Managing diazepam when "emergencies" come too ofte

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First off, my actual question, followed by an explanation and details on the situation: how often can I take diazepam (I have 10 mg pills) without risking, at best, a level of tolerance that makes it stop working properly or, at worst, addiction? Can I take one pill a week without a high risk? Half a pill twice a week? Should I stick to once per two weeks? I know that the general advice is "as rarely as possible" and I do my best to follow that, but things are so bad recently that I want to know what my strictest limit ought to be. If it gets so bad that I feel I need to go over that limit, I'll just take a few days off and my boss can deal with it.

I have a supply of diazepam (valium) and I always keep them on hand for use during emergencies. Generally I try to make a rule of not taking them more than once a month, and often I am able to go longer. Lately things have changed. My job is getting suddenly more and more stressful. I have horrible hypersensitivity issues and am prone to meltdowns if I don't have enough "quiet time" in my life. I work at a preschool and the kids we have are more violent, aggressive, and loud than any others I've ever seen. I asked my boss to reduce my hours months ago and she agreed, but nearly every week there's a need for me to stay extra because some other teacher didn't show up. It has become a terrible place to work and I (along with several others) have started looking for a new job starting next school year.

Hopefully I will find a new job, in which case I only need to survive until the end of June. Otherwise I suppose I'll have to see a doctor about starting some long-term medication, but I'm desperate to avoid that. I've taken drugs like that before and I hated it. I can manage without medication as long as I am able to keep my stress levels down, which I was always able to do until recently.

Anyway, assuming I manage to find a new job for next school year, I need to keep myself under control for a few more months under incredibly stressful circumstances. Today I started crying during our normal "circle time" - there was nothing exceptionally difficult about this situation, I've just been way over my limit for so long (weeks now) that even the tiniest noises were setting me off. So I took a diazepam tablet (10 mg) and within 20 minutes I was okay. The sounds quieted down, the stress melted away. I played with the kids. I laughed and joked and had a nice time. I'm hoping that the effect will last for at least another day and get me to the weekend, but it's possible tomorrow will bring me right back to square one.

Whence comes the question, how often can I take these pills without it becoming really dangerous?

Thanks guys.

one a day at the most
once you start taking more than one day everyday you will start running into a problem
avoid taking it everyday though

I have been told before 2 days on, then one day off. But I worry if this is not true. I'd love to know a more certain answer also.

I think that's something you should probably ask your doctor or pharmacist. We're not really trained for that, and your case might be unique, meaning the answer for you would be different from the general one.

When you ask, tell your doctor why you are needing it more often--and how often that is, for example, "I usually need it only about once a month, but lately it's been as often as twice a week." Explain why you are being exposed to more stress than usual, and explain that you are worried about developing a tolerance to the medication.

You might also ask about other options for managing stress; it seems that the trouble you're having now is more than what you can deal with currently, so you need to learn more ways of dealing with it.

I know the first answer is always to ask a doctor, and of course that is the most reliable option. But I don't have a doctor and my insurance doesn't cover anything outside the emergency room, so I'm hoping to get a general answer even though I know every case is different. From the answers I've gotten so far it seems I'm well within a safe range, taking it no more than once every week or two. I've decided not to go any further than that - if I feel I really can't handle work unless I take more, I will take a day or two off "sick" instead. I won't get paid for those days but at least I'll have my sanity.

I do have one friend who took too many benzos and ended up with terrible side-effects for years afterwards, so he keeps telling me I should never, ever, ever touch those pills. I think they have their place and their use, as long as I'm careful to use them only for emergencies. I have read that even using them as directed by a doctor can easily result in addiction and side effects, because they are really only to be used short-term and not as a permanent or long-term solution to anxiety problems.

Hopefully I'll get a new job for the next school year, in which case I only need to survive another two and a half months. If, however, I'm stuck in this place for longer, or my problems don't get better in a new job, then I will dig the money out of my savings to see a doctor about a longer-term option. Thanks for the advice so far. I'm still interested in any other info you guys might have.