Depression
"I&rsquo;m currently in month 11 of a Pristiq taper. I have tried several times over the past 20 years to stop SSRI or SNRI including Effexor and Pristiq but have experienced such horrible withdrawal symptoms that I have not been able to stop taking them. So basically I have been dependant on these drugs for 20 years, not because I really need them, but because my brain reacts violently due to withdrawal. This time I&rsquo;m reducing the dose extremely slowly and it has been better than previous attempts, although I&rsquo;m finding the past few weeks very, very difficult because I&rsquo;m down to a quarter of a tablet every two days. I&rsquo;ve been reducing the dose about 12mg-25mg at a time and staying on that dose for one month. This is the most horrible and difficult thing I have ever experienced in my life and my heart goes out to all of you who are suffering and fighting to survive this hell. I &lsquo;m also astounded, disappointed and angry at all of the doctors and Psychiatrists who are so dismissive of this real condition and who have ignored my fears about the withdrawal syndrome and then labelled me as a &lsquo;chronic depressive&rsquo;. I hope one day this comes to public the attention and that the medical profession finally acknowledges the seriousness of this growing problem and that many people need help. The same kind of long term FREE medical rehabilitation that drug addicts and alcoholics are given."