I'm not trying to be judgmental, btw. there --are-- plenty of people who take benzodiazepines for a long time and don't have major problems. There are plenty of people who take benzodiazepines, do a gradual taper, and don't have major problems. Its just that these drugs can also cause problems for a lot of people, and doctors (not just the psychiatrists) tend to blame the problems that brought the patient in for treatment (or the patient himself/herself).

I'm also not trying to tell you what drugs to take, lol. Just throwing some ideas out there for you. I hope things work out for you.