xanax what do you think?

Question

i take 0.25 mg a day of xanax it seems to help me all day with panic attacks. so do you think thats enough to be addicted? the phychiatrist don,t think so.

Answer 1

i just have to answer this question bcuz i'm in the same situation that u are and to tell u the truth it makes me feel better knowing that i'm not the only one suffering with panic attacks. i've had them for about 5 years now and their no fun at all but any ways your taking the lowest dosage that xanax has so their not addictive if you take them as prescribed, i also see a phychiatrist every month and a therapist which really helps also i'm on xanax and depression medication, and it really helps alot. i remember when i had my first panic attack, i thought i was dying but after i found out what they were and that it wasn't life threatning i felt a little better. i wish i could talk to you more about this bcuz it really helps to know that i'm not the only one out there who suffers from panic attacks so i really appreciate the question. take care of your self and you will be in my prayers.

Answer 2

There are 2 issues. First, no 0.25 mg will not likely create an addiction. The second issue is that it is sad to hear that a psychiatrist placed you on medication for panic disorder. Panic disorder is a curable problem with a type of therapy known as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). In fact, CBT should be the first line of treatment because it has better long-term outcomes that ANY medication. Specifically, CBT cures between 80 and 95% of patients who follow the entire protocol. Another excellent aspect about CBT is that it is time limited. I have helped patient's with this disorder in as few as 4 sessions and none ever took more than 20 sessions. Medications tend to have 2 major draw backs. Frist, the rebound effect, or the experience of more intense panic attacks after you stop taking the medications. Second, many medications begin to become less effective over time. Xanax is better than Ativan, but I've still seen this happen. My best advice is to try and find a Ph.D. or Psy.D. psychologist in your area who specializes in CBT and graduated from an APA accredited program. This will increase your chances of finding a compentent therapist. Good luck.

Answer 3

If it helps you with your anxiety, then it's not an addiction that you take it every day. It's considered a neccessary medication, sort of like people who take diabetes medication, bottom line is you need it to function. And, that is a very small dose, I believe .025 or 1/4 mg is the smallest dose out there. And yes, your body will get a tolerance to it, but if it then becomes more a placebo, but still keeps the attacks away, that's OK too.
The best thing of course is to try and conquer the anxiety attacks at some point w/o the medication, and understand, we all get them to some degree...I've had one or two over the past 15-20 years, but never took any meds for them. Keep that in mind for your own better overall health! Good Luck.

Answer 4

Xanax is a drug that you will develop a tolerance for and thus levels may have to be increased from time to time to produce the same calming effect. Higher dosages could be habit forming.

I take an anti-anxiety medication called Klonopin which does not have the addictive propensity. It works well for me. And I am on the same dose now as I was 3 yrs ago.

Answer 5

If your doctor says no, then they should know what they are talking about. However, you can become addicted to the "feeling" rather than the substance itself. Plus, you shouldn't have to take drugs daily to deal with life... it is understandable if you need a pick-me-up sometimes.

And are you seriously getting advice here instead of just taking your doctors advice? I think you should seek a second opinion because any doctor who thinks it is fine to take xanax daily has some issues as far as I'm concerned.

Answer 6

I don't think it's the dosage that will tell you if you're addicted. It's the way you take it. If you take it as prescribed and don't abuse it, I doubt you'll truly become addicted. If you tried to go off of it, it may be difficult, but the doctor would guide you in that process. If you were to go off of it and substitute something else such as drugs or alcohol, then I'd say yes. According to the info. you have given, I think you're taking the dosage, and need it. In that case, no.

Answer 7

I don't think that is enough to get addicted. I used to take the 2 mg twice a day, and it took several months to become tolerant to it.

Answer 8

xanax is highly addictive....I used to take it only 3 times per week & I got addicted! It took me some time to get rid of the addiction!

Answer 9

No, I was prescribed xanax for 4 years and was not an addict although I was subject to mood swings without them.

Answer 10

The only way to find out if you are addicted is to stop and see if you feel a craving for it-as if you needed it.