After eleven and one half years on 3mg of xanax per day I started having break threw anxiety. Taking more was an unsustainable choice so I decided to slowly and gently discontinue the xanax. My GP added 50mg amitriptyline at bedtime and I was able to comfortable reduce my intake by half (to .5mg, three times a day) over the course of two years. I ran into trouble when I reduced to .5mg twice a day. It was horrendous and I only stayed at that dose for about 2 weeks. I ran into even bigger trouble when I went back up to my previous stable dose of 1.5mg a day and things stayed horrible. After researching the discontinuation of benzodiazepines online (and scaring the heck outta myself!) I found the Ashton Manuel's titration protocol. I discussed it with my doctor and we switched me to valium, 10mg three times a day. I was supposed to take a month to transition from one med to the other, valium slowly taking the place of xanax. But I ended up switching in a little over a week. It was such a relief! I think the longer half life of valium had a lot to do with ending the apparently continuous withdrawal I was in. After stabilize at 30mg tid for about three weeks I began lowering the dose by 2.5 grams every two weeks. After I reached 10mg per day, I slowed the reduction to 1mg every two weeks. I'm currently at 4mg per day. I started the titration June 20th and I'll be done in mid February. My doctor respects my decision, but also clearly thinks I'm taking a ridiculously long time. She also said that withdrawing from benzodiazepines is brutal and much worse than any opiate. And yet, despite our supposedly being on the same page regarding titration (Ashton Manuel!) she initially wrote for me discontinuing 30mg of valium in 1 month. As in, 5mg reductions every week! I think I would have been hospitalized. I have no idea what the rush was but after discussing the situation we continued on the schedule I described above. And here is my experience - benzo withdrawal does not have to be brutal. Mine hasn't been. In fact, it hasn't even been difficult. I'm convinced that is because I'm going at a very slow and measured pace, allowing my body/mind to adjust to each reduction. Traumatizing someone who already deals with debilitating anxiety with a rapid and agonizing withdrawal is downright cruel and certainly unnecessary. I wish everyone on this thread success, peace and serenity in 2019!