Hey Cider. I read all your post. These two comments aren't meant to address all of it.

About Effexor withdrawal:
I decreased my Cymbalta dosage from 120 mg to 60 mg/day last year over a period of 5 months by dumping out "beads" from the extended-release capsules. It was tedious, but it limited my withdrawal symptoms mostly to some unpleasant, but tolerable anxiety. I used 25-50 mg Vistaril for that symptom.

It's if you try to stop an SNRI suddenly that the withdrawal is very bad. I would compare it to withdrawal from a benzo.

I can't say I'd call it "horror and pain". It's not as bad as an extremely bad depressive episode.

The other comment I have is about your auditory hallucinations. If you've already thought of this, please disregard. I once had an experience where a narcotic pain med interacted with my psych meds, and the result was auditory hallucinations very similar to what you described.

It took me about two weeks to make the connection. That was the first time I had ever experienced hallucinations and I didn't tell my doctor, or maybe the reason would have been discovered more quickly.

I mention this because, although I, like you, knew that the hallucinations weren't real, they made me anxious physically (tension, feeling unable to relax, jumpy). They were wearisome. I hope that you're able to find a way to get rid of yours without medications that have terrible side effects. If you want to ask people on Psych Central, the Bipolar forum might be a good place to try. Either that or the medications forum.