Question: atm i am going through Effexor withdrawl really bad BUT i can handle it......i can barely write this cus the brain zaps and the white screen.... my doctor gave me Effexor for anxiety i took it for a few months it made things worse so i stopped cold turkey like a week ago. i saw her a few days ago i told her i was suffering snri withdrawl really bad she just rolled her eyes and said Effexor isn't addicting and im just having a panic attack and she gave me atarax and gabapentin. i have a history of drug abuse so she will not give me a benzo or even ambien.........i haven't abused drugs in over 10 years.....i was on methadone 100mg for 7 years....that's all i was on....and i quit it cold turkey in rehab about 4 years ago.. anyways i don't know what to do and im at wits end with my anxiety......its hard to explain because im always very happy and i don't have the emotional symptoms that people with GAD have.. it just feels very physical. im not experinceing fear anger or sadness....... im very happy but i cant live normally i cant work or do any hobbies cus i pace,chain smoke, talk to myself and have this intense feeling.....even before during and after Effexor. im not sure if its a permanent condition from methadone but its been 4 years and i don't crave opiates or anything. i am really uncomfortable, and dysphoric. but at the same time happy. the only negative emotion is distress over these physical symptoms that are really hard to describe. i cant live like this. i cant work. money is about to run out and im gonna end up homeless or something.

after reading my post I guess I really didn't ask a question lol. well I guess what I wanted to know is can your nuerotransmitters or opiate receptors get permanent life long damage damage from opiate and stimulant abuse? it has been 4 years since I got off methadone and haven't touched a stimulant or street opiate in 10 years. I feel my nerves are damaged......for a lack of better words. my body feels like I am extremely nervous/anxious. but I am not nervous/anxious about anything mentally I am actually happy and kind of relaxed. its just a physical feeling it has been their before I started antidpressents so I know it is not just the snri discontinuation. I refuse to taper with ssri snri's I can tough through it but I know once it subsides I will continue to feel the "nervey feeling" that I always do. mentally I feel good. seems like i need a nuerologist more than psych help but im not sure....i don't have insuruance so i cant afford both. which one should i seek?