Ahh, Tim,
I have been there and understand. You're scared to take it, but you're scared if you don't, you will be too anxious to make it through the day. I remember that feeling and it's not a good one.
I did take the Xanax for several months during a very difficult time in my life (I was having severe panic attacks and wouldn't leave the house). The doctor had me start it when he also started me on Zoloft (an antidepressant that helps with panic attacks.) Then he slowly weaned me off the Xanax after the Zoloft started working. (It takes several months for Zoloft to work.)
The Xanax can be addictive if you abuse it. You must take it under the careful advisement of a prudent doctor who will help you wean off it when the time comes. It is only a temporary solution, and not a permanent one. But if this is a difficult time in your life and you need it, then don't be afraid to try a very, very lose dose. I think I started off taking 0.25 mg three times a day, then slowly lowered the dose to an eighth of a milligram and then quit it--- (over the course of months). After quitting it, I had a night or two of insomnia and then I was fine, but of course, by then the Zoloft had taken effect.
The trouble you can get into taking the Xanax is if you take large doses or if you decide you are going to increase your dose (without your doctor's permission.) You also cannot take it regularly and then just quit it cold turkey. That's when your body will respond with even worse anxiety than you started with. Because it ia a very short-acting drug and does help with the anxiety almost immediately after taking it, you also will feel the effects quickly when it wears off.
I don't mean to scare you, but just realize you must take it EXACTLY as your doctor tells you to and wean off of it under his/her instruction. If you do this, you will have no problem.
There is another medication in the same class called Klonopin that is longer acting and because of this, does not have as much potential for addiction. You just take it once a day. (My doctor had me taking that at night because I could not sleep.) You may want to ask your doctor about a very small dose of this. One thing I will tell you is that if either the Xanax or the Klonopin make you too drowsy during the day, you are taking too high a dose. Start out with the lowest dose possible (maybe even .25 mg of the Xanax) and see if it helps you. You can always increase the dose if it's not enough; it's reducing the dose that can be a problem. Don't drive until you know how it will effect you. It may knock you out!
Also some of the antidepressants, such as Zoloft, help with panic and anxiety very well---and you do not have to be weaned off those.
Good luck. I hope I have helped you. Let me know if you have any other questions. I can just speak from my experience.
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