I had a legit anxiety disorder and took benzos. Personally I believe that these drugs can be incredibly helpful if used responsibly. I agree that doctors give them out recklessly, mine was very lax and acted like addiction wasnt a thing that I should worry about. Luckily im really paranoid about drugs in general, did a bunch of research and read about how easily these pills can fuck up your life.

I took 0.25mg-0.5mg doses 1-2 a month. I only used it when I really had to, like giving a big presentation in front of executives at my internship. My anxiety would get so bad that would be in and out of panic attacks, I wouldnt be able to eat for days before a presentation and my life was so miserable. These pills really helped so much.

One of the biggest problems is that once you use them they can feel like magic and anytime you have a panic attack youll want to use them. Its really hard but make sure to pick your battles, since youll want to use them in extreme moderation. Tolerance can build up quick, also i found that using them made my exposure therapy ineffective.

I ended deciding to quit them when my life became a little more intense and because of my low dosage it was fairly easy. Please dont use these pills recreationally but if you need these for anxiety I completely understand, just try to limit them to emergency situations.