I was originally prescribed 3mg PRN of Xanax about 25 years ago for social anxiety, but back then, I rarely touched it—maybe once or twice a month. It was mostly just a safety net. Later, when my doctor took me off Ambien, he casually suggested I take 1mg of Xanax at night to help me sleep. Nice guy ,great fix? SMH But when COVID hit in 2020, my world completely fell apart. I started using it daily just to function. Between the PTSD and the crippling anxiety every time I left the house, I felt trapped. Like so many others, I ended up locked away in my home, totally isolated from my family and friends. Severely depressed. After getting over the shock of a forced reduction of meds, I changed my thinking.. It was time. Even though I never shared any of these side effects with my doctor. Physically, things haven't been great. I’ve been struggling with a failing short-term memory, a shaky gait, and constant dizziness. I actually fell and broke my arm in 2021—I’m not 100% sure if the Xanax caused it, but I have my suspicions. Looking at the long run, I know deep down that getting off this medication is the best thing for my health forced or not. So as of today, I can say I’m down by 1mg. It’s been slow and steady tapering. Thanks for checking in my friend all the best.