Hi bronson,
We are drifting off topic a little and I shall likely be thoroughly chastised for doing so (sorry guys

)
Apologies if my statement came over a little polorised I have no doubt of the relief from anxiety benzos can bring, I've used them myself, unfortunately not with your level of self control.
However the effect is very much a sticking plaster which merely masks the underlying issues of anxiety, it seems a crude and lazy way of treating the disorder to me. Some people may use them sensibly and utilise the breathing space they provide to improve their situation and address some of their underlying issues, but many will not.
They have been around so long now and prescribed so heavily that the medical profession are fully aware of the high chances of dependence, tolerance and side effects as well as the possibility of long term cognitive impairment. The risk profile against the possible benefits in long term use just don't stack up for me and I do think it is irresponsible for them to be prescribed for long term use.
Its very interesting to communicate with people in the US as the UK has pretty much stopped prescribing them for long term use so there is a cultural gap in the approach taken form one side of the pond to the other, that's not to say I think our medical profession are better or worse than in the US I would not be able to judge, I'm not a medical professional in any way.
Thank you for adding some balance to the thread