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Am I becoming addicted to Xanax?

Issue
I recently started taking xanax to help me sleep because I'm going through a divorce and am very stressed out at night. I'm finding that I am preoccupied because my prescription is running out soon. I only take .25 mg once per night but am feeling like I can't get to sleep without it. Am I headed for addiction? How can I stop taking them? Thanks.

Best Tip

A 0.25 dosage is not very large, honey. I think we can get "attached" to a medication because we link it with sleep, which we want, and we're thinking if it runs out, I won't sleep. Ask your doc for something like Lunesta. It's non addictive. Or try 2 Benedrys (antihistamines) 50 mg. before bedtime. Don't freak out over the Xanax. Save it for when you are really stressed and have anxiety. It's easy to get hooked on Xanax. Maybe take it every other night. Either way, call your doctor for something non-addictive. Godloveya.

Others
A lot of people will tell you it's not addictive, but they are WRONG. If I were you, I would taper myself off Xanax gradually or get a doctor to help you and find another way to handle stress. Preferably something natural. Doctors seem to be way too prescription happy. Don't just stop taking the Xanax, though. That could be dangerous.
I would not take Xanax as a sleeping aid. They can become addictive and the detox is suppose to be a mutha after being on it for long time.
Addiction to Xanax can happen. Xanax falls into the category of a benzodiazepine...

Benzodiazepine Addiction
In our society, in which addiction to alcohol, cocaine, heroin, marijuana, cigarettes, and caffeine has increasingly been held in low esteem, other ways of healing have been and will continue to be sought for abnormalities in brain chemistry. Therefore, other legal and medically appropriate addictions are occurring in our society.

Some people are getting addicted to 900 numbers and gambling; a great majority, particularly women who suffer from anxiety, are becoming addicted to Xanax, Librium, Valium, Halcion, Dalmane, etc. Fortunately, there is one benzodiazepine that is relatively nonaddictive -- namely, clonazepam. But the majority of these women need, instead, to treat their brain chemistry with an antidepressant, anticonvulsant, or Cranial Electrical Stimulation device, and, in some cases, even an antipsychotic would be preferable, because an abnormal brain chemistry leads to a craving for temporary healing through addiction.

Unfortunately, the addiction leads to increasing deterioration of health functions. Frequently, individuals who are addicted to benzodiazepines lose interest in sex, become carbohydrate addicts, gain a lot of weight, have slow mentation, frequently visit doctors, and have all the symptoms of anxiety and depression, even during periods when they are not using a drug to a great degree, and even when using the drug ceases to satisfy. We have consistently been able to remove benzodiazepines with a program of brain rehabilitation. The first step is to understand brain health through brain mapping and to get the individual who is afflicted to make a positive step and recognize that the drug has one hooked. CES with the amino acid GABA (all benzodiazepines work through the brain's natural GABA receptors) or hydroxytryptophan is probably the best natural route to follow, although diet, e.g., no caffeine, no liquor, etc., is also important.

Adrenalin and the Brain
The brain's neurotransmitter system produces two extremely important neurotransmitters, Adrenalin (epinephrine) and serotonin. Accumulation or depletion of either of these substances are thought to play a major role in virtually every psychological illness, including major depression and schizophrenia. Accumulation of neurotransmitters can be caused by amino acids, and drugs like antidepressants and anticonvulsants. Depletion of neurotransmitters can occur from stressful situations, med- ications, and organic disorders. Their depletion is associated with the increased use of Valium, Benzodiazepin and alcohol. Repletion of these neurotransmitters occurs at an increased rate when the body is provided with a diet high in amino acids, the substates, or fuel, of the brain's neurotransmitter system.

But the best suggestion is to see the doctor who gave you the prescription for Xanax, and talk to them about your concerns.

Best of Luck,

Kimberly, RRT and Psychology Major
Long-term treatment with alprazolam (contents of Xanax) may lead to physical and/or psychological dependence. Users often develop a tolerance to the drug's sedative effects, though tolerance to its anxiolytic efficacy rarely develops when used at theraputic dosage levels.

There is now a general consensus among many psychiatrists that alprazolam (a so-called 'high-potency' benzodiazepine) poses a particularly high risk for misuse, abuse and dependence. Withdrawal after long-term treatment should be done slowly over a period of weeks (or even months) to avoid serious withdrawal symptoms such as agitation, panic attacks, rebound anxiety, muscle cramps and seizures. Some patients may benefit from a substitution with diazepam or clonazepam as these drugs remain in the bloodstream longer and have a somewhat lower risk of dependency
You are probably psychologically addicted to them but not physically. As long as you keep it a the low dose you should have not problems. You can try switching to another sleep aid such as lunesta or ambien. Melatonin is over the counter and it helps with sleep.
Xanax is in the drug family of benzodiazipams, which are addictive. You must wean off these meds very slowly to prevent unwelcome side effects. It may even mean some sleepless nights, but you will get there.