much more useful this way. About alcohol and caffeine you are right, I have taken alcohol occasionally and because it felt good to do it, although I know that more than once I have drunk more than I should I suppose because of having more tolerance. I am reducing my coffee, a couple of cups a day does not seem to affect me too much and it gives me some pleasure and energy, if I exceed my anxiety, I will continue to control these habits and be more aware of how I control myself.

 

Today I woke up better than yesterday, with some anxiety and not wanting to get up because I don't work and I don't have important tasks to do, but compared to yesterday I notice improvement, less agitated and somewhat more motivated.

 

Something that happened to me when I went up to 40 pearls is that the next day my whole body ached, especially my legs and I still feel muscle pain due to the great tension that I generated.