Health - Most effective benzo to combat Social Phobia + GAD?

[hemalitun]

SWIM has been diagnosed with both Social Phobia (primary) and Generalized Anxiety Disorder (secondary). SWIM's anxiety is most crippling -- approaching panic -- during specific social situations, but these episodes occur only periodically. SWIM also suffers from low-to mid-level anxiety (often about nothing in particular); though not as physiologically pronounced as their socially-related anxiety, it has proven just as burdensome, for it seems to never go away. Throughout the entire course of an "easy" day, SWIM feels as though their body is in a fight-or-flight mode, with feelings -- typically vague -- ranging from those generally uncomfortable (as good as it gets) to those of absolute physical crisis. SWIM describes an "easy" day as one without anxiety triggered by an uncomfortable social encounter, for such encounters can lead to full-blown panic attacks.

One self-defeating practice that contributes to SWIM's extreme day-to-day discomfort is their obsessive fear of fear: of a panic attack potentially occurring, or that their condition might be gradually worsening. SWIM thinks about their anxiety incessantly -- more or less all day, every day -- which surely can't help their predicament.

SWIM has cut out caffeine, nicotine, and all other stimulants from their diet; they exercise regularly and make sure to spend time with their dog (which SWIM finds relaxing). They have been practicing cognitive behavioral therapy, rather unsuccessfully, with a psychologist -- SWIM believes that the therapy might prove more effective if they were being treated with some sort of medication. Currently, SWIM self-medicates with opioids and benzodiazepines (specifically xanax and valium). They find the opioids to be most effective, followed by xanax; valium seems to hardly help at all.

To get to the point, SWIM expects to soon receive a prescription for some type of benzodiazepine to combat their anxiety, but wonders, given their specific symptoms (relatively infrequent but highly crippling panic attacks in certain social situations; generalized, incessant anxiety of mild to severe intensity), which benzo would likely produce the most effective results.

The shorter-acting benzos -- Xanax in particular -- work wonders for SWIM's short-term social anxiety, but once they wear off, SWIM is again left with persistent generalized anxiety of varying intensity. A longer-acting agent (such as ativan or klonopin) might suit SWIM's needs, but SWIM also wonders whether those medicines would be strong enough to adequately suppress their more severe anxiety in certain social situations.

Sorry for the long post and thanks in advance for your input and advice.