Is Ativan really addictive?

Ativan is a prescription drug commonly used to treat anxiety disorders. I myself have taken Ativan when I fly, because I am a very nervous flyer. I have been taking a low dose of Ativan every time I fly for the past three years, so when I heard that Ativan is a commonly abused prescription drug, I was shocked. Because this is a medication that I actually take, I wanted to find out if this drug really is addictive.

The short answer is, yes, Ativan is addictive, but not necessarily in the way you might think. Those who take Ativan for an anxiety disorder, or someone like me who takes a low dose in order to get on a plane, are not likely to become addicted to Ativan. Someone with a severe anxiety disorder that requires a high dose of Ativan might become dependent on it, but a dependency on a drug is not the same thing as an addiction. Dependency on a drug is a physical need for the drug, and is easier to treat than an addiction, because an addiction requires a psychological dependence. 

The most common group to become addicted to Ativan are people who have a history of substance abuse problems. Ativan is not commonly prescribed for people with substance abuse problems, so they would not be getting it from a doctor. Those who abuse Ativan generally do not take the drug the way it is intended. Like most pills, Ativan is something you swallow and dissolves, releasing medicine over time. In order to abuse Ativan and receive an immediate reaction from it, an addict would crush, snort, chew or even inject Ativan into their system.

The bottom line is that like almost any drug, it is possible to become addicted to Ativan. The important thing to remember is that Ativan is safe, if it is used properly, based on a doctors directions. So while it may be something you can get addicted to, Ativan is not as dangerous as many of the illegal substances abused today.