[Astro]

My understanding of Paxil was that it was addictive, so as an alcoholic in recovery I couldn't take it. Here's what I posted in another thread:

Your experience sounds eerily familiar to the one I had with EffexorXR, but everyone will have different experiences with these medications. I tried Lexapro and one other med, then finally settled on Effexor. I had those foggy, disconnected, cobwebs in the brain, black cloud, and unhappy feelings for about the first 3 months. I also had to up the dosage a few times until it worked effectively.

Even a phone call to your physician to explain how you're feeling can help by making them aware of a potential issue with your dosage. The feeling diary is an excellent idea too, one I never tried, but I've talked to others who found it helpful. What worked for me is trying to reinforce a positive attitude on myself. Walks in the sunlight, exercising, eating right, meditating, talking to others in recovery, etc. Anything to keep my thoughts away from depression and isolation seemed to make the medication more effective.

If I can offer any encouragement from my experience, it's that I was able to taper off EffexorXR after one year with no side effects, and my life has never been better. A few days ago I thought I was having an anxiety attack, but it was gone in a matter of minutes. I think taking the meds can be very beneficial, but it's important to have regular contact with the prescriber if something doesn't feel right.