This was a tough one for me. I had been taking Xanax for anxiety and panic attacks for years, and also abusing alcohol. I decided to quit everything I was doing all at once. I never felt I was abusing xanax, but also knew I was taking more and more to try and feel normal after hangovers, etc.
My sponsor in AA with 27 years of sobriety was very clear that benzo's can threaten sobriety. He told me he wanted me off xanax completely, but to call him if I felt like I needed to take any.
I think I have put off going to the Dr. because if I tell my Dr. about my anxiety he would probably write me a benzo prescription, and my mind would then say "I have a free pass".
Since I've learned that I am an alcoholic, I am making sure that abusing alcohol was not the reason for all my anxiety first. My anxiety has gotten way better since recovery, but at times can be quite high. First dates, job problems, and big events definitely trigger my anxiety, but I am getting better and better at learning how to deal with them.
What I think you need to do is really look at yourself like I did, and see if you are really taking the medicine as prescribed. Make sure you are not over using, or taking it for the "high feeling". People take anti-d's to feel "normal" not "high".
Also, many people say that their anxiety went away when they quit drinking and got into recovery. It's extremely hard at first, but the only way to find out is to get off all addictive medications and see if it helps. That's what I did, and I can say that my anxiety is way down, even compared to treating it with xanax.