Benzos, xanax in particular, is great for anxiety and panic attacks. As a recreational, a ton of ppl dont like it because it isnt very euphoric and tends to make one sleep in higher doses. It also can cause amnesia and lead to inadvertent redosing, which, on a scale of good to bad, is bad. Your first xanax trip confirms what I'm writing about the amnesia. It does not take a heroic dose, or even beyond a bar (2mg) for this to happen in a non-tolerant person.
Opiates, in lower doses, to me, are similar to xanax in that they turn bad into good, or at least give you a pleasant 'i dont give a shit' mindset to your worries. Opiates are more euphoric to most everyone than benzos. Benzos wipe stress... and memory. Opiates are 'warmer', for lack of a better word.
The two posts above are on the money.