Even though Ativan is a commonly prescribed medication for anxiety, few people actually know how it works. While you don’t need to understand how Ativan works to get benefits from the medicine, understanding how the drug is affecting you can help you get the most out of your treatment.
Ativan belongs to a group of drugs called benzodiazepines. This group also includes other anxiety medicines like Xanax and Valium. Each of these drugs works in the same way though some take effect quicker, last longer, or have other differences. These small differences in the way they work are why your doctor will prescribe one type of benzodiazepine over another. Ativan is one of the strongest benzodiazepines so it is usually prescribed for severe anxiety disorders.
When you take Ativan, the medicine affects your central nervous system. It boosts the effects of a neurotransmitter called gamma-aminobutyric acid, or GABA for short. GABA is your body’s inhibitory neurotransmitter. It works to keep your body calm, including your mind and physical body functions like pulse. GABA is the most predominant neurotransmitter and its receptors are located all through your body. By taking Ativan and increasing the effects of GABA, you are curing the symptoms of anxiety by calming your body and mind.
You have probably heard that your body can develop a tolerance or an addiction to Ativan. That is because your body cannot be constantly calm. After a prolonged time of Ativan increasing the effects of GABA, your body will “think” that this state is natural. Even with the boosted GABA levels, you will be able to become nervous again. To get the calming effects of Ativan, you will need to take more of the medicine. Since your body thinks that the Ativan-induced state is its normal state, if you stop treatment your body will get confused. This is what causes withdrawal effects if you suddenly stop taking Ativan or any other benzodiazepine. It will take a while before your body adjusts to its regular GABA levels.
It is important that you only use Ativan for the shortest period of time necessary. You should never increase your dosage or take it more frequently than prescribed as this can cause too drastic of a change on your nervous system. Most importantly, you should realize that Ativan does not cure anxiety. The medicine will only cure the symptoms of your anxiety like frequent worries and physical upsets. If you want to cure anxiety, you should initiate a form of therapy while you take Ativan.
