@saku
I did not have any difficulty with withdrawal until 6.5 weeks AFTER my last tapered dose. Effexor/venlafaxine gets stored in fatty tissue all over your body and I think it took 6.5 weeks for my body to use up all the bits in all the nooks and crannies. Like you I was not on that much (25mg) for a long time (18 years). The anxiety, akathisia and irritability were very not like me, so I knew it was discontinuation syndrome/withdrawal effect. You can click on my name and read back through my posts to see what supplements I am taking; they help tremendously--especially Lidtke tryptophan (cannot be taken while on Effexor) and GABA. It's been 10 months since my last dose of Effexor and even with the supplements, I have some days when anxiety and akathisia break through--weekends are really tough; I need distraction, not contemplation. Also, be mindful of what you watch on TV, read, or listen to--some things are just too agitating. It is getting better--I feel "normal" most of the time; it helps to know that for some of us, recovery (PAWS--post-acute withdrawal syndrome--https://www.addictionsandrecovery.org/post-acute-withdrawal.htm) can be as long as a couple of years.