"i didn&#039;t expect this to work when i used it to prevent mania. 225mg of venlafaxine (effexor) caused mania. after being on low-dose abilify and seroquel to sleep for a few weeks, i was not really manic anymore (maybe hypo-, or had some manic symptoms- like usual, e.g. destructibility). then i started lamotrigine, now on 100mg/day. i increased venlafaxine back to 225mg expecting to go manic, but instead i feel clear-headed. friends have noticed i don&#039;t lose my train of thought often, and that i &quot;seem more stable&quot;. i have been diagnosed bipolar i, but am &quot;more like a ii,&quot; which i agree with. i also have social anxiety disorder (and used to have the most severe depression imaginable). the bipolar might be caused by s.p. seizures."