Hello, I am struggling to cope with Social Anxiety Disorder, Agoraphobia whatever you wanna call it. Basically i never feel at ease unless i am alone. I also have been diagnosed major depressive. It is hell i feel like i am trapt.:blob_fire I lost my job 6 weeks ago due to excessive Personal Time Off. Now i am stuck living at my moms house, where i am constantly asked how do you feel every 5 min by someone in my family. I have been to my psychiatrist a few times last time i was given 10 xanax xr 1 mg, and told to take 1 each morning. Well i was taking 2 each day so i am out now and feel like a nervous wreck. He only gave me 10 of them and they lasted about 5 days. I called my DR and they said they wouldnt refill script, and that we needed to talk about this next time i come in. My question is i have had some problems with substance abuse, but i truly feel that was caused by anxiety/depression. My mom says that i shouldnt take Xanax cuse i am just medicating my feelings. I feel that i should be prescribed them because it puts me more in touch with how i feel, provides relief from the horrid hellish Anxiety, and i dont think i should have to suffer the way i am when Xanax could provide temporary relief until i can get to the bottom of my issues. Also my Dr says i shouldnt be working, but i have a car payment, and a few grand in credit card debts, I dont want to ruin my credit and lose my car when i think the relief xanax provides would allow me to at least work some job while i work through my issues, and also i have no health insurance.

What does everyone think? Please give me some replies because i would like to print this out and take it with me tommorow when i go see my doc. Thank You Very Much for Opinions.

Xanax is a powerful drug! I understand how you feel. I have taken it for PMS. You need to talk to your doctor about the amount you are taking. I believe you are already addicted by the amount you take each day. I relieve my moods by exercise!! It makes a great difference! Talking to trusted loved ones or online chats can help like this one! Wish you well!

Im not addicted as ive only been on it for a couple of days. 10 pills was the amount he wrote the script for. Thanks for your reply

You said you have had problems with substance abuse in the past. You have taken twice the amount prescribed. All I am saying is this drug is strong and you need to be careful.

Substance abuse is a problem in and of itself and should be talked about with the psychiatrist. As far as the xanax goes, everyone is different. I was just prescribed it a week ago to take .5 mg 4 times a day. Well, I found I was too drowsy on it so I decreased it to .25mg 3 times a day and .5mg at night. I also, however, don't feel xanax is doing anything for me, as I was not really in a panic state before... well, not any more than I am now. So, for me, I want to come off of it, since I don't feel it does anything for my needs. I've only been on it for a week but I'm guessing if I come off, I'll still need a couple of weeks to wean off of it, just by decreasing the dosages slowly since it is a drug that can cause dependency.

I really think this is something you need to discuss with your psychiatrist/doctor.

Since you have had substance abuse problems you should watch yourself since it is habit-forming. If you must take it, only take what the doctor prescribes per day and no more, otherwise you'll find yourself on a fast-track to even more problems than before. I take 1 mg of Xanax a day, which works great for me. Of course everyone is different and there are lots of different amounts prescribed. Just watch yourself on it.

I break those .5mg tabs in half and was told to take three whole ones a day! It's just enough to stop the muscle tension in the ribcage and thereabouts. There must be something you're not telling us if he only prescribed 10 tabs. Xanax is powerful and it makes you feel "normal". But, after a month of taking half tabs three times a day, I can feel the difference as I wean myself off of them again.

Once again thanks for your input. I cant wait to talk to Dr and see what he says. I am in so much emotional pain right now, with my panic/anxiety and still mild depression, cymbalt is actually really helping for depression not the anxiety. I guess my utimate question for the doc is if he thinks it will be good to help short term, 3-4 months, so i can get out of this horrible funk, then slow taper down to nothing.

I mean i know therapy is painful mentally, but do i have to suffer this dibilitating anxiety being housebound and nervous wreck while im in therapy(which makes even hard becuase i have communication issues, and the xanax opens me up to where i can put things in perspective and feel good that i am getting help. My last DR i had alot of issues with not communicating my problems well, cuse i was soo unbelievably anxious and i just wanted to get out of there. Anyway keep posting ppl, thanks


The reason he only prescribed 10 was i just started with this doc and have been seeing him every week, and my appointment was only 6 days away. So i had almost enough to take 2 a day, but i called and asked for refill and they said no you need to talk to him when you come in tommorow. As far as the addiction i was prescribed 1 mg of Klonapin , 2 .5 doses a day and i didnt really take it because i felt like a zombie and couldnt get through the work day w/0 falling asleep. THe xanax do have some of the same side effects but it seems to just melt away the anxiety.

Xanax is a heavy-duty narcotic, as you probably already know. As a result, at the regimen at which you took it... indicated a great deal to your psychiatrist.
Xanax isn't a drug that can be taken liberally... it's only to be taken when absolutely necessary. Your psychiatrist will probably want to re-evaluate and prescribe a drug that will be as beneficial, yet not habit-forming... which Xananx is. Rather than lamb-basting your psychiatrist, you might want to thank him/her.
Hang in there... and as far as those at home are concerned...they're only concerned and care about you... or they wouldn't ask. In other words, count yourself fortunate... because you are.
Take care and I wish you the best with this.

I have to clarify something---- Xanax is a benzodiazapine which is completely different from a narcotic. The benzos are a class in itself and are extremely, extremely to come off of.

I was addicted to xanax and took 2mgs 4xs a day for a long, long time. Yes, people talk about tapers, but to be honest, tapering off sucks. It increases anxiety and causes awful physical symptoms. m

If you can take seroquel--which is a non addictive antipsychotic which used in low does can help TREMENDOUSLY with anxiety.

Be well. Stay away, if you can, from the benzos.

stressed teacher
benzo free since august.....

I have had severe anxiety every since I was a child.I have been to many Doctors as a child and no one could figure out what ws going on.As ,I have gotten older I have seen phsyciatrist and other doctors and I have finally escaped my hellish panic attacks with the help of Xanax alone.I could not function without it.I have been taking it for 2 years now,under a physicians direction and I have never gotten addicted to it.They started me out with.1 mg twice a day.Once in the morn and one in the eve.Sometimes I dont even take them unless I feel I am nervous.This is the only way I can function in public.I am not addicted..I have never had to up my dose...sometimes I dont even take them unless I need one.Good luck

Hello, I am struggling to cope with Social Anxiety Disorder, Agoraphobia whatever you wanna call it. Basically i never feel at ease unless i am alone. I also have been diagnosed major depressive. It is hell i feel like i am trapt.:blob_fire I lost my job 6 weeks ago due to excessive Personal Time Off. Now i am stuck living at my moms house, where i am constantly asked how do you feel every 5 min by someone in my family. I have been to my psychiatrist a few times last time i was given 10 xanax xr 1 mg, and told to take 1 each morning. Well i was taking 2 each day so i am out now and feel like a nervous wreck. He only gave me 10 of them and they lasted about 5 days. I called my DR and they said they wouldnt refill script, and that we needed to talk about this next time i come in. My question is i have had some problems with substance abuse, but i truly feel that was caused by anxiety/depression. My mom says that i shouldnt take Xanax cuse i am just medicating my feelings. I feel that i should be prescribed them because it puts me more in touch with how i feel, provides relief from the horrid hellish Anxiety, and i dont think i should have to suffer the way i am when Xanax could provide temporary relief until i can get to the bottom of my issues. Also my Dr says i shouldnt be working, but i have a car payment, and a few grand in credit card debts, I dont want to ruin my credit and lose my car when i think the relief xanax provides would allow me to at least work some job while i work through my issues, and also i have no health insurance.

What does everyone think? Please give me some replies because i would like to print this out and take it with me tommorow when i go see my doc. Thank You Very Much for Opinions.

have you ever had your thyriods checked i was given xanax 1 mg 3 times a day been on them 1 yr im going to dr 23rd to get off them i was on mine for panic attacks depression and agraphobia and all along it was my thyriods but the dr i WAS seeing wouldnt check my thyriods now im on thyriod meds and my panic is gone so is the agraphobia and the depression and my aniety i only get it once in a while and im ready to be weened off the xanax and yes they sure do make you sleep but a yr ago i was a mess and they did help me cause sleep was my only relieve i had just had surgery and my body went into shock i guess so they just assumed it was panic disorder but never took any tests to be sure i found a new dr whos a internal medicine dr and i trust him. and all my troubles i had for a yr was all due to my thyriods if the dr had checked i wouldnt have suffered so long now since being on my meds i finally feel as though im getting my life back i slept 24/7 cried alot never left my house wouldnt drive my hair was coming out had no energy at all and i suffered with all that for a yr till i found out it was my thyriods.