Hi Jeff, i just joined this forum today. I too suffer with extreme GAD. I had been taking 3 mg of Xanax a day and then it got so bad I went up to 4 mg a day sometimes even though I wasn't supposed to do that. Now this is week #2 of being back at 2 mg a day and every day I can pull this off is a triumph. I am hooked on this drug! I took BuSpar for GAD for 3 months and it did nothing to help me. I also suffer from insomnia too. I take 10 mg of Ambien a night. I don't think I have taken Venlafxine ER - is there a generic for that? I am really curious to hear more about that and should go Google it but I am too lazy right now. :) I was diagnosed with bipolar one 4 years ago and that totally screwed up my sleeping patterns. I just wondered if you may have bipolar (not to freak you out) but racing thoughts is a classic symptom of bipolar disorder. The worse your sleep is, the worse that condition becomes....you probably have discussed this with your psychiatrist but I thought I would bring it up all the same. Hope to hear from you soon. Take care and hang in there....Dyane