to DF!

If you're determined to stop medication, it's important to discuss that with your doctor. Most people taper off over a few weeks. Hopefully you'll do fine, but there's a chance you'll experience problems (like withdrawal symptoms or a relapse of severe depression/anxiety), which is why it's so important to have some kind of professional supervision.

Good luck with that, and with finding work. Let us know how it goes.

Hi,Im on venlafaxine and mirtazapine as well, they do totally dum emotion, its sometimes feels like I dont love any one and its really painfull. Mental illness really is a killer.

I agree with Burgy. Stay on the medication until your doctor sees progress. You can then discuss it with him. I got off Zoloft by working out and running every single day. The harder I physically exerted myself the more endorphins were released. These natural drugs are way more powerful than any prescription drugs and will make you feel good.

As for the financial situation. Get educated on money.

Books will teach you everything you need to know about money.

Think and Grow Rich By Napoleon Hill
RichDad, PoorDad By Robert Kiyosaki


Cheers,
Napoleon

i'm so sorry to hear about your financial and emotional situations. i've been evicted from my apartment before, but i'm sure it's not as emotional as getting foreclosed on. all that money, all that equity.

it's good that you've retrained and can get a job in a new field, even though there isn't a lot of work. can you find a job doing just something? will the bank work with you on restructuring? they usually don't want to foreclose, because they'll end up getting less money than what the place is worth. they'd rather lock you into your mortgage and make you pay interest.

i hope that they'll cooperate with you. one of my good friends saved her house with some negotiations.

as far as the meds go, my best recommendation is that you work with your pdoc in quitting, and perhaps think about switching meds. you'll most likely crash into depression and anxiety if you go off of meds, however if you switch make sure you bridge, if you're allowed, because it will usually make the transition easier.

why go off of meds and risk the crash when you could switch to something else? there are hundreds of meds on the market to choose from. there are ones that have a low chance of making you feel numb and/or tired. i'd ask about wellbutrin with something for the anxiety, like klonopin. it couldn't hurt to explore that particular combination. i suggest looking into it and discussing it because wellbutrin has a very low instance of those side effects, but is activating, so you'd want to take something for your anxiety separate from the wellbutrin, hence the klonopin. klonopin would make you tired at first, but that would wear off in a couple of weeks. it would just depend on your system and how you deal with the meds. those particular ones are widely used here in the US and are a good combination for a lot of people.

i've taken WB for years and like it a lot. i took Klonopin for years as well and just stopped it. not recommended- i stopped cold turkey. i ran out of it during a hypomanic episode and forgot to take it, and then in my hypomania decided i didn't need it. i was so high from the hypomania that i didn't crash from stopping klonopin.

There are quite a few ADs on the market that do not dull your senses. We all react/respond to meds differently. It's trial and error to find one that works well. Prozac (SSRI) works well with depression, has anti-anxiety qualities and is "activating." You might ask your pdoc to give it a try. Going off meds cold turkey can have some disaterous results.
Many pmeds have withdrawal symptoms that start within a day after quitting meds. The withdrawals can be severe enough as to incapacitate you.

I can empathise with you in regards to the recession and lack of available employment. I live on a disability pension that sometimes doesn't cover everything. My mortgage takes over 50% of my monthly income and it's the second thing that gets paid when I do bills.

Come back and let us know how you're doing and what you decide in regards to your meds.
Sheepwoman