I have a small pack of prescribed diazepam in my backpack in case I have a panic attack. Haven't used any of them so far, but just having them there makes me a lot less anxious.

That’s a classic strategy. I had a brief period of panic attacks that benzos really helped with that helped me gradually have less and less. I don’t particular like the feeling of the benzo, luckily, so it wasn’t appealing to take outside of acute need. My doctor did seem to want to monitor refills and asks me how often I take them (almost never now), so he was aware of the dependence issue. I do carry one around just in case, and very rarely, do in fact need it.

Same here with klonopin/clonazepam . I take .5mg max which is generally the starting dose, and very, very sparingly - like .5mg every few months max.

Benzos can absolutely decimate anxiety reliably - and half of my panic is the fear of not being able to control a panic attack (thus the self-feedback loop into panic). The amount I take only takes the edge off which is all I need, just knowing I have it is such a massive help at preventing panic attacks it's crazy.

My eventual treatment for my underlying anxiety was Lexapro. It's worked wonders. I can't say enough good things about it - as long as you stick with it. Old SSRI's are terrible, but newer ones work like they're supposed to. At least in my opinion.

SSRIs do not work for everyone. It's good that they work great for you.