Ativan is a medication that’s prescribed for anxiety, panic attacks and insomnia. It’s also sometimes used to treat seizures.
Ativan belongs to a class of drugs known as benzodiazepines. Benzodiazepines are often abused recreationally because they produce feelings of relaxation, euphoria and intoxication. Many people who abuse Ativan also abuse other drugs including alcohol, amphetamines and opioids.
Ativan is a drug that has been used to treat anxiety and sleep disorders for decades. The drug is in the benzodiazepine class of drugs, which means it works by enhancing the effects of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), a neurotransmitter in the brain. Benzodiazepines are also known as tranquilizers and sedatives, which helps explain why Ativan is prescribed to treat anxiety and insomnia.
Physical Dependence
Since Ativan is a benzodiazepine, it can cause physical dependence if taken over an extended period of time. Symptoms of physical dependence include tolerance (meaning you need more of the drug to achieve the same effect) and withdrawal symptoms when you stop using Ativan after using it regularly for an extended period of time (usually at least two weeks).
Physical dependence doesn’t always result in addiction, but if it does happen then addiction will likely follow soon after. In fact, according to a study published in the journal Addiction Behaviors: “In our sample nearly half of all patients receiving [benzodiazepine] therapy became dependent on that treatment within six months.”
Who Can Take Ativan?
If you’re considering taking Ativan, it’s important to know who can take this medication. The list of people who should avoid taking Ativan includes those with certain medical conditions and those who are pregnant or breastfeeding. You should also avoid taking Ativan if you have any other health conditions, especially those that make it difficult for you to metabolize drugs.
Who Shouldn’t Take Ativan?
If you have any of the following conditions, you shouldn’t take Ativan:
- Liver disease or hepatitis
- A history of drug abuse or addiction
- Kidney disease or renal failure
- Bipolar disorder, depression, or schizophrenia
If you’re pregnant or breastfeeding, it’s best not to take Ativan. The drug passes through breast milk and could potentially harm your baby if he or she drinks it. You also shouldn’t take Ativan if you have kidney disease or liver failure; because both conditions cause difficulty processing medications, it’s better to avoid Ativan altogether if one of these conditions applies to you.
Is Ativan Socially Acceptable?
Ativan, also known as Lorazepam, is a benzodiazepine that’s used by people for all sorts of things—from anxiety and panic attacks to alcohol withdrawal symptoms. It’s also used recreationally, which can be tempting because it can produce a euphoric high when taken in large doses. However, it’s not socially acceptable!
The main reason why Ativan is not socially acceptable has to do with the fact that it has been linked to overdose deaths. According to the CDC, approximately 194 people died from an overdose involving Ativan between 2016 and 2017. Though these numbers have gone down since then (to 168 deaths), they still represent a troubling trend
Another reason why Ativan is not socially acceptable is because it can cause tolerance over time—meaning you’ll need more and more of the drug to achieve the same effect as before. This can lead to dependence on Ativan and eventually addiction if you don’t stop taking it altogether eventually.
Is It Too Easy To Get Ativan?
If you’re taking Ativan for anxiety or panic disorders, the recommended dosage is 1mg per day. But if you’ve never been prescribed this medication before and you’re just buying it from a drug dealer in your neighborhood, you don’t know what dose you should be taking—and chances are, it’s not the right one for your needs.
This is why it’s so easy to get Ativan: The drug dealers who sell it don’t care if they’re providing the correct dosage—they just want to make money off of their clients’ addictions. And while they may know that they’re selling people more than they need, they don’t care because they know their clientele will keep coming back no matter what happens.
How Easy Is It To Get A Prescription?
If you’re looking for an answer to this question, you’ll have to look at two different factors: how easy it is for someone without an existing prescription to obtain one and how difficult it is for someone who already has a prescription but wants more pills than they need. The first part of this question will depend on where you live, as well as what kind of doctor you see. In some states, doctors are reluctant to prescribe any type of opiate or benzodiazepine because they want their patients to avoid becoming addicted if possible; however, other states require doctors to give out prescriptions.
Here’s Some Reasons Why You Should Try Ativan
When you feel like you’re going to pass out, or when you wake up in the middle of the night and can’t breathe, or when your anxiety is so bad that it’s making your heart race and your mind go blank—what do you do?
You could try Ativan. It’s a medication that can help with all of these symptoms and more!
Ativan works by decreasing the activity of certain chemicals in your brain. Specifically, it slows down the activity of GABA receptors. These receptors are responsible for regulating anxiety and sleepiness, among other things. So when they’re less active—as they are when you take Ativan—you’ll feel more calm, less anxious, and more rested.
This drug isn’t going to solve all your problems overnight—it’s not an instant cure-all for what’s bothering you—but it can help with some of the symptoms that make it harder for you to function normally on a daily basis.
Ativan is mainly used to treat:
- Panic disorder
- Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD)
- Social phobia
- Acute stress disorder (ASD)
8 Tips on How to Avoid Ativan Addiction
Ativan is a medication used to treat anxiety, insomnia, and other conditions. It’s a drug that can be addictive if you take it for long periods of time or in high doses. If you’re concerned about addiction to Ativan, here are some tips on how to avoid becoming addicted:
- Don’t take Ativan for longer than a couple of weeks without consulting your doctor. If you do, you may be at risk for addiction.
- Avoid taking Ativan if you have a history of substance abuse, anxiety disorders or depression.
- Don’t take Ativan in conjunction with other depressants like alcohol or benzodiazepines (Xanax). Combining these drugs can lead to respiratory failure and even death.
- Avoid taking Ativan if you’re pregnant or breastfeeding—it could harm your baby!
- Take your prescribed dose as instructed by your physician—don’t take more than that!
- Be aware of the side effects associated with Ativan use such as confusion, drowsiness, dizziness, fatigue and impaired judgment/coordination (which can lead to accidents).
- Don’t drive while under the influence of Ativan or any other medication—doing so could put yourself and others at risk for injury or death!
Don’t share your prescription with anyone else; doing so could result in an overdose or death for both parties involved! (This also applies if someone else has already taken their own dose for the day; don’t let them take yours because it could cause an overdose.)