Anxiety Medicine Effexor - An Addictive Drug?

A few years ago while living with my Mother in NJ along with my Husband and two children I had an anxiety attack. The first one that I had ever had and I thought I was dying. My Husband carried me in his arms and rushed me to the hospital. I could not breathe and my hands were stiff. I had never been so scared in my life! After this episode I went to many Doctors complaining of back pain,headaches, sinus problems,etc. After nearly every test given they could not find a single thing wrong with me. One day I was not feeling well so I went to one of those urgent care facilities. 

The Doctor there asked me a question that no other Doctor had asked me before, How is your home life? Immediately my eyes swelled up and I could not stop crying. Oh my gosh, was my life this bad or was I just being over emotional? My Mother had suffered from depression since she was 12 years old and had been on medication ever since. I never really understood why she was so depressed and although she stated that it was a chemical imbalance I thought she was just faking it to get attention.

I told my Doctor about her and how she just sleeps all the time and is barely human. Was this the life that I was to lead? On medication to help with my emotional outbursts? I could not be a zombie with no emotions for the sake of my children I could not be like her! She was an embarrassment to all of us. We were ashamed of her. The mother who slept all day and never attended one of our special events growing up. I did not want to be on medication that was for sure! He then explained the whole chemical imbalance thing and that medication has come along way since the 1960's. I made it clear that I did not want to be lifeless and he assured me that the medication Effexor was non addictive and if I were to come off of it no withdrawls.