Hi, I'm Erika

Hi @Erika....Welcome to Taper Community. 💜 I'm so sorry for everything you've been through. It sounds like you've been dealing with an incredibly complex situation for many years, and that has to be exhausting. Thank you for sharing your story with us. Many of our members have found themselves in similar situations—after years on psychiatric medications, they begin to wonder whether the medications are still helping or whether they're contributing to how they're feeling. You're certainly not alone in asking those questions. Given your long history with venlafaxine, clonazepam, and pregabalin, along with your other medical conditions, I would encourage you not to make any medication changes too quickly. If you decide that tapering is something you'd like to explore, we generally recommend making one medication change at a time and going very gradually so your nervous system has the best chance to adapt. For now, take your time looking around the forum and reading through the information. There's no rush to make any decisions. If and when you're ready, we'd be happy to help you think through your options and answer any questions you have. We're glad you found us, and we look forward to supporting you. Catina 💕

Hi Catina, Please accept my thanks from the depths of my being for the compassion and kindness reflected in your lovely reply. For a lifetime, I’ve been reaching out and reaching out…and nothing. You’re the first person who has acknowledged the solitary struggle, not dismissed it as so many doctors, relatives, and former friends have. One of the most demoralizing experiences when it comes to these matters is when you explain your dilemma to another person yet again and the response is a puzzled gaze and/or uncomprehending silence. I’ve started shutting down my phone (not that anyone calls) for days because I can’t stand it anymore. Also, I’ve just lost another below-minimum-wage job in retail because I couldn’t get out of bed to walk to work. The physically punitive job was destroying whatever was left of my throttled tissues. The verbal abuse and attempted physical assault from customers was too much. Four micro-managers yelling at me for my entire shift and the daily humiliations they shoved down my soul were redundant. I already had a mother who let me know every day I was useless; I didn’t need managers and other associates letting me via their power trips and ostracizing treatment. Thank you for your advice about only tapering one medication at a time. I’ve decided to begin tapering the effexor first. I tried doing that last summer and ended up in the emergency department. After much research, I understand I went too fast for my nervous system to adjust. My last psychiatrist’s response when I informed her was “You can do it.” Other than that, she offers no guidance because she was trained solely to prescribe. I’m grateful she agreed to continue prescribing the medication. I can’t afford food, much less to find a deprescribing doctor. My mother died about six weeks ago. I come from immigrant parents and the only family I have in this country are an assaultive sister and a brother. I’ve read many of the informative and valuable articles on this site and explored other tapering site before choosing this one. I would greatly appreciate any suggestions you could spare. Catina, thank you again. 💕

Dearest @Erika, your heartfelt post brought tears to my eyes. It reminds me why this work is so important - the people who are suffering and who deserve to be heard. You've endured a lifetime of oppression and abuse and you don't deserve that! You have worth and value. You deserve love and respect. Also, I'm saddened to hear about the loss of your mom. I lost my dad a few years ago, so I understand this pain. I'm also sorry for the loss of your job. Are you planning on trying to find something else? Do you think you would qualify for disability? I also tapered Effexor too fast and ended up in the ER multiple times, which ultimately led to a stay in a psychiatric facility for a week. All due to trying to escape from a drug. You're not alone with this experience. Most doctors don't know how to taper properly. I'm so glad you're here so you can do this safely and successfully! Are you taking brand-name Effexor or are you taking Venlafaxine, the generic one? https://taper.community/thread/d41182b4-060b-4c2e-a1e8-da9e6777d7e5 https://taper.community/drugs/effexor https://taper.community/thread/dbb2cdbb-bb3d-4bb9-93ab-b33de4a3fd0b https://taper.community/resources/blog/how-to-calculate-a-taper-schedule https://taper.community/resources/blog/tapering-after-decades-use https://taper.community/thread/57d0fb51-6e6e-4517-9d3d-1dd2f2e3880c