"I know from a clinic where I work that even people who aren't physically dependent on benzos can get desperate for them," Reinhold says. It puts users at risk for a psychological dependence, in which they believe they can't get through life without help from a pill. But just accepting pills (hashtag: #Xannies) from friends here and there is risky-and not only because it's against the law. "The culture in which we live sends messages that there is no reason to tolerate discomfort," says Susan Foster, vice president and director of policy research and analysis at the substance use and addiction nonprofit CASAColumbia, adding, "That fuels misuse of prescription medications."Ĭonsumed daily in high doses, even for a month, Xanax can lead to physical dependence. Yet its cred as a highly effective drug also makes it a frequently abused one: Experts say that benzos are so widely available and sometimes used so casually that they can seem benign. "I'm not a fan of Xanax, but I might prescribe just a few pills on occasion for patients with fear of flying it works," says Catherine Birndorf, M.D., a New York City psychiatrist and a self contributing expert. "In contrast, with SSRI antidepressants-which are also prescribed for anxiety disorders-patients generally experience a lag time of four to six weeks before they start working."ĭoctors also often prescribe Xanax as a short-term fix for moments of acute anxiety or to help manage specific phobias. Reinhold, Pharm.D., assistant professor of clinical pharmacy at the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy. "With Xanax, you typically feel the effects within 15 to 20 minutes of taking it, and they wear off within six hours," says Jennifer A. There's good reason: Used properly and under the right circumstances, Xanax works fast and safely to relieve symptoms of anxiety and panic disorders, as both clinical studies and patient experience show.īenzos activate the brain's GABA receptors, inhibiting neuron activity and leaving you more relaxed and often sleepier.
Alprazolam (Xanax's generic form) is the most prescribed psychiatric drug in the United States, reports health care technology and information company IMS Health. A tranquilizer, Xanax has many close cousins, including familiar names Valium, Klonopin and Ativan.
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