i'm a firm believer in a conservative approach to everything and i don't feel that a diagnosis of an anxiety disorder necessarily requires medication. it may require medication but first i believe other things should be attempted. first i think you should look at any stress you may have in your life because there may be something that is causing you stress and which can be bringing this on. have you considered what might be happening in your life lately? remember stress builds up over time so it may be something that has been something about which you were unaware as to how much it was affecting you. the medication you were given although originally formulated to treat depression is now used for panic attacks. since anxiety and panic attacks usually also have a component of depression these medications have been found effective. there are of course other older medications which can be just as effective. it looks like your doctor was providing "bridge therapy" which means he was providing the xanax to help you until the other medication was fully effective. research indicates that panic disorder may happen as we reach later midlife even though we've never had them before. this may be a function of our changing biology and nothing more. it may also however reflect the change in stressors in our life as we age. for that reason i suggest you look at your lifestyle and see if there might be something that is distressing for you i've been dealing with panic disorder; officially since 1976. i'm not sure there is just one singular cause of it period. it could be in your diet the air or even the water we drink. something triggers the flight / fight syndrome when there doesn't seem to be a reason for it. something is activating the adrenal glands. i do think stress; while it's hard to tell if you're under stress sometimes will cause the episodes or make them more intense. dealing with this issue; when you're new to it can cause much stress. i've been on benzodiazepines on and off since 1976. i’ve been more on meds over the last 25 years than off. your medication doses may need adjusted but anti depressants tend to give you a boost or make you feel weird; which can kick in an attack. try looking for more holistic approaches to feeling better like change your diet see it if helps. exercise try meditation reading or listening to your favorite music and breathing exercises help a lot. the medication; should you stay on it long will eventually need changes to another type or a higher dose. my panic was so bad; i had to open my own company to stay at home whenever i had to. it usually comes and goes; as they say waxes and wanes. usually it has other phobias which develop as well. you want to steer clear of people and places which you think cause the attacks. i don't know that they will ever disappear; however they should diminish in frequency and intensity. best of luck and work on your end helps a lot!
my primary doctor diagnosed me with anxiety disorder and prescribed xanax and zoloft. why do i still have panic attacks?