I am taking Xanax which is a Benzodiazepene which is what you are taking. I take 2 mg a day and I am pretty sure that it would be tough for me to quit taking them. It really all depends on how much you take and how long you take them plus every person is different. Some have no problems coming off them others have a really hard time coming off of them. I know for me that I will need to take them for the rest of my life, so I don't really worry about the dependency issue, however, I do know that if you do decide to stop taking a Benzo you should taper off of it slowly over time otherwise you can have extremely bad side effects. Your body has grown used to them over time and you can't just quit cold turkey if you have been taking them for awhile.

For me, Xanax was the only med that has worked.

Take care,
OE

[Thanx i was wondering about xanax coz ive been told it really helps with this type of anxiety, i take 5mg of diazapam twice a day some days it works others it doesnt, i feel really guilty for feeling like this when iv got a baby to look after, im constantly checking my skin ( which always seems to look purple or have a rash which no one else can see) and my pulse i need something that will work properly and stopp me being like that i wonder if xanax is th answer what exactly does it do how does it make u feel? thanx alot ashleexxx

When you say ill what do you mean? Do you have any physical symptoms that don't seem to be really attached to the anxiety?

Xanax takes the edge off the anxiety. I have what is called Pure O which is a type of OCD where I have horrific thoughts pop into my head at weird times and scare the living crap out of me. I used to have panic attacks as a result of the horrible thoughts, but I am getting better. Anyway, you said something about seeing a rash that isn't really there. Do you know that it isn't there and just worry that it is, or do you actually see a rash? Big difference between the two. Is it more of an obsession or is it an actual rash that you see an nobody else sees? If you actually do see a rash then it is a hallucination which changes the game a little, but if it is just a fear of a rash even though you can plainly see there isn't one there then it is an anxiety disorder and Xanax will help.

You said it got worse after the birth of your baby. I would go see an anxiety disorder specialist and see if you can get a diagnosis and then go see another one and see what he/she says. Never trust the first opinion and make sure you are 100% truthful when you are being asked questions even if you are horribly scared of what the doctor may think. It is essential to your diagnosis. if you don't you may end up with a wrong diagnosis and the wrong meds and you could potentially end up feeling worse, so tell the truth.

I quit smoking, drinking, and caffeine because all of these made my symptoms worse. I also meditate daily and exercise a few times a week. The exercise and meditation really help a lot when it comes to anxiety. You can start by making these changes if you haven't already and then get to a doctor who specializes in anxiety disorders and get an evaluation.

I hope you feel better,
OE