xanax dependency or just normal anxiety- help!!

i have been diagnosed with GAD, generalized anxiety disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, and i am a true hypochondriac!
i have been on xanax and prozac now for a couple of months. my xanax dosage is low- its 0.5 mg however, i notice that one of my anxiety symptoms is tightness in my chest. i live with this every single day of my life- i wake up with it, and feel i need a xanax, then it goes away only to return later that day so i take another xanax. my question is- should i keep taking the xanax, and if so will i ever really learn how to deal with my symptoms? if i slowly take my self off the xanax under the help of a doctor- will my tightness in my chest ever go away. i have also been tested for many things, and all  have come back negative. i am tired of having this everyday of my life- and it affects my daily living. is my body becomming dependent on this medication? if anyone has any insight i would love it! please help thanks!

[Roger Gould, M.D.]

Yes you can easily become dependent on xanax, and when you wean yourself, do it very slowly.  Xanax is also depressing, so even though it helps with the anxiety symptom, it does have other undesirable effects.

Since tightness in your chest is an anxiety symptoms, you would be much better off learning how to quiet your mind through your own mental awareness and understanding than having to depend on drugs for the rest of your life.   You can learn this by exploring meditation, cognitive therapy or visualization techniques.

[Razzle]

Xanax and all the benzodiazepines can cause rebound anxiety as well as diverse central nervous system symptoms. For sensitive people Xanax can alter the GABA receptors in a very short time producing a host of pseudo-anxiety symptoms.

I work with clients daily that are in trouble with benzodiazepine medications.

Raz

[sunny2727]

Have you ever worked with people experiencing severe withdrawal from "Remeron" It has also caused me more anxiety than I had before I started it and now I am having a terrible time trying to get off of it.