YOU ARE NOT ALONE - A companion online community discussion board for The Mental Illness Happy Hour podcast with Paul Gilmartin

One minute I'm getting ready to leave the flat to go for a walk with my boyfriend, next thing I know I'm screaming at him over the stupidest comment he made... I broke down in tears and just couldn't stop.

Over the last two months I've come off effexor gradually, still on 25mg/day. Also on 400mg lamictal and 25mg quetiapine.

Things have been good because I'm not a zombie anymore. The lamictal has pretty much sorted my extreme mood swings, I think.

I also have PTSD, and OCD. It's just weird feeling these things again after years of dulling the pain.

But is it better to go through all this, instead of missing out on life by numbing myself from everything?

I need some love. Haven't seen my pschotherapist for a couple of weeks so I feel vulnerable too.

Even though this isn't the "need a hug" thread, sounds like you could use one.

*HUG* I hope you are feeling better.

I am weaning off Effexor too, and it's been pretty rough. I'm not bipolar (I was about to say "I'm only unipolar" but that sounds kinda dumb) so it's definitely not the same, but I've been feeling very easily irritated with people and find even the littlest frustrations bring me to tears. Right now I'm taking 75mg of Effexor (down from 300mg), 100mg of Lamictal, and 100mg of Zoloft so it's kinda like we're drinking the same pharmaceutical cocktail!

Can you make an appointment with your psychotherapist soon? Feel free to vent all you want here until you can.

Is is better to feel shitty than not feel at all? Abso-posi-you-better-fucking-believe-it. Hang in there. You are not alone.