Ativan Recovery
Recovering from any form of substance use disorder or addiction is difficult but a few drugs can make the process especially hard. Ativan is one of those drugs. As a central nervous system depressant, Ativan disrupts critical processes to the point where serious problems can develop when drug use stops. Ativan recovery is designed to provide you with the level of support you need to make it through detox and live a drug-free life.
What Does Ativan Do?
Ativan belongs to a class of drugs known as benzodiazepines or benzos, which are sedatives. Like most sedatives, Ativan acts on your body’s central nervous system (CNS), slowing down the chemical activities that regulate CNS activities. It does this by stimulating GABA production. GABA is one of several chemical messengers that transmits information throughout the brain and CNS.
GABA’s effects work to slow down chemical and electrical activity in the brain. For these reasons, Ativan is commonly used to treat anxiety, panic attacks, insomnia, and seizures. Unfortunately, your body can only tolerate Ativan’s effects for so long before serious problems start to take shape. Through Ativan recovery, key treatment supports are used to help you undo the harmful effects of the drug on your body and mind.
Treating Ativan Abuse & Dependence
A dependence on Ativan can develop within a week’s time regardless of whether you’re taking it as prescribed or using it on a recreational basis. While each person’s body responds differently, the way this drug interacts with the brain’s chemical system makes it likely that dependence will develop. If you’ve only been using Ativan for a short time, treatment for dependence is designed to help you make it past the withdrawal symptoms that develop when Ativan use stops.
Withdrawal symptoms that develop may include:
- Headaches
- Panic attacks
- Trouble sleeping
- Irritability
- Anxiety
- Shakiness
- Depression
Ativan withdrawal effects tend to be extremely uncomfortable, which can make it hard to stop using this drug. Also, as your brain and CNS try to function in the absence of the drug, rebound symptoms may develop. Rebound symptoms are the same symptoms a person experienced before starting the drug, such as anxiety, insomnia, or panic attacks. The only difference is rebound symptoms tend to be more severe than before, making it that much harder to stay off the drug. This aspect of benzo recovery requires medical care and treatment.
The Effects of Ativan Addiction
Addiction, of any kind, takes the form of an out-of-control compulsion that consumes a person’s life. When Ativan is the drug involved, addiction can quickly become a death sentence. According to the Journal of Public Health, benzodiazepine mortality rates increased by 500 percent between the years 1996 and 2013. Not unlike today’s opioid epidemic, drugs like Ativan have become a menace all their own.
Along with the dangerous physical effects of Ativan abuse, addiction attacks your mind, particularly your ability to think and act, rationally. In effect, chronic Ativan abuse not only disrupts the brain’s chemical system but also warps the physical structures that make up the brain and CNS. Ativan addiction recovery entails helping you see the effects of addiction in your life and develop coping strategies that support a drug-free lifestyle. As easy as it may seem to stop taking Ativan and bearing the brunt of withdrawal, the aftereffects of Ativan quickly tell a different story. In fact, stopping Ativan abruptly can bring on serious, and even frightening symptoms that send you running back to the drug. Some of these symptoms may include: Your Ativan recovery needs will depend on the types of supports it will take to keep you from returning to drug use. Each person’s needs are different so it’s important to try to be honest about how bad a problem Ativan abuse has become in your daily life. Here are just a few of the types of treatments provided through Ativan addiction recovery: A full-blown withdrawal from Ativan can leave behind serious damage to the brain and central nervous system. Medical detoxification uses withdrawal medications to gradually wean the brain off Ativan’s effects and prevent potential damage. The type of medication used will depend on your particular treatment needs. A few of the medications used include: Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors or SSRIs – to treat anxiety Whenever you repeat a behavior over a period of weeks or months, the brain develops not only a memory for the behavior but a desire to engage in it. Ativan abuse not only produces a behavioral effect but also causes physical dependence, which reinforces the behavior. For these reasons, behavioral treatment is a big part of Ativan addiction recovery. A few of the interventions used in behavior-based treatment include: More often than not, people in Ativan recovery require ongoing support to stay engaged in the recovery process. In cases of addiction, drug cravings, and the triggers and cues that prompt drug-using urges don’t just go away when you complete rehab. Ongoing supports, such as regular support group meeting attendance, ongoing counseling, and psychotherapy help you continue to develop drug-free lifestyle habits and avoid untimely relapses.
Your Recovery Needs
Medical Detoxification
Behavioral Treatments
Ongoing Supports
Important Considerations
If you or someone you know struggles with Ativan abuse or addiction, the need for treatment cannot be ignored. Repeated attempts to stop using Ativan on your own will only make the recovery process more difficult. Serious medical and mental health problems can also develop as an Ativan addiction worsens. Not only that, but there’s a very real risk of developing brain damage when going through withdrawal without needed medical detox supports. In other words, the sooner a person takes steps to get rehab help the better.
Sources:
- medlineplus.go – Lorazepam
- ajph.aphapublications.org – Increasing Benzodiazepine Prescriptions and Overdose Mortality in the United States, 1996–2013
- https:///doi/full/10.2105/AJPH.2016.303061
- 3 – National Institute on Drug Abuse, “Principles of Drug Addiction Treatment: A Research-Based Guide”
- https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/principles-drug-addiction-treatment/evidence-based-approaches-to-drug-addiction-treatment/behavioral-therapies
- 4 – Sunshine Behavioral Health, “Ativan Rehab Centers”
- https://sunshinebehavioralhealth.com/benzodiazepine/ativan/
Medical disclaimer:
Sunshine Behavioral Health strives to help people who are facing substance abuse, addiction, mental health disorders, or a combination of these conditions. It does this by providing compassionate care and evidence-based content that addresses health, treatment, and recovery.
Licensed medical professionals review material we publish on our site. The material is not a substitute for qualified medical diagnoses, treatment, or advice. It should not be used to replace the suggestions of your personal physician or other health care professionals.
