Hey there @Rock, the waves are absolute torture, and yes, it's the classic pattern of withdrawal.
I've found that my best strategy for dealing with them is actually NOT dealing with them. I tell my mind to stop telling me stories, knowing the fear it's coming up with is purely chemical.
I once literally told my brain: "I know you want to protect her, but can't you see you are destroying her with your stupid fear-mongering?" Acknowledging the false alarm and then refusing to engage with it helped, believe it or not.
Good food, plain water, and regular sleep help a lot, too. And distraction! Waves are your official free pass for mindless phone games, stupid TV shows, or whatever else helps you direct your attention outwards instead of inwards.
When you hit a window and feel more like yourself, that is a better time to look at the underlying psychological stuff (like if you originally took Pristiq for anxiety, for example). I like the approaches of MCT (Metacognitive Therapy), ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy), and the work of psychologist Anders Sørensen. Just like Buddhism and Stoicism, they teach you how to get space between yourself and your thoughts so you don't fuse with them or try to avoid them.
Hope this helps.
Also: Taper very slowly to avoid the waves as much as possible!
TaperCommunity