I have been suffering from severe anxiety and severe depression most of my life. My psychiatrist put me on Effexor 225 mg many years ago. It doesn't help anymore at all. He is very hesitant about changing my meds. I am so depressed I can't function. I just want to feel happy and "normal" again. But I have lost all hope. I don't know what to do anymore. Any suggestions or even prayers?
Hello!👋 Yes, I can give you prayers!
I am in a somewhat similar situation with trying to get through to reluctant doctors about needing to get off of a medicine.
Have you asked his reasoning behind not wanting to change anything? lf not, I recommend starting there.
I hate it when doctors do this! It's like, hello?? I'm the patient here. This is my well-being we're talking about here and not yours. I know it can seem daunting and easier said than done (the doctor I need to get through to has this arrogance about him that I find a bit intimidating!), but hopefully we can both assert our needs.
I wish us both luck! If you'd like, let me know how you do! I'll update how I do as well
Sending strong confidence vibes your way!
Hello dear friend. I too have suffered all my life from major depression.. even as a small child. The first antidepressant I was put on at age 40 was Effexor. I thought it was helping, but really I had horrible side effects. I wasn’t told to never just stop taking it and I did. It was the worst mental and physical withdrawal. I then started taking it again and began a year and a half taper.
I never wanted to take antidepressants again.
I was relentless in researching other ways to help my depression as Effexor ultimately had really made me more depressed.
I raked the internet and literally tried everything. I was considering electric shock treatments as my mother had done it and seemingly her depression was in remission for 10 years. These treatments did scare me though.
I watched a Netflix documentary called ‘A Leaf of Faith’ about an natural plant called Kratom. At that time I was in a horrible depression and the doc had mentioned it helped anxiety and depression. I went to a local smoke shop and bought Bali Kratom by a brand called Krave. I took 2 capsules every 4 to 5 hours and in 2days my depression had lifted. 3 years later and I’m happy.. Kratom saved my life. I’ve also recommended it to 2 friends with MD and it has brought them completely out of their darkness.
I understand your pain. Just know there are ways out. If not Kratom new cutting edge therapies are available. The FDA has approved MDMA therapy as a cure not a bandage. Antidepressants are becoming a thing of the past.
If you do try Kratom don’t believe a lot of the propaganda on the internet. It is a safe, non addictive remedy.
I wish you the best. Don’t give up trying to find something that will work for you.
Don’t believe all the lies depression feeds your brain.
Much love,
Margaret
Just a tip too.. if you do try Kratom don’t discuss this with your doctor. Doctors want to keep you coming to them and want to keep you you on highly addictive antidepressants. This may sound cynical, but consider this is how psychiatrists make their living.
I’m sorry, but these doctors have never helped me
Wow, I am new to this forum but PrairieVillage I totally agree with your views on medication.
I’m 44 and I’ve been diagnosed with depression, anxiety, adhd & ptsd for almost a decade now. I’ve spent a good portion of the past six years in a suicidal state but I hang on because I have two young kids and I don’t want to leave them without a mother.
I’ve done outpatient, been hospitalized, seen therapists but I’ve learned that those situations did nothing for me other than give me the push to “fake being ok” even more as a way to survival.
I’ve been very interested in ayanausca, mdma therapy, all of these “profound” and life changing interventions and I’m skeptical about the pharmaceutical industry. I live in the rural Midwest and I’ve not found anyone receptive to my views and I don’t have access to these things.
You were able to find this at a local smoke shop? And did you have any side effects? What did it feel like?
Do you need to continue with a maintenance dose?
I’ll watch the documentary (I think I’ve seen it before), but I have so many questions
I’ve found Bali Kratom at most smoke shops, but I also buy Krave Bali Kratom online. I need to take Kratom and have been doing so for 2 and a half years.
I use capsules every 4-5 hours Dosing is individual I started taking 2 capsules and now take 1 every 4-5 hrs.
Taking a lot of Kratom can be sedative, so I sometimes take 3 capsules before bed
I have run out of Kratom at times for 3-4 days and the insidious symptoms stat returning. Then I realize I have been without Kratom
DO NOT believe terrible things you may read online about Kratom. These stories are planted propaganda from Big Pharma
Antidepressants have horrible side effects, are highly addictive and 90% of the time don’t work.
If anyone decides to try Kratom it is their choice, but I’ve recommended it to 2 friends with devastating depression and anxiety and it brought both out of their states and they are very happy now.
Kratom has NO side effects other than some people experience constipation
One thing to keep in mind for long term use is to switch strains, veins and brands every 6-8 months as to not build a tolerance I rotate between 4.
My best,
Margaret
PS Kratom dies not produce a “high” effect just the effect of somehow bringing one out of depression
Some people say they just feel more alert. Many people report a sort of better vision I personally think that Kratom improves circulation and that somehow helps depression
All I can say is I feel so blessed to have found Kratom.
At my worst depths of depression I obsessively thought of suicide, but couldn’t as I have a daughter.
No one can understand how horribly painful Major depression is unless they have experienced it.
Be very careful if your doctor starts to wean you off of Effexor and start a new medication! I was on Effexor and it did the same thing for me, so I was weaned off in about a month and it was the worst withdrawal I have every experienced. If possible ask your doctor if they or any doctors they know do DNA testing for antidepressants. My new psych did that for me and turns out I was on the wrong meds all along!
I would do whatever you can to get off of that horrific drug Effexor. I’ve been struggling for many years to get off of this crap and I hate the dr that I trusted that ruined my life by prescribing it. I work a very stressful and demanding job and it has been impossible to wean off due to the electric shocks I get in my head and extreme nausea. I have heard where people have opened the capsules and would take so many balls out at a time and it seemed to work for them. I’m sorry that I do not have great advise to give u or help you. I just hope you are able to get off of this crap better then I’ve been able too
Hi kathyh074. I will be praying for you each morning and evening. Don't despair. Jesus said,"come to me all you who are burdened and weary and I will give you rest." God hears your prayers.
I've heard of some medications losing their efficacy after a while. Honestly, I suggest you ask him to be referred to a different psychiatrist, or call a different one who's in your insurance plan, or call your PCP. I'd bet you could reach your PCP faster. I know for myself it took me really pushing them to get an appointment before 4 months. When your depression is worse, 4 months is way too long. Good luck my dear.
Hopeless
Hopeless 
Hopelessness
Hopelessness 
