@sandij- Good morning. I took Effexor for menopause symptoms, deep depression was one of them. When I was encouraged to get off it it was because it had stopped working for my depression and the probability that my other symptoms were gone was pretty good. But I did need to go right back on an antidepressant. I was some miserable. I am a type A personality and love to be in control of my life and find that my depression makes me a prisoner more than the medicines. I have fought depression since I was a teenager, maybe even sooner. I was tired of the effort it took to fight and lose my battle. Then I got cancer and decided that I'd need that energy for it and not the depression. PTSD came along and although my meds need to changed I was finally able to walk it's rim and not in the deep hole.
It sounds as if you have made some sensible decisions. I certainly tried too. But I couldn't control it myself.