I wonder if Effexor is what Bush is taking. I gotta believe that guy is on something I'm afraid (and Laura too) and, to be honest, sometimes I wonder if Hill is on something too. But then I look for this stuff everywhere and tend to blame every idiotic, bizarre bit of behavior ( a lot of that to go around in this administration and campaign) on psych drugs -- I know this is simplistic (forgive me!) but it sure is a bit freaky to think of our leaders on the stuff.

Yeah Sara, they should have a "GOP Screen" like "Teen Screen". As far as Bush goes, he's a complete idiot, if he was on Effexor we'd be better off, because maybe he would not be able to speak! Stupid is as stupid does. Honest to God could they have been any more subtle in the promotion of drugging of Americans? I'd like to know what pharma rep got to them with a "hey I've got a great idea for a slogan!"

I was not going to comment but I've just found out one of the comments I left on "http://socialaudit.org.uk during the time I was tapering Efexor.
I'll leave it here just for the record. Unfortunately this valuable source of data of people withdrawing is closed I don't understand why. This is one of mine that I found now. I had forgot completely not only of it's existence but also the feelings I describe:

"7/29, 2005

"Just to give you an idea that there's an end after this long and winding road that leads to Our door.
Today I'm feeling fine. Now I have to taper the last 3/4 of 75 mg last pill. I cannot believe.
After 1 year and four months tapering 225 mg I have overcome the hell I was. For the first time I can believe I'll reach the end of the process. If everything goes right I hope next week I'll be able to taper another tiny little bit. So, I will finally be tapering half the pill.

The funny thing is that ours lives become this fight against this drug. My parameters are totally different from other people at the moment. When someone says to me that is tired I feel like laughing. I remember the days while on Effexor and when the tiredness was not because I had worked a lot or played a lot or anything a lot.
I could not wake up from bed. When someone says that is sad I also want to laugh for after being on chemical sadness that let me in total despair, the chemical suicidal ideation and all the sorrow, pain and strange feelings I felt and perhaps will still feel, everything connected to feelings that has a reason, that is part off living became almost irrelevant. Of course I suffer from my own problems but the priority is side effects, withdrawal symptoms when will I have my mind and body back, how many time will I have to wait after the last day off Efexor and so on…

Guess I'm getting after all…. crazy. I feel like asking: " - Do you really know what sadness is?"
" - Do you really know what tiredness is?" " - Do you really know what it means the world is falling apart?"

Let me give you an address where you will find out: www.socialaudit.org.uk . There are others but here you will have a large number off testimonies.

I believe that maybe we get traumatized by all these. I keep on wondering when my life will start again. As if we could divide before SSRIs/after SSRIs. Only those who are here or somewhere else trying to get help knows what I'm talking about.

Everybody think that we are doing nothing. They have no idea what kind of work we are doing to save ourselves. Searching the Internet, having to find a way to get out off the drug for most off us had no help from physicians. Suffering the hell under the drug and the hell off side effects and withdrawal symptoms.

I started to write a message of optimism but it turned out into something else. But I guess it is important to realize that this struggle made us a little bit apart from the world.

But I believe that human beings are at the same time very fragile and very strong.

Now I was watching the news and the financial market reported that GlaxosSmith shareholders can sleep in peace for they are selling a lot. And ironically it appears these pills, millions of pills being manufactured.

And I keep on wondering when will it stop? Still naïve. But the question is still in my head: "All this suffering because others have to make profit?" Maybe the Pope could help. Perhaps he is also a shareholder. Surely he is."

The strangest of all this story is that you think that when your reaching the end of the process it will get easier and easier.
Not for me.

The last tiny little piece was the worse.
And at the end of the process after being of for 1 month I got no relief.

I went into a terrible state and felt my body and mind feeling strange things that I cannot even describe in words.
I had to take Effexor again.
And I'll have to take it forever since It would take me years to do it again.
At least now I take 150 mg.

Another story.

I would like to remember that the western world uses DSM-4 to diagnose.
And the drugs are now global.

To the psychiatrist that after reading what my comment will say what I felt after quitting Effexor was the symptoms of the disease it was prescribed:

-I was not prescribed for any disease. I was first prescribed an antidepressant to help me get out of clonazepam.
I won't tell the whole story because I'm sure you know quite well many stories like mine from your own clinical experience or from one of yours colleague.
Thank you Doctor.