Ativan Addiction
Used in the treatment of anxiety, Ativan can cause a severe addiction. Unfortunately, once addicted to ativan, patients face the anxiety of withdrawal, and a level of anxiety that far exceeds what the drug was originally prescribed to remedy.
Ativan Addicts Psychologically and Physically
A member of the sedative anti convulsant class of drugs, ativan is the brand name of the drug Lorazepam, a benzodiazepine. People prescribed ativan for anxiety or even sleeping disorders may find that that with prolonged usage they develop a physical dependence to the drug. People who abuse ativan (take it for non medical reasons to get high) will find that in addition to a physical addiction, will need also deal with a psychological addiction to the pleasurable effects of the high.
Ativan Detox
Once addicted to ativan, you must not attempt an unsupervised detox. With physical addiction, your brain alters in functioning slightly. Ativan slows the activity level of the brain down considerably. The brain always strives to maintain equilibrium, and to compensate for this slowing substance, it becomes extra sensitive to other substances that would speed it up. What happens is that over time you need to take more ativan just to get the same reactions, and if you try to stop taking ativan suddenly, there is nothing to slow the brain down and it can race dangerously forward.
If you do not detox under medical supervision, you are at risk for tremors, incredible anxiety, insomnia, nausea, convulsions and even life threatening seizures. Always consult with your doctor prior to attempting to detox off of ativan. Your doctor may suggest a slow tapering down off of the drug, or may suggest that you undergo detox in a medical facility in a short period, and while taking prescription drugs to ensure the safety of the detox.
Ativan Drug Treatment
If you have been taking ativan to get high, you will need to deal with your psychological addiction as well. Dealing with the physical alone is rarely enough for lasting abstinence, and without some form of treatment most ativan abusers will quickly find themselves once again abusing ativan, or another drug of intoxication.
Fundamentally, you need to learn why you need to get high so much, and you need to learn what you can do to minimize those things in life that trigger cravings, and even what to do when you find yourself close to relapse. Many people find that therapies on an inpatient basis offer them the time of sobriety and the focus on healing that they need to get better.
You Can Get Better
You can better your addiction to ativan. You may need some help and you should never detox on your own, but you can learn what you need to ensure that your ativan addiction is your last addiction, and that you never need to go through this pain again.
