Alprazolam depresses the nervous system, letting you relax, that's why is is nice. Our bodies do it naturally though, some better then others. The problem with it is that it tells the body not to do it naturally any more, so it's not that you become addicted, it's that you reach a point where you actually need it, more so then to the one who has just started who can't settle down. I can totally understand how alprazolam can take over your life, in a flash, in the snap of a finger, right before your eyes, and you wouldn't even know it.