"i&#039;ve been on effexor for 7 years now...after a crazy up-bringing coupled with drug and alcohol abuse as a teenager i spiraled into a deep depression after my wife died 13 yrs ago. i still have bouts of anxiety but they are short lived. i try to avoid people that trigger situations where i might start to feel like an anxiety attack is coming. i had a huge weight gain and struggle with that, i&#039;ve lost 80 lbs so far due to a gastric bypass,and am on only 25 mgs down from 150 when i started."