Anxiety is a feeling of fear, dread, and uneasiness. It might cause you to sweat, feel restless and tense, and have a rapid heartbeat. It can be a normal reaction to stress. For example, you might feel anxious when faced with a difficult problem at work, before taking a test, or before making an important decision.
It’s possible to have both depression and anxiety at the same time: A worldwide survey from 2015 found that 41.6 percent of people reported having both major depression and an anxiety disorder during the same 12-month period.
What is Xanax?
Xanax is a brand of alprazolam, a powerful benzodiazepine that is used to treat anxiety and panic disorders by decreasing abnormal excitement in the brain. The medication comes in the form of a tablet that quickly dissolves in the mouth, an extended-release tablet, or a concentrated oral solution.
Benzodiazepines can have therapeutic anti-anxiety, anti-convulsant, muscle relaxing, and sedative effects. Xanax works by increasing the effects of a brain chemical called gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), which promotes calmness and produces a relaxed feeling. The drug decreases the level of excitement in the brain to treat anxiety and panic disorders.
Alprazolam is among the most prescribed benzodiazepine drugs in the U.S. and is among the benzodiazepines most often found in the illegal market, according to the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Xanax is often prescribed for mental health disorders related to anxiety. It can be used to treat general anxiety, panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, and phobias. It can also be used to treat seizures. For people who suffer from anxiety, it can create a sense of relief to focus on their lives without issues of anxiety or phobias plaguing them. When used as prescribed, it can calm people down and make them feel relaxed.
In this article, we will be sharing the stories of many people around the world who have successfully managed their mental health conditions using Xanax.
How Xanax Saved My Life
King Borris has this to say “I have had anxiety for many years. About 30. Not until 37 years old did it crush me. I started with Zoloft and buspirone, then came the Xanax. The first day I took one, I felt like I have missed my life all these years. I looked at my wife and said the following. “Have I been an A-hole for the last 13 years?” She said yes. “You must really love me,” She said yes again. For the first time in my life, I realized how much anxiety took over my life. I can literally feel the difference between me being that angry anxiety-filled person. Now, I take .5 every 2 days. I actually enjoy life. Before it was just there. Like a clouded mind just floating there. Not feeling or computing. When I take Xanax, I feel alive and happy. I look at my kids and I can actually enjoy them and literally feel the abundance of love I have for them. And that makes life so much better to live.”
Noel Garnet another happy patient wrote “This drug has saved me on a thousand occasions, from generalized anxiety to panic attacks or somatic tension, up to situations of severe insomnia where the next day I had to get up early in the morning. I have always considered it a godsend, it is an excellent anxiolytic and it is very useful also for those suffering from sleep disorders because it does not leave heaviness or numbness the next day, due to its short duration of action in the body. My average dosage is 20 drops (0.50 mg). What can I say, to me, it is the best anxiolytic!”
Two anonymous patients share their stories like this “I suffered from severe separation anxiety, depression, panic attacks, PTSD, depersonalization. After trial and error with several medications, my Dr. Prescribed me .5 Xanax “alprazolam”. I was not driving my car for months prior, I had to take 3 showers a day just to try and feel something. I felt like I was losing my mind like I was constantly afflicted by brain fog. I felt like a passenger in my own body. Now I can cope and actually get out of bed and clean and cook for my family. I don’t know how or why I came about all the symptoms but if my Dr. wouldn’t have recommended this and prescribed it I would probably be dead. Alprazolam saved my life.”
“Xanax is a miracle for me. I can’t live without it. It is not addicting. I never experienced withdrawal symptoms either. I am usually tense, high-strung, and anxious. Xanax makes me happy, easy-going, talkative, and calm. It helps me sleep, I can’t sleep without it. I take Zoloft and Seroquel but without Xanax, nothing seems to work or help me. I love Xanax and I take it daily or else I really just can’t get through the day. I have anger and a short fuse and a bad temper and Xanax calms my storms. Xanax is the only thing that works for me and makes me sane and able to face life head-on.”
Deano a new patient placed on the medication shared her Xanax story as follows “I’ve C-PTSD after having an extremely violent home environment growing up. I’ve gone through everything to try and calm my symptoms down. 7 years ago, my doctor put me on a combination of Xanax 1.5mg per day over 3 doses and 15Mg of Mirtazapine. I went from a hermit to having a normal life. Having a career, a solid relationship.. my life did a full 180. Now I have a new doctor and went to have my long-standing script renewed (I’ve just moved country).. he reduced the dose to Xanax two 0.5mg which isn’t enough as s I get nausea and dizziness between doses if I leave it too long. So I carried on with my 0.5 three times a day and have to go back tomorrow to get him to fix the script. I’m terrified that he will try to reduce or take me off them. These are literally the only thing that has worked. I’m willing to accept the risks as the rewards of having a normal life far outweigh the bad effects.”
Chantel wrote “Xanax saved my life when I suffered from anxiety and depression, figuratively and perhaps literally, too. Not only did it help me sleep and stop my restless legs at night, but it also helped with constant severe anxiety and it helped my depression, too. I’ve been taking Xanax for 15 years. I’ve never taken more than the prescribed amount because I know it can be addictive and I know that I won’t be able to get it if I abuse it. Frankly, it doesn’t make me groggy, high, or anything other than “normal.” It feels really great to just feel normal, and that is why it frightens and frustrates me when I have to change prescribers (of all my meds) and some object to Xanax. I never share it, sell it, or use it other than prescribed. I don’t think I should feel pressure to stop it. For me, it makes life tolerable, and I have a friend in San Diego who has the same experience with Xanax.”
Stephen expressed his opinion of the medication as follows “Many have said that alprazolam is a life-saver. I endorse that statement fully. If you panic or become anxious, you’ll be unable to process thoughts properly which affects ALL your decisions, from making coffee in the morning to DRIVING your car to fulfill your employment. Also, highly endorse taking the 0.5 mg before bed. Wake refreshed by the benefit of uninterrupted sleep. Xanax is an important, very helpful, prescription. I’m sorry that some have the “addiction gene” (my terminology, not official). They should definitely ‘watch it’ if they know themselves to have an addictive nature. I believe the ‘script can still help them. Sometimes I go for a few days without needing it and notice no withdrawal.”
Finally, we bring you the story of a grateful male patient whose life was turned around by the medication “Alprazolam is to me what glucose is to a diabetic. I’m an educated contributing member of society but am genuinely a disabled person without this drug. My anxiety without this drug is so extreme that I spend every waking moment trying to relieve a fear state, cannot experience peace of any kind, laugh, smile, or function in any state outside of terror. CBT, meditation, positive thinking, hot showers, faith, etc. just do not work for the level of anxiety I have. I have tried many other drugs and classes of drugs because I’m aware of what Xanax is, but this drug is the treatment for anxiety like mine. I would never abuse this drug, would never drink alcohol with it, and am highly aware of how it affects me. Xanax keeps me off disability and well, period.”
