Venlafaxine re-issued and 4x my previous dosage

So, about a year ago, I was issued Venlafaxine (the generic of Effexor) to help me cope with my anxiety and depression. I was, at that time, prescribed 37.5 MG/ day in a slow release, small, grey and white capsule. I took it, and for 2 weeks experienced profound relief of symptoms, which tapered off into having no effect thereafter, rather than allowing them time to adjust my medication, i became scared of endless upcycling and never refilled my prescription.
In the last few months i have been increasingly isolated and sought help again today. I asked to try that medication again and give it its fair shot. I explained what happened last time.
when i picked up my prescription the dosage i had this time was 150MG/ day.... which is 4 times the dose i was on previously.. And it seems to only have 2 refills available within the next year?
The doctor I saw spent less than 2 minutes in the room with me.
Does this altogether seem like incompetence, or neglect or is this actually a normal increase for this type of medication where the 2 refills are likely specifically so i can see how i handle this dosage for 3 months?

I dont have enough experience taking anything daily to understand

Additional question: would you think it would be safe to buy empty geletin capsules and redistribute the interior medication so that i might see myself what dosage looks best? (the inside of the capsules is full of white balls that make up the slow release medication)

that's a high starting dose. Effexor works mostly on serotonin, sort of like prozac, at lower doses. I think once you hit 150mgs/day or something it also works on norepinephrine, like cymbalta.

I don't know what to tell you. If you haven't been taking very much, or haven't been taking it at all, that's a very high starting dose. When it comes to psych drugs, though, I've found that doctors do what they want, and they don't feel the need to provide an explanation.

A lot of doctors do have a bad habit of giving intelligent, troubled women antidepressants and other drugs right off the bat. And not just the male doctors, either. Weird, now that I think about it.

I don't have any advice or anything. Effexor is effective for a lot people, but tapering+discontinuing can be rough, and the higher the dose, the longer the treatment period, the worse the tapering problems, usually. 150 isn't too high, relatively speaking; I had a friend on 375mgs/day for bipolar depression, in a cocktail of other Rx pills.

Maybe a different doctor?