I used to take venlafaxine. For a while it was the only drug I took, and it seems to have worked. I can't imagine having it added to an already complex med cocktail. But the fact that it worked alone for so long really makes me question them treating my condition chiefly with an antipsychotic and lithium on top of it. I did take abilify for a while and had akathesia at a very high dose. For some time I was on a low dose of abilify and venlafaxine.

You sound pretty experienced with meds... The doctor has talked about when I get more stable again with my depression/insomnia/whatever else it is, switching to olanzapine. I think there is a similar idea involved with this that there was with switching me to seroquel, to treat mood and 'negative symptoms.'