Oh Nancy, I feel for you. I can’t imagine some of the things you’re feeling, mostly, the loss.

To answer your question, I am no longer taking Effexor. For the sake of time I’ll just tell you, I was feeling well emotionally, but I wanted a better sex life and thought going off Effexor would help. So, I weened off slowly, got tremendous anxiety and depression, constantly cried and lost 19 pounds. I also sold a house, bought a house and moved my family to a new state. (During this time my dad died and we moved mom three times in one year to find a good fit for her dementia...)

So! My new doc says I’m bipolar, put me on seroquel to stabilize me and zoloft to lift my mood.

Gotta be honest. It’s working, but not as well as Effexor did. Of course, perhaps it’s my circumstance?

So, during my “mania” my husband and I also changed jobs... and, to sort of go along with what you said about keeping busy, weekends are the toughest!

I have said that all “this” is merely a distraction to keep my mind out of my own head.

Part of me wonders if this is the normal human experience... almost like I made it through so much of my life unscathed and only now I’m dealing with real life... (I say that because I work in the public school system and what some of these kids go through is heartbreaking)

Church, volunteering, scheduling time to read or go to the library, make a friend with a total stranger, reinvent yourself, meditate... all these things help.

Keep writing. I’ll respond.