New therapy aims to wean seniors off risky anxiety pills

This small pilot study tested whether a brief cognitive behavioral therapy program could help older adults safely reduce their long-term use of benzodiazepine medications (like Xanax or Valium) for anxiety and insomnia. Researchers worked with 17 adults aged 55+ who were prescribed these medications by their doctors. The goal was to see if the therapy approach was practical and acceptable to participants while helping them taper their medication use.