"Future, You are NOT ADDICTED.
That is impossible on such a small dose. You may think you are but you are not.
If you are using Ativan to only correct an imbalance and nothing beyond that then you are not addicted.
These are ONLY addictive if one takes them to get a "high" or to be "sedated". THEN they can become addictive.
You are crying about nothing whatsoever.
How long have you been on this? My son takes 1 Mg. a day and has no addiction whatsoever, because he only uses it for anxiety, not to get high."
I had to respond to this post because it is a completely uneducated belief. You can become addicted to all anti-anxiety medication within a few days when only taking as little as one pill per day. Call your pharmacist to confirm this. I went through this experience last May..I was taking xanax .5 mg per day for 2 weeks. I became dependent on it for sleep, as every night I had to take one to knock me out..it seemed as though I was wide awake when it was time for bed...I had no idea why...So each night, I struggled to fall asleep and then had to take a xanax, because I had to work the next day. Over the next several days, my symptoms increased, my level of daytime anxiey increased 100-fold..I was extremely depressed and had thoughts of suicide. I called my Pastor to pray for me, as I didnt know what was wrong. I coulndt even go to work at this point. So then I began to read about xanax. The effects it causes on your brain and nervous system. Seems the doctors are not so ready to give out this information.. Please read this link reagarding benzodiazapines: <A HREF="http://www.breggin.com/benzodiazepine.pdf" TARGET=_blank>http://www.breggin.com/benzodiazepine.pdf</A> After I read this article I knew it was the drug inducing all of my symptoms. I tapered down then went cold turkey off the med in a period of 2 more weeks. The withdrawal was awful, I was awake for 2 days straight, but I knew that it was caused from the drug, and my only objective was getting it out of my system and out of my brain. These drugs work on the receptors in your BRAIN, not your adrenel glands, as I had always thought. There is human deficiency in xanax or lorazepam. I believe the only time this medication should be used is when you have a severe panic attack, not for daily use. Since I withdrew 7 months ago, I have been xanax free and I have never felt better. I knew that it was teh xanax that INCREASED my anxiety level, DEPRESSION, and insomnia. I just hope enough people can realize that they CAN overcome anxiety without medication!! I dont want anyone to go through what I did. Since then, I have noticed some memory loss, I have a difficult time concentrating at times, but I sleep like a baby now. I started taking L-Theanine and Magnesium every night before bed. I also began exercising and changed my negative thought habits. I have been anxiety free ever since. If your doctor wont help you withdraw, you can do it on your own. There is a wonderful book by Dr. Peter Breggin, called "Your Drug May Be Your Problem" I highly recommend it, it will help guide you through withdrawal and give you good information. Also read this link: <A HREF="http://www.benzo.org.uk/ashunfi.htm" TARGET=_blank>http://www.benzo.org.uk/ashunfi.htm</A>
I hope this helps.
Lorazepam addiction
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Guest
"Future, You are NOT ADDICTED.
That is impossible on such a small dose. You may think you are but you are not.
If you are using Ativan to only correct an imbalance and nothing beyond that then you are not addicted.
These are ONLY addictive if one takes them to get a "high" or to be "sedated". THEN they can become addictive.
You are crying about nothing whatsoever.
How long have you been on this? My son takes 1 Mg. a day and has no addiction whatsoever, because he only uses it for anxiety, not to get high."
I had to respond to this post because it is a completely uneducated belief. You can become addicted to all anti-anxiety medication within a few days when only taking as little as one pill per day. Call your pharmacist to confirm this. I went through this experience last May..I was taking xanax .5 mg per day for 2 weeks. I became dependent on it for sleep, as every night I had to take one to knock me out..it seemed as though I was wide awake when it was time for bed...I had no idea why...So each night, I struggled to fall asleep and then had to take a xanax, because I had to work the next day. Over the next several days, my symptoms increased, my level of daytime anxiey increased 100-fold..I was extremely depressed and had thoughts of suicide. I called my Pastor to pray for me, as I didnt know what was wrong. I coulndt even go to work at this point. So then I began to read about xanax. The effects it causes on your brain and nervous system. Seems the doctors are not so ready to give out this information.. Please read this link reagarding benzodiazapines: <A HREF="http://www.breggin.com/benzodiazepine.pdf" TARGET=_blank>http://www.breggin.com/benzodiazepine.pdf</A> After I read this article I knew it was the drug inducing all of my symptoms. I tapered down then went cold turkey off the med in a period of 2 more weeks. The withdrawal was awful, I was awake for 2 days straight, but I knew that it was caused from the drug, and my only objective was getting it out of my system and out of my brain. These drugs work on the receptors in your BRAIN, not your adrenel glands, as I had always thought. There is human deficiency in xanax or lorazepam. I believe the only time this medication should be used is when you have a severe panic attack, not for daily use. Since I withdrew 7 months ago, I have been xanax free and I have never felt better. I knew that it was teh xanax that INCREASED my anxiety level, DEPRESSION, and insomnia. I just hope enough people can realize that they CAN overcome anxiety without medication!! I dont want anyone to go through what I did. Since then, I have noticed some memory loss, I have a difficult time concentrating at times, but I sleep like a baby now. I started taking L-Theanine and Magnesium every night before bed. I also began exercising and changed my negative thought habits. I have been anxiety free ever since. If your doctor wont help you withdraw, you can do it on your own. There is a wonderful book by Dr. Peter Breggin, called "Your Drug May Be Your Problem" I highly recommend it, it will help guide you through withdrawal and give you good information. Also read this link: <A HREF="http://www.benzo.org.uk/ashunfi.htm" TARGET=_blank>http://www.benzo.org.uk/ashunfi.htm</A>
I hope this helps.
That is impossible on such a small dose. You may think you are but you are not.
If you are using Ativan to only correct an imbalance and nothing beyond that then you are not addicted.
These are ONLY addictive if one takes them to get a "high" or to be "sedated". THEN they can become addictive.
You are crying about nothing whatsoever.
How long have you been on this? My son takes 1 Mg. a day and has no addiction whatsoever, because he only uses it for anxiety, not to get high."
I had to respond to this post because it is a completely uneducated belief. You can become addicted to all anti-anxiety medication within a few days when only taking as little as one pill per day. Call your pharmacist to confirm this. I went through this experience last May..I was taking xanax .5 mg per day for 2 weeks. I became dependent on it for sleep, as every night I had to take one to knock me out..it seemed as though I was wide awake when it was time for bed...I had no idea why...So each night, I struggled to fall asleep and then had to take a xanax, because I had to work the next day. Over the next several days, my symptoms increased, my level of daytime anxiey increased 100-fold..I was extremely depressed and had thoughts of suicide. I called my Pastor to pray for me, as I didnt know what was wrong. I coulndt even go to work at this point. So then I began to read about xanax. The effects it causes on your brain and nervous system. Seems the doctors are not so ready to give out this information.. Please read this link reagarding benzodiazapines: <A HREF="http://www.breggin.com/benzodiazepine.pdf" TARGET=_blank>http://www.breggin.com/benzodiazepine.pdf</A> After I read this article I knew it was the drug inducing all of my symptoms. I tapered down then went cold turkey off the med in a period of 2 more weeks. The withdrawal was awful, I was awake for 2 days straight, but I knew that it was caused from the drug, and my only objective was getting it out of my system and out of my brain. These drugs work on the receptors in your BRAIN, not your adrenel glands, as I had always thought. There is human deficiency in xanax or lorazepam. I believe the only time this medication should be used is when you have a severe panic attack, not for daily use. Since I withdrew 7 months ago, I have been xanax free and I have never felt better. I knew that it was teh xanax that INCREASED my anxiety level, DEPRESSION, and insomnia. I just hope enough people can realize that they CAN overcome anxiety without medication!! I dont want anyone to go through what I did. Since then, I have noticed some memory loss, I have a difficult time concentrating at times, but I sleep like a baby now. I started taking L-Theanine and Magnesium every night before bed. I also began exercising and changed my negative thought habits. I have been anxiety free ever since. If your doctor wont help you withdraw, you can do it on your own. There is a wonderful book by Dr. Peter Breggin, called "Your Drug May Be Your Problem" I highly recommend it, it will help guide you through withdrawal and give you good information. Also read this link: <A HREF="http://www.benzo.org.uk/ashunfi.htm" TARGET=_blank>http://www.benzo.org.uk/ashunfi.htm</A>
I hope this helps.
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Guest
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Guest
So many different posters and different set of beliefs. But what is the truth?
My sons Psychiatrist has been practicing for over *30 years.
When I approached him with the question of addiction he said that Ativan is only addictive if one takes it for nothing more than a "sedative" like affect or a "high". Then as one poster said (correctly)above they begin to "want more and more".
THAT is an addiction.
IF Ativan is used ONLY to correct an imbalance, or, bring one up to where "they should be anyway", or "ought to be" then it is NOT addictive. Period.
My sons Psychiatrist said his firm uses alot of Ativan with absolutely NO addictions. Period.
Believe it or not if you get TOO LITTLE Ativan it can cause anxiety equally as well. It has to be adjusted for each individual.
Future is NOT ADDICTED. He/she may THINK they are but they are not. Now, if he LIKED what he was feeling and wanted more and more of Ativan THEN he might have a problem.
My son has come off of his for DAYS with no problem whatsoever. An Ativan only has a 24 hr. shelf life BTW.
My sons Psychiatrist has been practicing for over *30 years.
When I approached him with the question of addiction he said that Ativan is only addictive if one takes it for nothing more than a "sedative" like affect or a "high". Then as one poster said (correctly)above they begin to "want more and more".
THAT is an addiction.
IF Ativan is used ONLY to correct an imbalance, or, bring one up to where "they should be anyway", or "ought to be" then it is NOT addictive. Period.
My sons Psychiatrist said his firm uses alot of Ativan with absolutely NO addictions. Period.
Believe it or not if you get TOO LITTLE Ativan it can cause anxiety equally as well. It has to be adjusted for each individual.
Future is NOT ADDICTED. He/she may THINK they are but they are not. Now, if he LIKED what he was feeling and wanted more and more of Ativan THEN he might have a problem.
My son has come off of his for DAYS with no problem whatsoever. An Ativan only has a 24 hr. shelf life BTW.
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Guest
Future, I would tend to think you aren't physically addicted to the Lorazepam since you've managed to already cut the dose in 1/4 and didn't mention any adverse effects. I would suspect that you are going on your feelings of fear and/or anxiety and that the Lorazepam is still helping in that regard. I'd also give your Psychiatrist the benefit of the doubt in possibly observing this, which may be why he didn't want you off of it, just yet. What I would suggest is going back to the psychiatrist and ask him for a plan to wean you off the Lorazepam and build up your coping skills to replace it. If he refuses, then try to find another psychiatrist that you are comfortable with. And to continue working with the program to build up the coping skills.
I don't think I've heard anyone, in about 20 years or so, claim that to become addicted to something you had to get "high" from it. Although that is the common "old school" kind of thinking.
FWIW, I always think people should read all they can on the medicines they take or are going to take. <A HREF="http://www.rxlist.com" TARGET=_blank>www.rxlist.com</A> is one good site to look at. But, keep in mind that those of us that are good at worrying can read about the side effects and psychosomatically bring them upon ourselves.
I don't think I've heard anyone, in about 20 years or so, claim that to become addicted to something you had to get "high" from it. Although that is the common "old school" kind of thinking.
FWIW, I always think people should read all they can on the medicines they take or are going to take. <A HREF="http://www.rxlist.com" TARGET=_blank>www.rxlist.com</A> is one good site to look at. But, keep in mind that those of us that are good at worrying can read about the side effects and psychosomatically bring them upon ourselves.
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Guest
Fallingapart,Originally posted by fallingapart:
[qb]Hi there,
You CAN indeed by addicted to your med, regardless of the strength. My husband is in the field of pharmacy and can very well vouch for the highly addictive nature of these drugs. I myself have been taking Xanax and Clonopin (also benzodiazepines- like Lorezepam) and was only taking .25s. I didn't even take it every day and my body got used to it. I have had a VERY difficult time adjusting. There are many websites that explain what benzo addiction and withdrawal symptoms are. The bottom line is that everyone is different. Body weight also plays into the picture. Anyway- I do agree that you should find a new psych, good luck to you- you CAN do it![/qb]
No-one ever said they are not addictive. They indeed can be addictive if used improperly. But used properly, they are not.
I believe even your husband would acknowledge that.
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Guest
Well, the truth is that people who become addicted usually "like" what they are feeling, at least momentarily. I have known addicts. For that matter I just had a brother who died from heroin addiction about 2 months ago.I don't think I've heard anyone, in about 20 years or so, claim that to become addicted to something you had to get "high" from it. Although that is the common "old school" kind of thinking
Yes, he like the "high" he was getting. THAT is a *fact.
Now, in other ways it may depend. For instance I accidently took about 0.25 gram of my sons Ativan by mistake thinking it was my blood pressure medicine. They look just alike.
Anyway, I felt real "calm" and actually pretty good. I was wondering what made me feel so calm and discovered what I had done. Now , if I wanted to I could ACTUALLY become ADDICTED if I continued, but my reason for taking Ativan would be because I liked what I felt. I would not be taking it to correct an imbalance but to "feel good". In time, I would find myself wanting more and more, and then *bingo* a possible, if not surely, addiction.
My son, on the other hand, might have some anxiety preventing him from doing schoolwork or even leaving the house, or a panic attack. In THAT case he would take it to bring him up to "normal levels", where he ought to be anyway, which would result in a non-addiction, just a "correction" of a problem.
There IS a difference.
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Again, I can promise you, Future is NOT addicted. He only THINKS he is.Originally posted by sunset34:
[qb]Future,
If you believe you are addicted to your med then you are probably addicted. Only you know whether or not you are having a hard time getting off of it and how it's effecting you.
According to Merriam-Webster:
Addicted means- " to devote or surrender (oneself) to something habitually or obsessively"
One of the risks with medication is that some people do become dependent upon it even after they have learned the skills. Part of recovery is learning to face your feelings and learning to use the skills to cope with your feelings. Recovery is about coming to the realization that feelings cannot hurt you and that it's OKAY to have a panic attack.
If you are still afraid of your feelings and still afraid of a panic attack then you are not fully recovered.
I highly recommend that you review the tape "truth about medication and alcohol" in the program and then find a doctor that has YOUR best interests at heart.
Tapering off of Benzos can be very dangerous. Please only do this under the supervision of your doctor and/or with the help of a qualified pharmacist. They do sell pill cutters at the pharmacy so you can taper off as slowly as you like.
I also encourage you to work on the phobia of being without the med. Take baby steps by going small distances without it and slowly increase your distance and length of time every day. Overcoming your emotional attachment to the meds will take some time and patience. Use your skills just as before.
Future...I am thinking and praying for you and your recovery. You can do anything you want to do with education, practice and endurance !!!![/qb]
Even the Dictionary term you quoted speaks of a "habitual" habit. In other words they are STRONGLY compelled, and just can't seem to live without it. Alcoholism is the same way.
I think his doctor knows this as well.
Jimp,
Isn't it a habit for Future to take his med with him everywhere, all the time for fear of being without them? This is what he is talking about. Not the need for getting "high" !!!! Please understand that there is a difference between someone who is addicted to the drug than someone who is addicted to keeping the medication with them all the time and the fear of being without them.
I think it's also important to recognize that people are different and not all people are as sensitive as others. Some people do become addicted by accident, not because they like a "high" feeling. The proof is in those people who walk the earth today. Is it wrong to believe that some people have a harder time getting off these drugs than others ? I believe you are being unreasonable in your ideas in thinking that people who are addicted to benzos are addicted because they are "high" or "like the feeling". It's possible and probable that people who become addicted are on the drug for longer than 4 months after they didn't need them anymore ( but their doctor was too uneducated to realize).
I believe that if Future is concerned about being addicted and feels that he/she is then it's a problem that he/she needs to deal with it seriously.
I can understand why you wouldn't want to believe that there is a risk of addiction, especially accidental, and without knowing. It's scary to think that it could happen at all, but the truth is that it does.
Future should take whatever action he/she feels will help them.
Addiction doesn't necessarily mean "physical" addiction but it can also mean "pschological" addiction. Whether or not Future is addicted is up to Future.
We know how you feel and what you believe about this subject, please let it go. You've made your point and there is no need to argue differences in this thread.
Isn't it a habit for Future to take his med with him everywhere, all the time for fear of being without them? This is what he is talking about. Not the need for getting "high" !!!! Please understand that there is a difference between someone who is addicted to the drug than someone who is addicted to keeping the medication with them all the time and the fear of being without them.
I think it's also important to recognize that people are different and not all people are as sensitive as others. Some people do become addicted by accident, not because they like a "high" feeling. The proof is in those people who walk the earth today. Is it wrong to believe that some people have a harder time getting off these drugs than others ? I believe you are being unreasonable in your ideas in thinking that people who are addicted to benzos are addicted because they are "high" or "like the feeling". It's possible and probable that people who become addicted are on the drug for longer than 4 months after they didn't need them anymore ( but their doctor was too uneducated to realize).
I believe that if Future is concerned about being addicted and feels that he/she is then it's a problem that he/she needs to deal with it seriously.
I can understand why you wouldn't want to believe that there is a risk of addiction, especially accidental, and without knowing. It's scary to think that it could happen at all, but the truth is that it does.
Future should take whatever action he/she feels will help them.
Addiction doesn't necessarily mean "physical" addiction but it can also mean "pschological" addiction. Whether or not Future is addicted is up to Future.
We know how you feel and what you believe about this subject, please let it go. You've made your point and there is no need to argue differences in this thread.
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Guest
I will say again that Future is NOT addicted.Originally posted by sunset34:
[qb]Jimp,
Isn't it a habit for Future to take his med with him everywhere, all the time for fear of being without them? This is what he is talking about. Not the need for getting "high" !!!! Please understand that there is a difference between someone who is addicted to the drug than someone who is addicted to keeping the medication with them all the time and the fear of being without them.
I think it's also important to recognize that people are different and not all people are as sensitive as others. Some people do become addicted by accident, not because they like a "high" feeling. The proof is in those people who walk the earth today. Is it wrong to believe that some people have a harder time getting off these drugs than others ? I believe you are being unreasonable in your ideas in thinking that people who are addicted to benzos are addicted because they are "high" or "like the feeling". It's possible and probable that people who become addicted are on the drug for longer than 4 months after they didn't need them anymore ( but their doctor was too uneducated to realize).
I believe that if Future is concerned about being addicted and feels that he/she is then it's a problem that he/she needs to deal with it seriously.
I can understand why you wouldn't want to believe that there is a risk of addiction, especially accidental, and without knowing. It's scary to think that it could happen at all, but the truth is that it does.
Future should take whatever action he/she feels will help them.
Addiction doesn't necessarily mean "physical" addiction but it can also mean "pschological" addiction. Whether or not Future is addicted is up to Future.
We know how you feel and what you believe about this subject, please let it go. You've made your point and there is no need to argue differences in this thread.[/qb]
BUT, IF he feels he actually is then he should go to drug rehab or Glenn-Beigh for help. I'm sure he will get a nice welcome as they "roll their eyes" once they hear of his little dilemma. They'll probably tell him to go back to his doctor like they did the first time.
0.25 Mg. of Ativan is so small that if 2 year old Mary took it it would probably just "keep her from taking Johnies favorite toy". :p
I think that Future is obsessing over his med and just doesn't like what his doctor is telling him.
Fine.
Then he only has a few choices:
#1--Lucindas course
#2--A new doctor
#3--Glenn-Beigh
#4--Drug rehab