One thing I feel doctors are particularly bad at is understanding dependence does not equal abuse. Yea I AM dependent on xanax and luvox. The dependence is almost identical for both drugs. One CAN be abused and the other probably not. But for just normal dosages they act the same when it comes to withdrawals.

Both will cause withdrawals. But I was never warned about withdrawals from luvox. I can miss one day, that's it. After that I feel REALLY bad. But I'm warned over and over what hell I will go through if I get addicted to xanax. Sure, I notice if I don't take it. But more than if I miss the SSRI? Nope.

So replacing a drug that causes withdrawals with one that also causes withdrawals does not really make sense to me. Most anxious patients are super careful with their benzos because they KNOW if they abuse it, it will lose the anti anxiety effects and they are very scared of that. Being anxiety free is much more important for them than trying to get high usually. Of course, different people react differently. Some will try to abuse everything.