It's a benzodiazepine so yes they do have a potential for abuse and dependence if used for long.. And your shortness of breath does not seem to be pulmonology related as the medicine given by the said doctor isn't usually for anxiety..

Short term use of Clonafit,unlikely to be habit  forming. But for your fear and negative thoughts,I would recommend to meet a Psychologist,preferably,Clinical Psychologist rather than drug management.

What you have is may be a condition called Sleep Apnoea.. Nothing to panic. You need further evaluation though for finding out the cause for it.. Treatment in any case is Positive Airway Pressure (PAP) for sleep disordered breathing like yours.. Clonazepam I'm afraid doesn't solve this problem though it isn't addictive.. Other oral Medications like Tryptomer 10-25mg at night may help. Like I said PAP is the treatment of choice and a good pulmonologist should help you with that..