I have taken Ativan (Lorazepam, a “benzo" drug similar to Xanax) over an extended period, in a moderate dose occasionally as prescribed.
It helps alleviate the physical symptoms of whatever it is in my nervous system that got knocked permanently off kilter by chronic alcohol abuse (I’m currently 19 months sober). I’m grateful to have it as an adjunct to exercise, meditation, and other non-medicinal remedies in my arsenal against the crippling effects of anxiety.
Unlike with alcohol, with Ativan I have experienced no increased tolerance, no dependence, no cravings, no mental obsession, and no withdrawal symptoms during periods when I don’t use it.
As with alcohol, a potential for abuse and addiction exists, and as with alcohol, horror stories of the results abound. Because some cross-tolerance does exist in the receptors for alcohol and benzos, people with a history of alcohol dependence do need to be extra careful when using benzos.
However, also as with alcohol, the majority of people who use benzos in non-addictive quantities and frequencies do not suffer any ill effects. The fact that some people reacted badly to them or became addicted to them doesn’t mean everyone will.
The potential for addiction, or a few apocryphal horror stories, or even your own individual negative experience does not justify categorically broad-brushing these drugs as “bad.” Your Mileage May Vary.