Although I think it is good to be concerned about the addictive potential of any drug, I don't think you should assume your pdoc is a quack. Why don't you talk about your concerns with him? Some people do not become addicted to benzos. Your pdoc should be monitoring you for signs of addiction and probably does this with you in conversation at your appointments (you may not even realize it). It could be he hasn't seen any signs so isn't worried. If you have any signs of addiction, you should definitely report them to him. If you are worried about the Xanax, there are other medications you could take at night to help you sleep.

I don't take benzos, but I do take another drug that people can become addicted to--amphetamines (for ADHD). I am ALWAYS paranoid I will become addicted to them and am often asking my PNP about this when I see her for medication management. She gets a little exasperated with me sometimes, I think! You are not addicted! she says. She sometimes will whip out the little mini-assessment of addiction and go through the questions with me. I always get an extremely low score. Then she will say, if you were addicted, you would answer such and such a way to this question and to this one. It makes me feel reassured when she does the questionnaire. She also prescribes carefully and in such a way that does not promote addiction in her patients. (And I am sure she would not prescribe benzos to someone who has had other addictions, such as to alcohol, in the past.)

Yes, it's partly what genes you were dealt at birth and also how the drugs are prescribed to you (dose, formulation, duration, for what purpose, etc.). I am glad you are seeing a therapist too. Are you working on Panic with behavioral therapy? Could you take benzos at low dose while you learn to manage your panic and anxiety with behavioral techniques with your therapist (or with whatever approach he uses)? Then when you can manage, you can taper off the meds?