Dear Depressed but not dead & @Laura 1970. After years of Research, I can attest that long lasting, (for years), after even the most exacting titration can & do ensue in rarer published user experience feedback. There is very little, (if any ), published Pharmaceutical Industry investigation into this phenomenon. The severe toxicity effects (which were immediate with me, after just 2x pills of any anti-depressant type) are apparent. Some individuals hyper sensitive biological & neurological make-up simply rejects the complex chemical construct & content of such anti-psychotics. Indeed , for some they are not appropriate at all to be prescribed (as with me). However, with (in particular) EFFEXOR / VENLAFAXINE, such is the strength & addictive nature of this particular Anti-depressant medication over other AD types, you can have the worst case scenario of subsequent "addiction" by your body , to a drug that is toxic to you and that is also very hard to stop taking / titrate off of. So, it follows that extreme and for me, never ending daily "withdrawal" allergic & toxic legacy side effects will be experienced, both Neurological & Physical . For 2 years now for me, after titration off. This includes (as evidence shows & that I have read) said adverse effects fading away and then returning in severity, sometimes months or years later. The question is, (ones age notwithstanding), is exactly how long these chemical effects take for your body to "wash" them out. Neurological legacy issues are another thing entirely. The commonly touted "half life" quote is a generic one, I assume gleaned from the "average" user experience, but I suspect from the descriptor , purely a Neuropharmacology & chemical engineering professional & mechanistic calculation. It bears no relation to individuals real - life experiences. A man made drug is exactly that .