Xanax Withdrawal Help and advise please!!!

Hi all ive been taking xanax to get to sleep for about 2 years and am trying to get off of it i only ever took 1mg at night no more and for the last 2 months ive only been taking half a tablet and have been fine.

There are so many horror stories on the net about withdrawal from xanax it has really scared me.. I came across xanax by mistake and they have never been prescribed by a Gp or doctor i was just trying to get some help with sleeping problems and purchased them from Ebay listed as a strong herbal sleeping pill. at first because they worked i didnt care what i was taking as i had been struggling with insomnia for so long. after i while i did some research on the web and found out what xanax was this was about a year ago. Im worried i have developed a dependency. and am not sure if its safe just to stop taking now ive reduced my daily amount..

I do feel like an idiot for ever taking them now and just wish i went to my GP / doctor. you cant even get xanax prescribed in the UK so now i don't know what to do and really need some good advise

So you're taking 0.5mg now?
If you've been at that dose for two months now you'll be fine. You'll probably experience some mild discomfort/rebound anxiety/insomnia but you're not in any kind of danger. Those horror stories concern people on muh higher doses and who quit too suddenly. Don't worry

Try halving the half pill you are taking nightly for a week to 10 nights. Then try skipping a night for a week to 10 days. Then try stepping off. You will probably experience nighttime anxiety and insomnia for a little while so try to have some Benadryl or some antihistamine to try to relax you at night. Try not to freak out or read every symptom of withdrawal on the internet. You were on a relatively small dose for an extended period of time. I went through the same thing. It's frightening to consider coming off of them but you will be better off in the long run and happy you quit them. If you feel you need medical attention then by all means do so as what I told you is not medical advice. Best of luck.

HI Moderator yes ive been taking 0.5mg for two months now i have about 3 strips of tablets left that's why i started to panic. am determined NOT to get anymore..I think i need reassuring i will be ok as your mind can play tricks on you and make things worse. and your words are doing just tha,t many thanks for the advise

Thanks HCandKROD that seems very sensible

Just to add to what others have said, since you were on a relatively low dose you should not experience severe withdrawal symptoms. Like Pagey said, you will most likely have some rebound insomnia, discomfort, and rebound anxiety- but it should be tolerable. I do not recommend suddenly stopping, I recommend tapering. Take half of the 0.5mg pill until eventually you are taking 0mg. That way, the drug will leave your system gradually.