I myself was a barbiturate/benzo addict for 6 years straight. It also initially started with stress. A family member was a doctor who gave me practically unlimited access. At the time I didn't fully realize I was an addict, I thought she wanted the best for me... I visited other doctors who instead of helping me kept prescribing. I told them that I was abusing, but it was like "Oh, so this medication doesn't work. Let me prescribe you more and something else". I ended up taking 4 times the prescribed dosage of barbiturates (twice the max), big dosages of antidepressants and benzos, mixing them with alcohol, over the counter pills and God knows what. I ODed twice (first time a couple of days in coma). I got help from a natural practitioner and a retired relative who came to live with me. My worst hours were mornings and she was talking with me, read aloud (jokes and such) to distract me. It's been 10+ years ago and I'm eternally grateful to her. I stopped taking barbiturates and reduced benzos to a therapeutic dosage, slowly bringing it to zero within an year. I don't take any psychiatric drugs since then, and wouldn't take if given. This stuff is horrible, stay away. You keep thinking it curbs your symptoms, but in the end it creates its own, much stronger symptoms and problems. You lose control. You can't even judge clearly as your brain is clouded. My advice: get a family member or friends who cares about you coming clean to help you; and stay away from enablers (doctors who keep prescribing and such).