When I was active I'm pretty sure Xanax wasn't around. If it was, I didn't know about it. Valium however, was very much my friend. Valium also worked incredibly well. If I could have afforded to continue my habit, I'd have probably never quit.
The thing I believe is this. If I had continued medicating my panic and anxiety in any way, I'd have never learned to overcome it. Panic is horrific, anxiety is uncomfortable, but if we're willing to take steps to get over them and experience that unaccountability for a while, it's entirely doable. For me though they didn't just go away on their own, simply because I put the drink down. It took a little over 2 years to feel completely free, but I kept getting just a little bit better all the time, and that helped keep me on track. The 12 steps and prayer were a HUGE tool for me, but I don't believe that's the only solution. I religiously did relaxation exercises, got into a physical exercise routine, started eating a lot more healthfully being really watchful of my sugar intake (sugar crashes used to give me panic attacks). Coffee for anxiety ridden people is just plain nuts, by the way
, and I couldn't go near it early on. Anyhow, there's lots that can be done holistically to help heal, but I really don't think that's possible if we're using chemicals to keep the anxiety at bay. It seems pretty common that the chemicals actually exacerbate the anxiety in the long run. It's not easy to get off of any psych meds, and absolutely IMO shouldn't be attempted without a doctors care. Seen far too many tragic endings to people attempting to quit their meds alone :/.
Anyhow, gettin long winded because this is a hot topic for me. In short, there's hope. I'm certain of it.