I will say I recently bhad a solid month of alprazolam usage ( 3-4 bars a day, or 6-8mg daily). I used sporadically for about 6 months before this. Anyway.. after daily use, I had to start an outpatient program (not for xanax but it was related to a DUI), so naturally I had to quit taking alprazolam because of drug testing.
I was really scared b/c I had never withdrawn from it before. Luckily (thaink god) it was not that bad. I assure you, if I was on it for another month it woulda been unbearable.. but at the level I was at I was able to get through it relatively easy. I had what I considered a LOT of anxiety.. rebound hypertension.. my heart was like beating hard making it impossible to sleep. My body was just fucked.. like chills almost..hard to describe. Not like opiate withdrawals. Impossible to stay still though.. depression.. I was able to basically watch TV the whole time to get my mind off it..and I was able to follow the shows which goes to show you I was not hoirrlby in withdrawal.. cause you know whne its bad dope withdrawal you are just like rolling shitting pissing throiwn up on your self and shit.. I was not near this point.
Anyway.. after 6-9 days I was feeling like 80% recovered and starting to sleep better. Then things just got better and better. Since then (its been a year) I only take benzos when I get my monthly 30x 30mg temazpams (which I take pretty quick lol).
I was nowher enear seizure level (atleat I think..never had a seizure my self). How hard you are gonna withdraw depends mainly on two things.. how much you dosed, how frequently, and what time frame you used without a break i.e. a few weeks vs a few years in which case you would have no choice but to taper or you would likely die.