I went to my doctor and it went really well. I gave her a bulleted list with my symptoms. We talked about depression vs. anxiety and I told her I had been depressed in the past but did not feel so now. She suggested an anti-depressant (SSRI) for the anxiety plus xanax for short term help and also help with sleep. We also discussed Buspar. The anti-depressants are not my first choice so we decided to go with Buspar for daily, regular use and Xanax for intense situations where I need extra help and for help with sleep. She was really open to my concerns and said it is all trial and error anyway. And why not start with Buspar and see if that does the trick instead of jumping right into the world of SSRIs. I really felt it was a joint effort and she heard my concerns. It went well! So I just picked up my meds (total cost for both was only $2!!!!) and will start later today. The big downside for me is neither is supposed to be taken with grapefruit or grapefruit juice and I am a grapefruit-aholic. I have a grapefruit every morning for breakfast and more grapefruit at night. Guess I'll have to give that up.

Thanks everyone for your advice in this thread. I'm actually kind of excited to start these drugs. I've never done meds before and am curious to see their effect on me, which I hope will be good!