I've been taking them for the better part of three years. I stopped taking them in March and needed to go back on them because I was quite obviously still depressed. Took me a couple of weeks the first time to know that it was working. I was upset--FURIOUS--with everyone around me for zero reason. Wanted to kill myself. Very dark place in my life. Took them, and I stopped feeling that way. I'm able to laugh a lot easier. The event that precipitated my original depression is long gone, and I rarely think about it, but even when I was off my meds for three months, it was obvious that I still needed to take them. On them again for a few months and I feel great. What was most interesting to me about coming off the meds were the "brain zaps", a side effect of withdrawal. Literally felt like my brain was getting a mild electric shock, maybe once an hour for a week or so. Didn't hurt, but were very weird.
Oh god, brain zaps. I think one of my doctors put me on effexor specifically so I'd have that unpleasant withdrawal if I fucked around. I was very compliant early on. The effexor worked really well and I was on it for a few years before I lost my insurance. But if I missed a day I'd get the weirdest withdrawal. I explain it to people like periodically being out of sync with reality for one second. There's no experience to compare it to.
Interesting the way you explain it as being out of sync with reality for a second. I'm not on any medication, but occasionally I do in a sense lose synchronization with reality. It lasts for a few seconds, and while I can hear and see during it, it feels like I'm watching a movie of some sort and I can effectively ignore ALL my senses, including sight. I'd love for you to elaborate on what your 'zaps' feel like to compare if they're the same thing that happens to me.