Venlafaxine
"After completely stopping my antidepressant and then making a disappointing career change, I slipped into a permanent state of anxiety. I couldn’t sleep, eat or function. Unfortunately there were not any reliable mental health resources available. I was not in the state of mind to make any decisions regarding my care and unfortunately all mind altering meds take time to work. My unbearable anxiety turned into the darkest depression I have ever experienced. I felt completely worthless, hopeless and suicidal. I would spend the days ruminating. The simplest of tasks felt like a marathon. I became afraid of everything with no explainable reason. The Effexor helped but it takes time. Be patient. Withdrawals are bad but I’m alive."