whhhhooooaaa, your post sure got my attention!!!!
first off, some of us do find benzos help with panic attacks even if we've taken them a longer period of time. the key is to not up the doseage if it's suggested cause one can develop an intolerance and then the circus begins. but benzo's do have a place of use for some of us as long as we're being reponsible.
...well i've got to go and read those studies but it's a known medical fact that some benzos should not be prescribed for more than 6 months...xanex being one. it's written right in the PDR,physician's desk reference, yet docs prescribe xanex like candy to way too many ppl for way too long . it has an incredible half life. so YES many docs of all specialities are over prescribing this family of drugs.
i for one know the dangers of coming off these meds. i was in a medical facility. told them i had been on xanex for one and a half years, it was prescribed to me while i was caretaking my terminally ill mother to help me get back to sleep. i advised them the length of time i was on this drug and the doseage. i had never abused this med. they abruptly took me off-'you don't need this anymore'...3 days later GRAND MAL SEIZURE....should have sued the hospital. it took me one and a half years to be weaned off xanex the correct way and under a responsible physician's care. i do not ever recommend anyone trying to wean themselves off without medical guidance, imho. the ramifications are too dangerous. that's jmho but i lived thank goodness to share this tale. i will always be susceptible to seizures now since i had 2 before they got control if the situation.
so a word of caution, ygrec!!!!!

ps in support of docs not being responsible, i had asked my doc who prescribed the xanex to not put me on a barbiturate, etc. so READ the rx info or ask your pharmacist before filling a new med. i trusted my doc and he was not being responsible. i don't ever ASSUME any more.

ppsssss...many of these drugs are what they call opiate derivatives. so what does that tell you?