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Catina

Effexor · Mar 1, 2026

Tapering: Effexor

2,574 posts

USA

Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) for Anxiety, Negative Emotions, Insomnia, Pain

March 1, 2026

General Instructions: https://eft.mercola.com/ https://www.survivingantidepressants.org/forums/topic/841-eft-emotional-freedom-techniques/#comment-528581 For Insomnia: https://quenza.com/blog/eft-for-insomnia/#h-implementing-eft-for-better-sleep-a-step-by-step-guide Release Stress, Anxiety, & Overwhelm: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sqe3h3l8a7w EFT Tapping for Healing: https://insighttimer.com/padmadevi/guided-meditations/eft-tapping-for-healing?utm_source=copy&utm_medium=guided_meditation

Venlafaxine (tapering) - Current dose 17.28 mg
Trazodone - 50 mg
Synthroid - 25 mcg

“Your brain and body know how to heal. Trust the process and keep going.”

Please Note: I am not a healthcare professional. Any advice given is based on personal experience and that of others in the lay withdrawal community.

23 Replies

MashaSep 18

LighthousePaxil · holding

Thanks. I feel Like I don’t have control Over the waves.

Paxil — 20 mg — 20 years. Went off now back on — holding
Trazadone 25 mg
Buspar 5 mg two times a day
Ativan .25 at night

⭐

CatinaSep 18

Community AnchorEffexor

"Like I don’t have control" — @Masha

I understand. Just try to ride them like you do waves in the ocean. Radically accepting what your body is doing can help, believe it or not.

MashaSep 18

LighthousePaxil · holding

I feel like I’m getting depressed by it all and I hate that.

Paxil — 20 mg — 20 years. Went off now back on — holding
Trazadone 25 mg
Buspar 5 mg two times a day
Ativan .25 at night

MashaSep 18

LighthousePaxil · holding

Anyone feel Like one day is fine and the next day is horrible? I can’t stand it!

Paxil — 20 mg — 20 years. Went off now back on — holding
Trazadone 25 mg
Buspar 5 mg two times a day
Ativan .25 at night

Maria A.Sep 18

LighthouseZoloft · active

Yes Masha- that’s exactly how it is for me right now. One day is good and the next day is a horrible wave preceded by no sleep the night before. I’m also starting to get depressed from this lasting so long now and not being functional from the lack of sleep.

Zoloft —50 mg to 15 mg — 8 years with a cold turkey and reinstatement in between— was liquid micro tapering, crashed at 14.275 mg and now holding at 15 mg.

MashaSep 18

LighthousePaxil · holding

Me too Maria. It’s scary. I reinstated 6 weeks ago after a failed taper and I was going ok until about 2 weeks ago. Now every other day is terrible. I think the trauma of it all is making me depressed.

Paxil — 20 mg — 20 years. Went off now back on — holding
Trazadone 25 mg
Buspar 5 mg two times a day
Ativan .25 at night

MashaSep 18

LighthousePaxil · holding

Anyone have and advice? I know it takes time but you wonder how long!

Paxil — 20 mg — 20 years. Went off now back on — holding
Trazadone 25 mg
Buspar 5 mg two times a day
Ativan .25 at night

Maria A.Sep 18

LighthouseZoloft · active

Yes I would also love to hear other people’s experiences on how long it took to stabilize after a reinstatement or updose. My first reinstatement took months but that was because I was polydrugged and then had to taper off things.

Zoloft —50 mg to 15 mg — 8 years with a cold turkey and reinstatement in between— was liquid micro tapering, crashed at 14.275 mg and now holding at 15 mg.

MamaLaSep 18

NavigatorProzac · holding

@Catina - couldn’t agree more with the wave of the ocean analogy. The hardest thing to do when you are in the midst of a big wave, but I feel that once you learn that the waves pass whether you pay close attention to them or not, it does get just a little bit easier to “ride “ them

Prozac — 2.16- tapering

MashaSep 18

LighthousePaxil · holding

These waves feel harder than the one before them. After reinstating I thought it would get easier.

Paxil — 20 mg — 20 years. Went off now back on — holding
Trazadone 25 mg
Buspar 5 mg two times a day
Ativan .25 at night

MamaLaSep 18

NavigatorProzac · holding

@Masha - it took me close to 4 months after a reinstatement to feel like I was having more good days than bad. The first 4 months was like a bad roller coaster!!

Prozac — 2.16- tapering

Maria A.Sep 18

LighthouseZoloft · active

@MamaLa when did you feel like your sleep finally came back?

Zoloft —50 mg to 15 mg — 8 years with a cold turkey and reinstatement in between— was liquid micro tapering, crashed at 14.275 mg and now holding at 15 mg.

MashaSep 18

LighthousePaxil · holding

@MamaLa how long had you been off before reinstating? 4 months! I was off 6 weeks. Back on for 6 weeks. Same dose.

Paxil — 20 mg — 20 years. Went off now back on — holding
Trazadone 25 mg
Buspar 5 mg two times a day
Ativan .25 at night

MashaSep 18

LighthousePaxil · holding

How did you stay sane?!

Paxil — 20 mg — 20 years. Went off now back on — holding
Trazadone 25 mg
Buspar 5 mg two times a day
Ativan .25 at night

Nic TattsSep 18

WelcomerProzac · active

Yes Masha I find some days are better than others. One day I can be very down and symptomatic and the next day feeling not too bad. I am trying to use acceptance as a strategy so I don’t stress my brain and body, which ultimately make symptoms worse in the long run by upsetting the parasympathetic nervous system. I’ve decided to be kinder to myself and do lots of relaxation to help calm it all down.

Prozac — 45mg — 18 years — actively tapering

MamaLaSep 18

NavigatorProzac · holding

@Masha - I was off for 3 months. There was definitely days where I wasn’t sure I was going to come through ok on the other side, and lack of sleep made it so much harder. Around the 8 week mark of being back on I started to have more good days. I journaled a lot!!! All of the feelings, the good the bad and the ugly. Even on my worst days, when I could Look back at my journaling, I could see that there was some bright moments and I hung on to those as hard as I could.

Prozac — 2.16- tapering

MamaLaSep 18

NavigatorProzac · holding

@Maria A. - sleep has never come easy for me, but my sleep also started to settle back to my baseline around the 4 month mark after reinstatement.

Prozac — 2.16- tapering

MashaSep 18

LighthousePaxil · holding

So off for 3 months. What was your dose and what did you reinstate at

Paxil — 20 mg — 20 years. Went off now back on — holding
Trazadone 25 mg
Buspar 5 mg two times a day
Ativan .25 at night

MamaLaSep 18

NavigatorProzac · holding

@Masha - came off of Prozac 10mg and reinstated at the same dose. All The literature on starting the meds says that you won’t notice full effect for 8-12 weeks. I think when we come off and then reintroduce the med at the same dose , our nervous systems are so confused. Honestly I think the most important thing you can do right now is stay consistent on the dose that you are on, be kind to yourself and know that it will settle💕

Prozac — 2.16- tapering

MashaSep 18

LighthousePaxil · holding

And you’re tapering?

Paxil — 20 mg — 20 years. Went off now back on — holding
Trazadone 25 mg
Buspar 5 mg two times a day
Ativan .25 at night

MashaSep 18

LighthousePaxil · holding

I also journal. Considering an outpatient program for more support.

Paxil — 20 mg — 20 years. Went off now back on — holding
Trazadone 25 mg
Buspar 5 mg two times a day
Ativan .25 at night

MamaLaSep 18

NavigatorProzac · holding

Have been holding my dose now for the last 5 months to give my brain and body some breathing room. Had some increased symptoms after my last drop but i do intend to continue tapering when i feel the time is right

Prozac — 2.16- tapering

MashaSep 18

LighthousePaxil · holding

@MamaLa I’m At week 6 and I read that can be rough because everything is at full throttle again. I also take Trazadone that could be complicating things. I’ve only been on it 3 weeks so I’m Trying to slowly get off it. Anyone more depressed on Trazadone?

Paxil — 20 mg — 20 years. Went off now back on — holding
Trazadone 25 mg
Buspar 5 mg two times a day
Ativan .25 at night

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