Definitely talk to your doctor. Obviously, as you stated, no one here can give medical advice. From what I've seen in the clinic, the tapering of xanax depends on both the dosage and how long the patient has been on them. You say 3 - 4mg per day, but for how long? I have heard of doctors prescribing a 10mg valium to take at night to help sleep, and then the patient starting the taper off of xanax, from 3 mg/ day, and decreasing by 1/2 mg per week. Slow taper. When they get down to the half mg, then some continue down to .25 /day for a few weeks after that. I have heard many patients, always under medical care, state that this has worked for them. But again, if your condition warrants you taking the xanax, (anxiety, GAD, panic attacks) taking as prescribed, imo, is not the same thing as abuse.