I rely on them yet I do believe 100% that a lot of people may think of these meds as an instant fix and they aren’t. They don’t solve any problems, they just give some people who already have brain chemistry problems the ability to better cope with things like normal people. Whatever that means! LOL

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I never had any luck with Prozac or the earlier anti-depressants because of the side effects. To me, I felt worse on them than without them, but that changed for me with Cymbalta. I have no side effects at all with Cymbalta and my depression symptoms have almost completely ceased, I’d say.

As you point out, that med is different than a tranquilizer like Xanax. I’ve also taken Xanax for years now. When they started me on the med, I was taking it three times a day. I also sought therapy at the same time and learned many relaxation techniques as was able to make Xanax “as needed” Now, depending on my anxiety levels that may be three times a day to many, many weeks without taking it at all.

There’s research that indicates that people with anxiety disorders do not get “addicted” to Xanax in the way that other people might because they are not misusing the drug and it doesn’t have the same effect on severe anxiety patients as it does on others.

I don’t take it unless I’m severely anxious and that anxiety keeps me from doing something, like leaving the house. At those times, Xanax does not knock me out. It just returns me to “normal” and stops the panic so I can continue going about my day.

Dependency is another issue. Some people are dependent on high blood pressure medication, others on insulin, etc. I believe that people with anxiety disorders might be dependent on Xanax or other tranquilizers in a similar way.

Am I dependent on Xanax? Yes, at times, I believe that I am. I don’t believe for one second that I am addicted to the drug though. I think they are two different things.

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