Xanax (generic name: alprazolam) is a very popular, both in medical and social circles, pill that falls into the general category of anti-depressants, its basic use being anxiolytic & hypnotic. It falls under the umbrella term for similar drugs called benzodiazepines.

Usually prescribed for:

• Anxiety disorder characterized by unrealistic fears and excessive worries.
• Panic Disorder, sometimes accompanied by fear of open spaces (agoraphobia).
• Also for the temporary symptoms of alcohol withdrawal, depression, fear of strangers, irritable bowel, and premenstrual syndrome. Dosage varies.
• To treat fibromyalgia, in low doses. Guaifenesin has also been proven, however inexplicably, to treat fibromyalgia.
• To replace one addiction, such as alcohol dependency, with a new additon to Xanax. This particular drug treatment is often employed by drug rehabilitation hospitals/hospices, usually largely due to ignorance as an addiction to Xanax is really no different than addiction to alcohol.

The most common side-effects include drowsiness, fatigue, light-headedness, or speech problems, whereas any other side-effects should be reported to the doctor immediately. When combined with alcohol it can bring about listlessness which could even end in fainting, but in most cases it will result in problems with balance (i.e., you fall down a lot) along with slight to moderate judgement impairment.

Be aware that the little violet pill called Xanax is highly addictive, and once you take it you have to undergo a three-week process of gradually reducing the dosage to hook off.

Xanax is known to have replaced Valium in the shelves of legal drug addicts worldwide, as well as rumoured to be sold in rave parties and on the drugs blackmarket as a downer.