Dangers of Lorazepam Abuse
Lorazepam is classified as a Benzodiazepine. Lorazepam interrupts the neurons in the brain that release dopamine forcing them to expel more than the brain should normally permit. This feel good, anxiety stopping drug gives an individual a powerful sense of euphoria when it is abused; consequently, it commonly promotes individuals to want to have more.
Lorazepam is a commonly prescribed medication given to people who suffer from extreme anxiety or insomnia. While it is not usually given to treat long-term conditions, there are those who continue to take it and end up with a Lorazepam addiction due to its powerful effects. There are individuals who started using Lorazepam without a prescription. They may have got it from a friend or bought it from a dealer off the streets to relive stress and relax.
Individuals like this have the same chances of becoming addicted to Lorazepam if they keep taking the drug to escape reality as people who get it from a doctor. Lorazepam is not a drug that someone takes for fun a few times and never thinks about it again. Don’t put it in your head that the drug is safe because a doctor prescribed it- it is still highly dangerous and addictive.
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Street Names for Lorazepam
If you are concerned a loved one is abusing Lorazepam but not totally sure, if possible, listen in on their conversations and see if he or she is using code names for the drug such as: Benzos, Candy, Tranks, Sleeping Pills, Downers.
Doctors always recommend that you go through withdrawal with medical supervision.
Lorazepam Effects
Lorazepam slows down the neurological activity. This calms users down and gives them a high feeling. When Lorazepam enhances the feel-good chemicals, the brain stops making its own supply of the same chemicals and build a tolerance to the drug. Some effects of taking Lorazepam are clumsiness, drowsiness, memory problems, confusion, slurred speech, slowed heart rate, severe weakness and difficulty breathing. If a Lorazepam abuser was to keep using the drug and ignoring the signs and symptoms the effects are just going to get worse and potentially dangerous. Some of the long-term side effects of taking Lorazepam are dementia, problems speaking, decrease in motor skills, profound memory loss, changes in blood pressure, coma and even death from overdose.
Warning signs of Lorazepam abuse in a loved one
Lorazepam is a dangerous drug that has a high potential for addiction. It will make the users feel at peace with the world and very relaxed. After time, the effects could reverse and they could get angry and mean. If you are concerned a loved one is abusing Lorazepam and not sure to look out for, don’t be scared. Your loved one’s symptoms will be easy to spot with the right information. Here are some common signs of Lorazepam abuse:
If your loved one is abusing Lorazepam, he or she might be acting sneaky. He or she is going to do everything to hide the addiction from you. This could cause him or her to always be quiet around you or always have the door locked so he or she hears you coming.
Lorazepam is prescribed for anxiety and insomnia. When people use are using it for fun, it will cause them to become very tired. This, in turn, can cause your loved one to be napping more than usual or nodding off in the middle of a conversation.
If your loved one is getting Lorazepam on the streets, he or she is going to be blowing through money to support the habit. The pills are expensive and he or she might result in stealing money or valuables from you to support their addiction.
Factual Dangers: Lorazepam
If your loved one has become addicted to Lorazepam, don’t give up, help him or her fight through it. Addiction is a disease that takes many people’s lives and your loved one can become this statistic if he or she doesn’t understand help is available. Your first step is to make sure he or she is really abusing so you know how to approach the situation. If you are not sure what Lorazepam abuse looks like, here are some signs and symptoms of Lorazepam abuse:
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True Stories of Addiction: Casey Finds Treatment
Casey fell into addiction and she almost lost her life due to a drug like Lorazepam. She ended up finding worth in herself and found recovery. – View all episodes now
Lorazepam Rehab Treatment
Lorazepam addiction has the potential to take everything in life from you. It could have already taken everything from you and you could feel like you are not worth living anymore. No matter how far down the scale you have got, there is always an opportunity to build yourself up. If you are done fighting your addiction to Lorazepam, you will need to find a rehabilitation center to help you recover from Lorazepam.
A good rehab would start you off with a medically assisted detox. The withdrawals from Lorazepam have the potential to become fatal so you need to be under constant supervision of a doctor and medical staff. The doctor will give you medication to safely ween you off Lorazepam which will also make the pains of withdrawal more comfortable too. Once you have detoxed, you will begin the real treatment. In rehab, you will learn more about yourself and the disease of addiction.
You will attend therapies such as family therapy, individualized therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy and even equine therapy. Going through these therapies will help you recover from your past and will hit all aspects of your life the addiction hit. Along with therapy, you will go through addiction education to help you understand you are not different, you just have a disease. Rehab will teach you to love yourself so you don’t feel obligated to go back to Lorazepam to escape yourself anymore. – Learn More
Lorazepam Detox Treatment
Lorazepam has the potential to cause fatality during withdrawals. If you are planning on trying to recover from your Lorazepam addiction, you will need to get help from a medically assisted detox. When entering a medically assisted detox, you will be evaluated by a doctor. The doctor will ask you questions about your addiction to Lorazepam and will prescribe you medication to not only safely ween you off Lorazepam but the medication will also relieve painful withdrawal symptoms.
Withdrawal symptoms of Lorazepam include but are not limited to insomnia, irritability, hand tremors, sweating, confusion, abdominal cramping and nausea, headache, muscle pains, anxiety, blood pressure changes, rapid heartbeat, palpitations, panic attacks and seizures. If you begin to feel any of these symptoms, get ahold of a doctor immediately to prevent fatality from a seizure. With the help of medical detox, your withdrawal symptoms will be slim to none because of the help from medication.
If you do plan on recovering from Lorazepam, you will want to follow up your medical detox with rehabilitation. In detox, you will have time to heal your body from all the damage you have caused it while using. There usually isn’t too much therapy in detox that will prepare you for long term recovery. But with the help of rehabilitation, your recovery journey has the potential to be as long-lasting as you please. – Learn More
The number of benzodiazepine admissions nearly tripled between 1998 and 2008, while overall treatment admissions increased only 11 percent.
Addiction to Lorazepam
Lorazepam is a prescription Benzodiazepine that is prescribe for insomnia or anxiety. Even with a prescription, Lorazepam is still highly addictive and has a high potential for abuse. If you are prescribed to Lorazepam and you begin to take more than prescribed to get a more intense feeling, cannot function without it or go to more than one doctor to get it, you are most likely addicted to the drug.
If you aren’t prescribed to Lorazepam and buy it off the streets, spend crazy amounts of money on it and cannot function without it you have probably developed an addiction as well. Once you have become addicted to Lorazepam, anything can happen. There is a chance your whole life can be taken from you in a wink of an eye. When addicted to a substance, such as Lorazepam, you are suffering from a disease that has no cure.
That said, it takes a lot of work to be able to maintain your disease and realize you have a problem. You could be making the excuse that you don’t even have a problem because it is a prescription drug and doctors wouldn’t hand it out if it is addictive. Well, sadly, this is not true. A doctor will warn you that you can become addicted but can’t really do anything about it unless you speak up, no one can help you unless you speak up. So, if you have become addicted and want to prevent your life from going down any further, it is time to speak up. – Learn More
Lorazepam Dependency
Lorazepam is a medication that is most often prescribed as a sedative. It can effectively help treat anxiety issues in the short term as well as seizures. Individuals can easily develop an addiction when using Lorazepam to treat anxiety in addition to seizures. This can happen due to a desire of feeling relaxed and at ease rather than actively working on ways to deal with stress.
Some individuals have reported an increase in sleeping problems and anxiety due to abusing Lorazepam. Abusing such a highly addictive medication can put someone at for physical dependence as well as psychological dependence. There are many risks associated with Lorazepam addiction these may include: an overdose of the drug, increase chance of injury or accident due to cognitive impairment while under the influence of the drug, financial hardship or loss, difficulty in maintaining healthy relationships and loss in relationships.
The risks described are only a few that often times become present when living with an addiction. No one who is abusing Lorazepam is safe from the consequences that comes with Lorazepam abuse. You can overdose your first time using which could end up being your last. If you have become dependent on the drug, speak up and get yourself the help you need. It is never too late to turn back and make the decision to change your life for the better. – Learn More
Seeking help for a loved one.
- When Is a Lorazepam Intervention Necessary?
If your loved one is losing quality of life due to Lorazepam abuse, you may want to plan an intervention. - Where Do I Hold A Lorazepam Intervention?
It is best to choose a comfortable place secluded from other people. A common place for a Lorazepam intervention is the home of the addicted individual or hotel room.
Intervention for Lorazepam Abuse
If you have discovered your loved one is abusing Lorazepam, you may feel your life has come to an end. You have heard the commercials on television about addiction and think there is no hope for him or her to recover. This, however, is not true and you have the power in your hand to help him or her to the best of your ability.
If you want to step in and try to help your loved one get the treatment he or she deserves, you should plan an intervention, with the help from an interventionist, as soon as possible. When you get ahold of an interventionist, you will want to start thinking of family members and other people who are scared for the one with the Lorazepam addiction. You will work with the interventionist on who to include in the intervention process. You will want to not include anyone who can cause more harm than good. These people could be angry at the addicted individual and not willing to just tell him or her they love him or her and move on. The only thing you will want everyone to do in the intervention is to express their love and concern for the addicted individual and push him or her to accept the treatment you are offering.
When the intervention is complete, the goal is for the addicted individual to accept rehab. If he or she is unwilling to get treatment at this moment, don’t get frustrated. The intervention still put it in your loved one’s head that when he or she wants treatment there are many people he or she can go to for help. Sometimes the intervention plants a seed, that will later blossom and your loved one will change his or her mind. – Learn More
Recovery from Lorazepam Abuse
If you have become addicted to Lorazepam and don’t think there is a way out, you are wrong. There is a way out if you are willing to do everything you can to change the way you are living. If you are willing, because Lorazepam is a Benzodiazepine, you will want to start your recovery process with a medically assisted detox where you will be given medication and surrounded by medical staff to prevent fatality.
Your detox process can last anywhere from four days to a few weeks depending on the extent of your Lorazepam abuse. No matter how long your detox is, you will still want to follow up your detox with rehabilitation. Detox will help you heal your body and clear your mind while rehab will take you through many therapies and classes to teach you how to love yourself and about the disease you are suffering from. Some people believe they have recovered as soon as they successfully left treatment and feel like they have no other work to do.
Unfortunately, it is people like this who end up abusing their drug of choice once again. It is very important to have a strong aftercare program prepared for you when you leave rehab treatment. Aftercare will ensure treatment is continued in aim for long term success in recovery from abuse. Aftercare usually includes continuing therapeutic care or group counseling. This kind of continuing care is known as intensive outpatient programming after one goes through residential treatment. Additionally, accessing 12-step programs in your community is encouraged.
Dangers of Lorazepam Overdose
The drug Lorazepam is used for sedation, because of this it can be hard to tell if the drug is working as it is supposed to be or if the person might be experiencing an overdose. Combining Lorazepam with any other central nervous system depressant will greatly increase the chances of overdose.
If an individual is experiencing an overdose of lorazepam immediate medical care must be sought. The signs of a Valium overdose are involuntary eye movements, blurry vision, reduced muscle strength, decreased reflexes, profoundly lowered blood pressure, severely slowed breathing and unresponsiveness. If you are showing any of the signs just listed and do not get the medical attention you need your overdose can progress into coma and even death, especially if you were using other substances like Opiates or Alcohol. It is not hard to overdose on Lorazepam and can happen to anyone. There is no way you can prevent an overdose unless you stop abusing the drug. It is best, if you want to stop, to reach out and ask for help.
Drug abuse-related emergency room visits involving benzodiazepines increased 41 percent from 1995 to 2002.
If you are ready for change, your journey will usually begin with a medically assisted detox followed by rehab treatment. In rehab treatment, you will learn about your addiction and how to live without the drug in your life. Once you leave treatment, you will want to get involved in a 12-step program to ensure your recovery. The disease of addiction is powerful and has the potential to take everything in your life away from you. If you have even the slightest willingness to change, do not wait. Seek the help you deserve. – Learn More
Lorazepam Use, Abuse and Dependency
Lorazepam is known as a minor tranquillizer, or a sedative hypnotic, with many adverse effects and dangerous withdrawal symptoms. This drug is in the category of Benzodiazepines, which affect the brain and central nervous system.
Some other commonly known drugs in this category are Xanax, Klonopin, and Valium. Benzos increase the result of a chemical, GABA, that appears in the body naturally and induces a calm affect. Lorazepam is primarily used to treat anxiety, difficulty sleeping, and active seizures. It can also treat Alcohol withdrawal symptoms, nausea or vomiting caused by chemotherapy, and can be used in surgery to impede memory construction and for sedation. It is administered orally or as an injection into muscle or vein.
The main effects of Lorazepam are weakness, fatigue or sleepiness, muscle relaxation, low blood pressure, and memory loss. It can cause mild euphoria and strongly lowers inhibitions and stress levels. This drug has many adverse effects, particularly for individuals of a more advanced age. It can cause ataxia, which is a reduced coordination and control over voluntary operation of muscles. This can result in falling and injury, especially in older people. It also effects the lungs, lightening respiratory effort, but this kind of respiratory depression can be dangerous when the drug is taken in high doses.
It also inhibits the brain from forming new long-term memories, both explicit and implicit memories. These types of memory include factual, like new ideas and concepts, as well as experiential, such as things that happen to a person. They also include more basic cognitive memory function like procedural memory, which enables us to perform certain tasks without actively thinking about them like pouring a glass of water or even walking. Lorazepam can cause depression and exacerbate pre-existing depression. It can also have paradoxical effects of aggression and aggravation, hyperactivity, seizures, sleeplessness, and sometimes symptoms of psychosis. Paradoxical effects are believed to be more likely when the dosage is higher.
Once people have been taking Lorazepam, they must not abruptly stop their use because withdrawal symptoms, especially after long-term or frequent use, can be life threatening. As with most drugs, the withdrawal symptoms of Lorazepam are somewhat a reversal of its usage effects. Withdrawals can include difficulty sleeping, irritability, heightened anxiety, sweating, tremors, mood swings, poor concentration and cognitive struggles, as well as memory problems. One can experience nausea and vomiting, diarrhea headache, elevated heart rate, a high fever, intensified sensitivity to light/touch/sound, pain and stiffness in muscles, and numbness or tingling in extremities. In some cases, especially when usage is ended without weaning off it before, withdrawals can even include hallucinations, psychosis, and seizures.
These symptoms can simulate the qualities of mania or schizophrenia. After long-term use or higher than normal dosing, withdrawals can be very severe and even life threatening because of the possibility of seizures. When ending usage, it is best to reduce the intake of this drug very gradually to avoid severe withdrawal.
While it takes about twelve hours for the drug to leave the body’s systems, withdrawal symptoms typically persist for ten to fourteen days. In some cases, usually after prolonged use, withdrawal symptoms can continue for months or even years. Physical dependency on this drug can happen very quickly, in even a couple weeks. While most prescriptions are usually limited to a short period, like a few weeks, one could develop a tolerance in this time and experience withdrawal after administering in accordance with the prescription.
Lorazepam is often used recreationally which increases the likelihood of long-term use. It should be noted than anyone with an independent mood disorder should not be taking this drug, as it can drastically increase the symptoms of their disorder. Even for people without mood disorders, use of Lorazepam can result in altered personality. Studies have shown that, probably due to disinhibition, a person is more likely to harm oneself or to commit suicide while on this drug, especially if they have a history of mental health issues such as depression.
Signs of addiction to Lorazepam should be looked for by its users and loved ones who are concerned about possible substance abuse. Someone who is addicted may run out of the prescribed amount early or ask for a larger amount than suggested. They will probably be taking more than suggested dosage to achieve the same effects they previously experienced on a lower dose. They may experience any of the above described symptoms of withdrawal and cravings. They can have a strange gate, very poor short-term memory, or seem unlike their usual self with mood swings or personality changes; they might be confused or even delusional. – Learn More
- Will Individual Therapy Help my Lorazepam Addiction?
Yes. Individual therapy is in a confidential setting which will allow you to feel comfortable opening up about your Lorazepam addiction, allowing you to move forward in life. - How Will Individual Lorazepam Therapy Benefit Me?
In Individual Lorazepam therapy, you will practice building trust and healthy relationships.
Individualized Lorazepam Therapy
When you are ready to change your life, and get help for your Lorazepam addiction, you will need to go through individualized therapy to help get to the bottom of your issues, find the problem and work through it. In individualize therapy, you will meet one-on-one with a professional therapist who is trained in addiction therapy. Your therapy sessions may start out slow because the therapist will want to get to know you so you begin to feel comfortable with him or her and don’t feel the need to lie or hold any emotion or feeling back from your therapist.
Remember, the therapist is there to help you recover from your addiction. He or she is not there to judge you, only to help you recover and see that there is in fact a better way of life. The therapist will start asking you questions about your upbringing and how you felt growing up. It may be comfortable talking about these things with someone you barely know, but remember he or she is doing this for a reason and it will help you recover in the long run.
As soon as your therapist figured out what the problem that triggered your use may be, you will both work together and figure out the best plan of action to work through the problem. You might have assignments and homework from your therapist but this is only going to help you so make sure you work through it thoroughly and honestly. Recovery will change your life, it just takes some work to get there.
Group Therapy for Lorazepam Addiction
Rehabilitation and treatment is a very important part of your recovery from Lorazepam addiction because you will go through many therapies that will help you recover from your addiction. One of the most important therapies you will go through is group therapy. You will meet with a therapist and other people in your treatment program to talk with about addiction and recovery.
You are probably going to be given a topic or just talk about what is on your mind. It may be intimidating to talk about your feelings with other people because your Lorazepam addiction has caused you to isolate for so long. It is going to also be weird feeling emotions while going through therapy because it is common you were abusing Lorazepam to bottle the way you were feeling. This is all going to be abnormal for you but it does have a purpose. It will show you that you are not alone while going through this process. You will hear other individual’s stories on how they have recovered and will be able to learn from their mistakes.
Group therapy will get you comfortable with making new friends so when you are leaving treatment you will be able to feel comfortable introducing yourself to others in recovery while you go to 12-step meetings as a part of your aftercare plan. Don’t be afraid to share your story with another person. Everyone who has fought addiction has done a few things they are ashamed of. However, when you can share about your experience it could save another person from making the same mistakes as you.
- Why Should I Go to Group Therapy for Lorazepam Treatment?
Group therapy will show you that you are not alone in fighting Lorazepam addiction. - Is Group Therapy for Lorazepam Addiction Helpful?
When fighting Lorazepam addiction, group therapy will help you find others who are fighting the same battle.
True Stories of Addiction: Amber’s Story
Amber found a drug like Lorazepam that took her out of reality and put her into her own little world. She didn’t realize how much harm this drug was causing because she wasn’t living in the reality of life. Even though she was absolutely miserable, she still had friends and kept using this substance every day. The substance stopped giving Amber the effect she wanted and she decided the world would be a better place without her. Her attempt to end it all was not successful but she did find recovery shortly after. Amber is now a mother, wife and daughter who insists on enjoying and living life to the fullest degree. Watch her story of hope.
Seeking help for a loved one.
- Will Inpatient Rehab Help Me Stop Thinking of Lorazepam?
Most likely. It will help you stop thinking of Lorazepam by taking you out of the negative environment you were living in and shift your focus elsewhere. - How Will I Stop Thinking of Lorazepam After Inpatient Rehab?
It is a great idea to get involved in local support groups such as the 12-step program after you graduate from your Lorazepam treatment program.
Inpatient Lorazepam Rehab
When you are living a life addicted to Lorazepam you aren’t really living, you are a body going through this world that is slowly killing itself by abusing drugs. You may have lost everything you have worked for and feel like there is no point in even trying to get better. It is going to be difficult to understand but you need to allow yourself to understand you are worth it and you can get everything back if you get the proper rehab and treatment.
If you are ready for rehab, you will want to talk with someone and figure out the best possible treatment for you. The most successful rehab treatment is inpatient. In inpatient, upon arrival, you will be evaluated by staff and they will all figure out an individualized treatment plan for you that will best suit your recovery. After your evaluation with the staff, you will go to a doctor to be evaluated for medical detox. Medical detox will ensure your safety by using medication to prevent fatality due to Lorazepam withdrawal symptoms.
Your real recovery will begin when you get into the therapeutic side of rehab. You will go through many therapies that will hit every aspect of your life and will help you recover. Some of the best therapies to look out for in an inpatient facility are individualized therapy, group therapy, family therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy. The combination of therapies will show you how to love yourself again which will keep you far away from Lorazepam when you leave rehab treatment. – Learn More
Outpatient Rehab
Lorazepam is a highly addictive prescription Benzodiazepine that is typically used for anxiety and seizures. There are, however, people like you who use it for an escape of reality and to get high. Lorazepam may make you feel better than you ever felt in the beginning but will slowly begin to rip your life away from you. You may have gotten to the point where you want to stop but aren’t really sure how.
With the help of rehab, you can learn to love yourself again and recover. If you aren’t able to make it into inpatient rehab due to family responsibilities or work, you would still want to go to outpatient rehab. Keep inpatient as your first choice because it is more effective but outpatient still has potential to help you recover. You will need to go into a medically supervised detox but other than that you will travel to a facility a few times a week for individual and group therapy.
You will still learn what you would have learned in inpatient rehab, you will just have some more free time on your hands. It is good to keep busy in the beginning of recovery so if you do go to outpatient rehab you should look up some 12-step meetings and pair your rehab with the 12-step program. The combination of the two is very effective. You will meet tons of people going through the same fight an be able to keep busy making it hard for Lorazepam to hop into your mind. It may take more power to stay sober with outpatient but if you truly want to recover, you will. – Learn More
- Will Outpatient Help my Lorazepam Addiction?
Lorazepam outpatient is best when attended after inpatient treatment and will act like another support group. - When Should I go to Outpatient Rehab?
Once you have completed an inpatient program, it is best to go to an outpatient rehab center so you can continue to work on your Lorazepam recovery.
