You are not alone. I could have had a xanax problem as in- I was prescribed it before I became an alcoholic and i really really liked it. I wouldnt go so far as to say I abused it but I definitely misused it. Personally I feel that short acting benzos are a lot harder to manage. They work great for panic attacks but for maintaining anxiety while not being impaired- its tough with meds like xanax and ativan. Many people do fine on them but you really have to examine why you are taking each pill. Is it habit, avoidance of feelings, an attack, being bored? I myself have a small prescription for valium. My doctor chose valium because of the long half life. I am able to keep it in check because my dose is 1/2 a pill and I get 10 a month. So S**t has to be really bad for me to take them. It all comes down to whether you want to make the effort to come off of them or not. If you take more than prescribed you will run out and run the risk of withdrawal seizures. Many people take klonopin which also has a long half life. Do you want to stop the xanax? Its ok if you dont want to. I dont believe you can cut down unless its part of a weaning plan. Otherwise you may just take as much as you think you need vs what you actually need.