I have am recovering from an assault and an abduction. I ve had anxiety problems since I can remember. Sometimes I could function and work through my spells sometimes I would have to go on an anxiety med. This has been a rough year and my doctor has me on Xanax xr 3mg 1x a day and ambien 10 mg. to sleep. After the assault he added one to two 1 mg Xanax as needed. I really think these benzodiazapines have done all they can. I m not receiving any level of relief and I feel like PTSD is setting in. My therapist is not an MD and she is very helpful but clueless about how quickly tolerance can develop. I m 39. I ve been off and on them for twenty years. I read online where several people all receiving symptom improvement from phenobarbital. I know my mom gave me these in a drop form as a child (panic attacks started at 6) but I also know from my research that the withdrawal can kill you. Is it worth it to try and see if they can provide some relief? I startle awake all night, no appetite, and although my blood pressure is low my heart rate is usually 110+. Frightened has become my natural state. My doctor put me on a beta blocker but it hasn t started helping yet.