Ativan is the brand name for Lorazepam, a medication prescribed to treat various conditions from anxiety disorders to insomnia and epilepsy. Because of its great potency, it is categorised as long-acting benzo and is rarely prescribed for more than 4 months at a time. To alleviate withdrawal symptoms during alcohol detox, Lorazepam is routinely administered.
Lorazepam is a potent benzodiazepine with a high risk of abuse and addiction. Goofballs, Heavenly Blues, Stupefy, and simply Benzos are slang words for Lorazepam. Based on various factors, including genetics and personal history, taking Lorazepam for any length of time can develop physical and psychological dependence. People with a history of drug or alcohol misuse and those with untreated mental health issues are at a higher risk of developing a Lorazepam addiction.
Because of its sedative properties, this medication is a valuable choice for treating anxiety and panic attacks. It can also be used to treat seizures to some extent. As a result, it has previously been used to aid in managing alcohol withdrawal symptoms. Doctors are realising that Lorazepam and other benzodiazepines aren’t always the best option for alcohol withdrawal.
In the past years, benzodiazepine abuse and addiction have become major public health issues in the United Kingdom.
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It is categorised as a Class C narcotic under the Misuse of Drugs Act (1971) in the United Kingdom. Anyone caught illegally possessing or trafficking this substance will face legal consequences.
Lorazepam is mostly accessible as a pill, although it is also available as an injectable solution, a consumable liquid, and a skin patch. It can take up to 90 minutes to receive the full effect when taken orally. When injected, however, it works faster because the effect is usually felt in less than 15 minutes.
Lorazepam’s sedative impact lasts typically 6 to 12 hours. As a result, most doctors only ever prescribe two pills each day.
By definition, all benzodiazepines are sedatives. Lorazepam promotes muscle relaxation, stress reduction, drowsiness, and other effects via altering GABA and its receptor. They act by affecting GABA, a type of brain neurotransmitter. Lorazepam increases GABA availability in the brain. Simultaneously, it lowers the GABA receptor’s ability to respond to the neurotransmitter. The combined effect of both actions causes the drug’s sedative effects.
Addiction is a psychological condition in which a person continues to participate compulsively in behaviour while being aware of the negative consequences of that behaviour. Addiction is separate from but closely connected to dependence. In the case of lorazepam addiction, the behaviour in question is lorazepam ingestion (usually, at least initially, for the pleasurable effects it produces). Both disorders suggest that a person addicted to lorazepam will find it difficult, if not impossible, to stop taking it without assistance.
In popular perception, the terms “dependence” and “addiction” are frequently interchanged. Addiction is a psychological problem in which a person is compelled to repeat potentially harmful behaviour. In contrast, dependence is physical in which a person’s system becomes dependent on a particular chemical to function normally. These situations frequently occur together, but it’s crucial to remember that any can happen independently.
Because benzodiazepines are intrinsically addictive, long-term use can quickly lead to dependency. Most people are unaware when they have crossed the safety threshold because they utilise it frequently. Many begin as patients receiving the substance through a doctor’s prescription. When people who take Lorazepam daily stop taking it, they find they can’t function without it. Dependence may have set in at this stage.
According to a research titled ‘Evidence-Based Diagnosis in Primary Care: Practical Solutions to Common Problems,’ 40% of people addicted to benzodiazepines (such as Lorazepam) are completely unaware of their addiction.
If you use ‘benzos’ and find that they aren’t as successful as you expected, you’ll likely raise the dosage until you get the intended effect again. Increases in dosage without consulting a doctor are what constitutes abuse and, as a result, addiction.
Abuse and addiction do not only affect lawful users. Lorazepam is used recreationally and without a prescription. The following factors have been linked to such addictive behaviour:
Teenagers or university students may succumb to peer pressure and establish a habit resulting from repeated abuse.
What are the signs that you’re misusing Lorazepam? If you’re not sure, look for the following signs:
Those who abuse Lorazepam can suffer from significant behavioural changes. Favourite pastimes, family obligations, and vital connections are frequently overlooked in the pursuit of obtaining or consuming the substance. Some of the most common behavioural warning signs of Lorazepam abuse are listed below:
People who abuse prescription drugs like Lorazepam are prone to drug-seeking behaviours. Making several doctor appointments (a practice known as “doctor shopping”), exaggerating or faking anxiety symptoms, forging prescriptions, or lying about misplaced medicines are all examples of these behaviours. Once addicted, formerly honest and truthful people can engage in immoral or unethical acts such as lying, stealing, or selling drugs.
Withdrawing off lorazepam can be a painful affair with potentially dangerous side effects. Professional therapies follow a progressive withdrawal approach, which decreases the severity of withdrawal symptoms for a less stressful and safer detox.
Users who go to an outpatient or inpatient rehab centre will be medically supervised during withdrawal. As a result, consumers are less likely to give up cold turkey.
The severity of Lorazepam withdrawal symptoms varies from mild to severe. Anxiety and fear are among the first symptoms to appear. Headaches, increased heart rate and respiration, sweating, nausea, and vomiting are some of the physical symptoms that follow.
The severity of the symptoms gradually rose till they peaked between the 5th and 10th day. After that, they start to fade away. Prolonged withdrawal might cause more significant symptoms like tremors, memory loss, hallucinations, and depression in some people. In the most challenging situations of extended withdrawal, seizures, coma, and death are possible.
Addiction can have disastrous implications for a person’s physical and mental health due to a reduction in their quality of life and the mental and emotional difficulties that come with it. Long-term use of lorazepam, in particular, carries several health hazards, which are listed below.
When undesirable, many of lorazepam’s intended effects (such as its sedative, antianxiety, and muscle relaxant qualities) can be challenging to manage. The following are some of the most common lorazepam side effects:
Lorazepam is frequently used with other medicines to increase or counteract its sedative effects.
The following medicines are commonly used in conjunction with Ativan:
Lorazepam abuse over an extended length of time might lead to addiction. This can result in a variety of physical and mental health issues, ranging from co-occurring medical conditions to physically debilitating ailments, such as:
Lorazepam and other depressants, such as alcohol, might cause the body to shut down because they are both substances that slow down body functioning. Overdosing might result in unconsciousness or death in severe circumstances.
If a person takes more lorazepam than their system can handle, they may experience an overdose, which can be lethal. Overdosing on lorazepam can cause the following symptoms:
If any of these symptoms are noticed in someone who has recently swallowed lorazepam, call for help immediately.
Co-occurring disorders are a group of mental health issues arising from a person’s drug use. Some conditions are commonly used to diagnose an individual’s addiction behaviours.
People who abuse benzos like Lorazepam, for example, are more likely to abuse alcohol as well and therefore become alcoholics. When treating addicted patients, clinicians must consider a co-occurring disorder, sometimes known as dual diagnosis.
The following are examples of co-occurring disorders:
In cases of addiction, when the drug is no longer in the bloodstream, an individual experiences anxiety attacks, prompting them to seek and abuse the medication even more.
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Teenagers commonly use lorazepam for recreational motives rather than anxiety treatment. If a parent uses these medicines, it’s simple to get them. Many parents are unaware their children can falsify prescriptions or get these medications on the street.
The first euphoric feeling can easily lead to addiction as a young person tries to recreate the sensation repeatedly. Furthermore, many users are ignorant of Lorazepam’s addictive characteristics, and it’s generally too late when they realise it. If you take benzos for medical reasons, keep them out of reach of children.
substance abuse treatment generally progresses into rehab/therapy after withdrawal and detox, and it’s no different with Lorazepam addiction. As a technique of preventing relapse, rehab is followed by aftercare. Patients in rehab are exposed to various psychological treatments to prepare them for reintegration into society. Counselling methods such as cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and dialectical behavioural therapy (DBT) are used in many treatments. Treatment also includes group counselling and 12-step programs, among other things.
Addiction to Lorazepam involves both withdrawal and detox. It’s preferable to go through withdrawal and detox in a facility with qualified doctors and nurses on staff. Detox can take 5 to 10 days for the average Lorazepam user, but it can take up to 15 days for some, especially if they have to taper more carefully.
Prescription drugs and psychotherapy treatments are used in clinics to help patients get through the process safely.
Detoxification can help with the acute cravings of addiction, but without therapy, the underlying urges to use Lorazepam (or any other substance of abuse) are likely to stay unchanged. Addiction treatment is available in various ways and styles, and it can be done one-on-one or in a group environment.
The following are some of the therapies used in Lorazepam treatment:
CBT is a goal-oriented, short-term talking therapy that attempts to complete rather than leave treatment unfinished. CBT is different from counselling in that it can last as long as the therapist and the patient want it to. It is based on a set of objectives that the counsellor and the patient work through from one session to the next. Once all of the goals have been reached, the therapy is complete.
DBT is a talking therapy that helps people overcome emotional problems like substance abuse, addiction, behaviour disorders, and mental health difficulties. It is based on cognitive behavioural therapy and the premise of behaviours being linked to thoughts and emotions. DBT, however, was created with people with more complex needs in mind and those who experience strong emotions.
The 12-step programme is a type of addiction treatment in which patients are given a set of 12 stages to follow to recover from their addiction. These steps are meant to make the transition from acceptance to repairing your interpersonal relationships as smooth as possible.
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