"i was prescribed the effexor er for acute depression and anxiety after a death in the family and only took it for a month, but it made me sane and able to face every day as a teacher without crying randomly throughout the day. that was 2 years ago. i was prescribed it again for the same thing when my fiance passed away. i thought i was ready to stop taking it after 3 weeks but i found myself fighting back tears over small incidents like breaking a pen or a student asking me a simple question about the material. i started taking it again and it&#039;s been a life saver for me. i can still take the time to reminisce at night and grieve, although the tears seldomly come. if you aren&#039;t on it long then the withdrawal isn&#039;t bad at all. hope this helps!:)"