im having a bad time coming off them totally and any tips would be much appreciated!
133365
I haven't taken Effexor myself, my brother is still taking it, I have been through withdrawals with him, it wasn't nice. In his case, he wouldn't keep up on his re-fills...... BINGO!! He would end up being out of those nasty drugs,having to call the Doctor, I expect you know the drill. I can tell you this, be careful, if you've been on 150mgs. or more, you risk a reaction from doing it cold turkey. I know their capsules, so it is hard to take smaller amounts, all the ones I've seen are capsules. Because of the dangers of coming off cold, you're going to have to do what I did for my brother.....ween yourself off of them. Before my brother started them, I had never heard of them, now I have a healthy respect for them....or should I say an unhealthy respect, that's a hell of a drug. Even if you have to take them apart and put a small amount in coffee or pop, I admire what you're doing, I don't blame you for wanting off of them, but PLEASE do it slowly. GOOD LUCK!!
386109
take deep breaths honey ..............love in ....anger out, do this 10 times whenever you feel a little tetchy and your soon be a lovable fluffy bunny like me. Good luck Mr Nasty x
553141
Try having early nights and eating well!\n\nMy trick is to treat myself for going to work, such as having my nails or hair done, going on a night out with friends and then i feel better to come to work! I look to the next weekend to get me through the week at work!
129971
Try seeing a counselor. If you can't then just imagine the people away and don't listen to them. Do you have to take the pills? If you don't try getting off them. Next time you see your doctor ask him why this is happening maybe he'll stop it.
410991
I'm sorry that you're having a rough time. I would try to avoid them as much as you can, so you don't have to hide your feelings often. When you are with them, try to be polite, but I know it's hard. you might want to vent in a diary after you see them or to a really trusted friend. \n\nIf you can, try to get involved with other hobbies and interests, and if you feel up to it, go out more often with other friends. I know from experience that this is hard, but you may meet more great people and really get into your other interests. I really hope things go well for you.
382961
OK... I know this is going to be hard.  But sometimes we just need to do things that are painful.  Take 3 days away from your life, lock yourself in your house, get some ice chips, a load of water, and absolutely any food you want to eat (any food because that's your gift for doing it).  It will be painful but I promise you, after 3 days, you're going to feel better and you'll get that out of your system. \n\nThen, get online and join a support group.  In fact, do it while within the 3 days.  Exercise.  Go for a jog every time you want a smoke.  Do some yoga.  It's just 3 hard days.  And how many of those have we had without being in control of them.  \n\nI'm not going to lecture you.  I'm sure you're about to hear an earful from the folks on here.  I think you know that you have got to do this for both of you.  BTW, Have you talked to your doc abou this?
596080
elderberry extract from the drug store or grocery store always gets me over it quick.\n\nAlso fresh ginger tea, or triple leaf ginger tea, helps me too.
166258
Addictions are hard no matter what the addiction is. So, my advice is to slowly stop taking them. Reduce the dosage one day at a time, and eventually you won't even need them any more. I also think it's helpful to have a support system in tack. Let someone around you know you have this problem so they can help you.
466842
the same happens to me all the time i recomend doing about 20 in a row a day or more that should help until you get the hang of it....good luck
281503
That sucks!  (to put it bluntly).  Be strong.  Rely on your friends.  Cry if you need to.  Write in a journal to get your feelings out.  Go out (do not sit home & mope).  Do stuff with friends...even if you aren't in the mood b/c little by little you'll do better.  Eventually the crying stops and it all works out.  It's hard but you'll be fine.
101208
I struggle with this too.  You keep on keeping on.  You surround yourself with people who are supportive of you.  And you do fun stuff in between to tie you over.  Keep your chin up and remember to let out some emotion through exercise.
157350
Just try to force yourself to do it, eventually you'll overcome it.( My best friend has it really bad too, she can't even call me)
87741
control always good yea you need to back off i know it sucks but your the one going to get shit for it and so much could go wrong so fast especially when alcohol is involved!!
562641
stick up for yourself assretivly, tell them you arent stupid, you dont appreciate the insination or accusation that you are and you would prefer if they never said that to you again. dont be mean, dont yell, be calm and say what you feel, then dont back down or feel guilty for it.
345747
Well, you have already nailed it pretty well, and under the circumstances you are doing a whale of a lot better managing this that I ever would! You're further ahead of the game than you realize. You are also tired and need a breather. You need to schedule some down time for just you. You are the one that is important here. And self care is job one. Always. You have been ambushed, so when that happens you always step back and regroup. And the best way to self care your way through this one is to be by or hang around yourself a little more. Find your center once again. Centering. A wonderful concept. And correct, too, on every level. Diet, bubble baths, rest, fresh air, cleaning your bedroom, checking your wardrobe and getting free of old stuff you will never wear again - in other words, spend a little time reinventing yourself. You are already pretty strong because you have a good mind with which to sort out all this foolishness and get your bearings, but the unfortunate truth in life is that when we are tired, anyone can take a whack at us and it is like they could blow us over with a feather. You can feel that sensitive, and it is because you are smart, really. It is the downside of being smart. You can be too sensitive. So when you find your center once again you will also find more strength to call this what it is: abuse. Others here on Yahoo! Answers are giving you some fine answers about actions you can take, but I am focusing solely on you taking care of you. Self care. Make more time to pamper yourself and start feeling good about who you really are, because look at what you are doing here: you are  working on your degree. I mean, my God, all this other chaff is just fuel. Be very alert and see it for what it is - a prime distraction and begin - just begin, to look for a better place to bring yourself for work. That does not, fortunately, need to be put in place before the end of the week. If worse comes to worse, you can just walk away. A social worker once told me, "Chris, sometimes all you can do is walk away." I never forgot that one. Under most circumstances, I get the impression you are normally extremely self-reliant and independent of mind, so it is probably just because this whole mess has worn you down a bit that feeling it is a lilttle rough on you right now. I am sending you good energies and my heart goes out to you hoping you find the perspective to see the bigger picture and put you back into it in the dignified and self-respecting way you rightly deserve. Get your self-esteem back intact and believe in who you really are. And for God's sake, get some rest. None of us thinks well when we are exhausted. The other thing is emotionally draining, and only time will heal that one.  God Bless You, too.     - Chris.
323086
I have gone through the exact same thing! My diet and excercise never changed yet I managed at first to lose weight then put it back on and even more. Its been over a year now, and once again Im losing weight again! Lets just hope that I dont put any more weight on! My worst problem at the moment though is getting off them, I just cant seem to do it because of the withdrawels!
433251
Try to find a hobby that uses your hands. Teach yourself how to palm a quarter, or shuffle a deck of cards with one hand, anything that will have your hands in motion and your mind on something distracting. Put together a puzzle, or get your mind involved and do crosswords. Don't give in, and try not to substitute the habit by eating instead. Just remember, you are much stronger than a piece of paper filled with dry, toxic leaves! Good luck to you, my friend.