need some advice on venlafaxine withdrawal please

However, if your friend has been on effesor (V), for 12 months, he may fare better than me.  I was on a  high dose for about 8 or 10 years.  Had periods off antidepressants over the past 20 years, but whenever I went thru stress of some sort, I would take a pill given by a doctor, and the whole crazy sprial started again.  This pill to stop the withdrawal effects of that one, this one to stop the side effects of that.  All I was told is "how sick I was" and how bably it showed I needed medicating, bull.  Wish someone had told me perhaps to cut out the tablets, slowly, and my brain would recover and be fine.

Wasnt told the drugs caused this. Wasn't told the drugs had a damaging effect on the brain. When Dothiepin made me crazy after about 5 months, was told it wasn't the drugs, I had inherent "manic depression", that just had never surfaced before. Spent 3 weeks in hopital with the most magnificent headache ...   couldn't lift my head up without vomiting.   My god I believed that crap.  So stupid me, went back to same doc, and he put me on Zoloft.  Why?  I was well?  That was it, noow 20 years later, I realise my error, just another victim of psychiatry.