"my psychiatrist had me on 2mg xanax ir as needed daily. i have severe anxiety and had tried ativan, klonopin, valium, ect. none of them seemed to work. finally, i found that xanax did. unfortunately, xanax isn&#039;t a long-acting drug. i was finding that being on such a high dose of ir that i was having to take it even when i didn&#039;t need it for anxiety but just to keep from having withdrawals. i was miserable until i was prescribed 2mg xanax xr twice daily. it does pretty well to control my severe anxiety, racing thoughts, and ocd! i do still take 1mg xanax ir as needed if i&#039;m having a hard day with my anxiety or if i have a panic attack. all in all, i recommend trying this medication for treatment of moderate to severe anxiety disorders."