Lexapro 20 to 15 mg since 8 weeks - Withdrawal antidepressant not so simple

Hello everyone,I am opening this discussion to share my experience and connect with those who are at the same stage. I am 43 years old and I have just completed 8 full weeks of tapering Escitalopram, dropping from 20 mg to 15 mg. Today, I am just starting my Week 9 (Day 57). My history with this molecule is 1 year and 3 months at 20 mg (following a severe burn-out/depression after a breakup).To secure this taper, right from the second week, I set up a very wise split dosing schedule: 5 mg in the morning (around 9:15-9:30 AM) and 10 mg in the evening (around 21:30 PM). Here is a summary of the phases I went through, hoping it can help map out your own symptoms: Phase 1 (Day 1 to 15): Chemical shock. Immediate exhaustion, headaches, and a wake-up call for the stress axis with rebound anxiety. Phase 2 (Day 15 to 35): The heavy lifting and the electric fire. Dose stabilization but appearance of intense paresthesia (tingling, electric burning sensations in the neck and arms) and severe bruxism (clenched jaw muscles). Phase 3 (Day 35 to 50): The wake-up of the gut-brain axis. The tingling finally gave up around Day 43, but the battle shifted to the digestive system. Heavy bloating, stomach cramps, and the appearance of painful, fixed "hunger pivots" (9 AM, 12 PM, 4 PM). Phase 4 (Week 8 - Day 50 to 56): The peak of decompression. My mental and psychic anxiety completely surrendered. My mind is quiet, and my nights have become "lead-like" again (sleeping through the night, from 12:30 AM to 8:15 AM). However, my body literally "pulled the plug": a monumental physical exhaustion hit me, with waves of non-stop yawning. My body is processing months of stored tension. I also noticed a very precise metabolic crash every day between 11:00 AM and 1:30 PM, right when morning cortisol drops (intense yawning and heart beating harder to compensate for the drop in blood pressure). Where I am today (Start of Week 9 - Day 57):I am realizing that recovery is definitely not a straight line and that the nervous system remains hyper-sensitive to schedule changes and weather. I truly feel that I need to find a completely new biological balance at 15 mg, which has nothing to do with the artificial rhythm I had at 20 mg. The testimonials I've read about Week 9 talk about a beginning of internal clock automation and more stable energy windows. Can you tell me how is your experience with the next weeks ? How was your feeling too ? Need to wait to decrease to 10 mg ? Or need to wait to feel well without effects ? Thank you, Gilles