Hardest withdraw you’ve experienced?

Benzos are horrible to withdraw from, but I swear it still doesn’t beat Venlafaxine. Not even near the hardest drug I’ve taken. Who would’ve thought an SNRI would do so much damage?

Some of the common physical symptoms include “brain zaps,” which are electric shock-like sensations in the head or eyes. It feels like you’re being electrocuted for a quick second, your vision shakes, it makes you nauseous, it’s horrible. Plus dizziness, fatigue, vivid nightmares, sensitivity to sounds and lights, and aches like you have the flu. It also feels like I can’t control my body temperature, so I either get too cold or too hot, get chills, and sometimes even feel itchy.

Emotionally, it can cause mood swings, anxiety, irritability, crying spells, and a freaky sense of disconnection. Trouble concentrating, depressive thoughts… the list goes on.

Venlafaxine has a short half-life, so the withdrawal starts pretty quickly, like 24 hours after missing a dose. It’s brutal. Unfortunately, this is the drug that has helped me the most with my mental illnesses, and at this point I feel like I can’t be without it, especially considering what I go through when I miss a dose.

Has anyone gone through Venlafaxine withdrawal? Or what drug gave you the worst symptoms? I’m curious to hear y’all’s experiences.