It's been my observation since taking myself off of Efexxor and being on a few forums including this one that doctors generally don't inform patients about how difficult it is to quit taking. Pharmacists tell you not to stop taking it without consulting your doctor, but again, no discussion of how hard it is. I feel that this is wrong. According to ClinCalc, more than 2.8 million Americans are presently taking it (https://clincalc.com/DrugStats/Drugs/venlafaxine). How many are informed in advance? People go onto antidepressants for very real reasons, and some are desperate. Effexor is very effective for a lot of people. But they should be told. In too many cases, that's not happening.