Xanax causing depression?

[Ms BW]

I think my low dose Xanax 0.25 mg is causing me to have depression.  Is this possible?  Has anyone else experienced this?

[Smarter2ndTimeAround]

So...If it feels good, do it?  As a society, we've been there, done that...in the 70s and look where that got us!  I would hope we've learned better.  Do a little research, Mantra.  It wasn't pretty.

[lola879]

i got into a bad cycle taking xanax for anxiety. it made me more depressed. you are probably depressed it sounds like you might want to make some major changes in your lifestlye,diet, schedule, etc. and gradually stop with the xanax.

[lola879]

my experience is the anti anxiety drugs are a bad cycle to get into. they make you feel great when you are on them but when they leave your system the depression comes back twice as bad and so does the anxiety. i've tried a long list of antidepressants and anti anxiety drugs. the only thing that has really helped me is making life changes, diet changes, being more active socially with positive people, spending time outdoors in the daylight and going to therapy. finding a good therapist is key, one who specializes in anxiety disorders. good luck!

[motherx1]

I KNOW THIS POST IS OLD, HOWEVER , PLEASE SEE A DOCTOR ASAP !!  GO TO YOUR NEAREST MENTAL HEALTH CENTER AND TALK TO SOMEONE.     I DO HOPE YOU ARE NOW WELL AND FEELING MUCH BETTER.  GOD BLESS.....

[JustSayNada]

I have been on Xanax for @ one year. I only take it at night to sleep for anxiety. Went from .25 to .5 to now .5 and 1 XR at night. My wife and my mom have asked my why I am so depressed. I did not realize it until family members told me. It has been tough year for me professionally and I had to sell one of my biggest assets, but I should not be this depressed as I am fine financially now and still have these thoughts of just like people describe. Like I am in a helpless hole and the world around me means nothing and this is very odd for me as typically I am a happy person with two beautiful daughters. I will now be weaning myself off of this. I stopped drinking almost 1 yr. ago and feel so good because of that, but the states of depression can come in massive waves and take me down for entire days with wanting to just stay in bed and not do anyhing. VERY unusual for me. Xanax does cause depression and I am going to slowly wane off and do the meditation. Thanks for your stories. God bless and don't lean on medicine...good advice about meditation...we live in a fast world where we are on the computer always fast fast fast and have to step back and slow down.

[bruniman]

I checked this site to see if my Xanax can be causing depression. It was helpful in that most people's responses are different but there's a common thread that runs through. It seems that, like me, Xanax Definitely puts our 'earthly pain' aside and lets us rest. Some have compared it to marijuana, some to alchohol. I would compare it more closely to Valium.
  Everything fades to alright when on a strong dose of either. I use Xanax to sleep. If I take them in the day, I'm somwhat dulled and incapacitated, so I leave them for AT HOME. I've been experimenting with not taking them regularly (which is what my Dr. thinks I'm doing anyway) and after an initila depression...I slowly come back to 'myself' (which is unfortunantely a somewhat depressed person anyway)
   The difference, for me, is that the sedation of Xanax is so strong as to be 'unreal' A half a valium in the day or a whole at night keeps the ME there. Do I really want to be knocked out completely for such large portions of my life? (good question)
    For a depressive person like myself, the temptation to 'not be there at all' is too tempting. I suggest, to myself and others, to take heed of how much we are taking. we know ourselves. Not even a Dr. can know us better.
    In closing - like food- Try to take as much as you need to get by (don't 'eat' when you're not hungry) and realize Perfect Happiness is no one's normal state 24/7. We just need to take the edge off without letting 'the whole parade go by' without us".