Anxiety - taking xanax everyday?

My own view is i think its good that you are concerned about the addiction issue but a person should not be overly concerned about it , unless they are taking high doses daily . Starting dosage typically is .25 mg depending on a persons body size . Let your medicine do its job and work for you without being or feeling anxious about it because you already have expressed the desire of not wanting to be addicted to anything , so . :)

But, that isn't necessarily being addicted, it is that my body is used to maintaining a certain level in my system now that I have been on it for over a year and that if that level is not maintained I will go through withdrawals. It is the same for most prescription drugs in this class. My sister suffers from anxiety and after going through everything like I did, her doctor also prescribed her xanax .5mg as needed. She was so paranoid about the drugs addictive side effects that she wouldn't even take it if she needed it. Now, she takes about 1mg daily and can't believe what a difference it makes. So, the question is, if it actually works, trust yourself to use it responsibly and control your symptoms. I had a friend who died of breast cancer. She was prescribed morphine. Now, would it have made her a stronger person if she didnt take it? No. Did it make her an addict because she did? No. It made her a person willing to accept her disease and treat it to the best of her ability under the care of her physician. Don't get caught up in all the hype. If it helps then work with your doctor to find a dosage that will work best to take care of your symptoms. And don't just expect that zoloft is going to take its place. I use mine in conjunction with other medications to get the best effect for me to FUNCTION. And that is the ultimate goal. It is not to take just enough so that you feel a little bit better but still have frequent episodes where you don't. Nor is the goal to be so drugged out that you wouldn't know if you feel good or bad. The goal is to find just the right "cocktail" so that you can go about your life as normally as possible. Yes, it means having to take prescriptions on a daily basis. In my case, it means having to take more than I like to admit to anyone that I'm not real close with. But I know the alternative is to not have any quality of life that lasts long enough for me to raise my chilldren, have a career, and be able to socialize with friends. You have the ability to take an active role in your care, you are not going to become an addict simply because you are on medication that has addictive qualities. Take your meds as directed. Talk to your doctor if you are still having symptioms, doesn't mean your turning into an addict, you simply haven't found the right combination. My doctor said that with illensses such as anxiety, it can often be like walking a tight rope. It can be a long process, and will require a lot of changes to fine tune your meds to what will work best for you. If something, like xanax, works, then let it work for you. You have a disease, and you deserve to be treated with the medications that work best for you, not to be judged because there are a ton of people out there that like to get "high" off of them. I take them to feel normal. There is a big difference so don't beat yourself up over something that you're not. And if you find yourself not using them as prescribed, then talk to your doctor about it. You could need a higher dose, or you might need a different med altogether. But, whatever the case, you are just as much a part of your treatment as your physician. Do what you need to do to feel better and don't buy into the social judgments regarding mental illness. Do what you need to do to be happy. Best of luck and trust your own instincts, you are smarter than you are giving yourself credit for. And you are NOT an addict, and won't become one either if you take them as directed. Even if you find that you want to continue taking them in addition to the zoloft. It's that simple.