Hi, I'm Mike Sprinkle

Hi! I don't really have any tips. This is my 3rd time doing a long taper. First was for Cymbalta and Cypramil, about 12 years ago. This time I'm going even slower off of Effexor, and it is by far harder than the previous, but I'm getting there. I fully empathise with what you're feeling, and it is so difficult to explain to those around us. I wish you the best of luck. Hopefully you'll find some good advice and tips here.

Hi Mike, welcome to Taper Community! Sorry to hear about your protracted withdrawal. When you're able to, can you make a drug history signature for yourself so we can get an overview of your situation? You can do this in Settings. It will then appear at the bottom of all your posts. See mine as an example. How long have you been off your drug(s)? What symptoms are you dealing with? If you go to the Symptoms and Self-Care section of the forum and click on the Guides tab, you'll find lots of helpful information and tips. Healing from an iatrogenic injury - just like with any injury - takes time. In the meantime, treat your body well and show yourself some kindness and compassion. We'd love to hear more about your story when you're able to! Catina 💜 https://taper.community/resources/blog/protracted-withdrawal-syndrome-explained

I used to have panic attacks. I had to learn to just breath and ride them out, that they felt awful but that feeling would go away if I didn’t fear the panic. Deep, controlled breathing helps. Good luck!