I have been on Effexor for 13 years. After having a child, my dosage was doubled as I felt it wasn't working anymore. I was also prescribed wellbutrin. I started seeing a psychiatrist who thought I was ok to be taken off the meds. Trying to taper off Effexor was hell. I was a single mom, going to college, and literally could not function with all the crazy withdrawal symptoms. After a week of the side effects, I called and told my psychiatrist to put me back only regular dosage. Maybe it just wasn't a good time in my life to try to wean off it. I recently didn't keep track of how many refills I had left, so ran out of medicine and because of the holiday, the doctors office was closed for five days. After two days of having no medicine, I caved in and went into the ER to get a couple day supply until my doctor is open again. I think depression is a life long disease and is a chemical or neural imbalance in the brain, so it is not just going to fix itself. As much as I wish I didn't need medication, I have came to the terms that this is a lifelong disease, and certain life changes or supplement can make it better, medication does things that supplements or life changes cannot.