Reduction in sex drive is something to consider. Men may not be able to function at all. Women might have less interest or simply not get much pleasure from sex.
It doesn’t mean you that someone shouldn’t take antidepressants. A change in medication might make a big difference.
I actually know about this, but I forgot about it when I was writing my post. So thanks for the reminder!
But for me it might even be a fringe benefit it happens (I have issues related to it).
You wanna discuss money grabs, I cite talk therapy.
Should I ditch it then?
FWIW: I was made to go to a talk therapist for the first six months that I was on psychotropic meds for insomnia, to help monitor me for undesirable side effects, something I thought I was perfectly capable of doing on my own, or by seeing my GP once a month (and she was willing to do); but the shrink insisted, and my insurance paid for it, so what the heck. I don’t think it did me a bit of good, but then, I didn’t have and “issues”; I was just there to monitor side effects, which I didn’t get. Still, the therapist made me hot through all the motions, of rehashing childhood hurts that didn’t bother me, and other stuff I really didn’t want to dig up, and wasn’t causing me any distress.
Anyway, I’m very skeptical of talk therapy. It originated with Freud, you know, the man who gave us “penis envy.”
I was forced into it, and ditched it as soon as I could. If you are doing it, and think it benefits you, then do it. I had a friend who said it was the only place she could swear like a sailor about her coworkers, and that was therapeutic for her. Whatever floats your boat.
My only point was that talk therapy is way, way expensive. There are few drugs that can match it.
I didn’t intend to scare you yarblek, my intention was just to say that one should never go off of Venlafaxine suddenly and completely. It was intended as a bit of a PSA. As I said, other antidepressants dont seem to have these cessation problems and besides–all you have to do on Venlafaxine is make sure you never stop taking it without appropriate tapering.
Short version is I made a mess of my life by gradually pretty much not giving a shit. It took a long time and a huge upheaval to do something about it. 3 months so far on 2 prescriptions. People I know and respect told me they were prescribed meds and I gave in to the same reluctance you have.
For one I’m sleeping better. No more 3 days of insomnia or wanting to sleep 20 hours a stretch. I lay down and fall asleep without my brain running on and on. (Well a little not anything like it was)
Another thing is like others said, I’m reengageing with life. Albeit slowly.
I also started therapy. Still early so the jury is out but talking to an impartial third party has been interesting. Last session I was rambling on and on and paused mid sentence with an observation. All these little random threads in my mind coalesced by talking out loud.
Keep at it at least a little while. What have you got to lose. I’m a proud stubborn suck it up raised guy. It took me a lot to get this help and I can’t believe I’m writing all this here.
Yeah. I’m really really conflicted about sharing all this. Here’s my thing in a nutshell. I’ve been miserable a long time. Now not as much.
Thank you for sharing. I appreciate it. 
As difficult as it may be to believe, maybe there is hope for us after all?
Do you know what therapeutic approach the therapist you are seeing has? There are huge differences in the evidence for different approaches.
For instance, the evidence for the efficacy of CBT is as strong as that for antidepressants, and the evidence for a psychoanalytic approach is… let’s just say not as good.
It looks like they use cognitive analytic therapy, which makes sence since it’s a brief pyschotherapy.