Like so many of you all I have used Ativan periodically during major anxiety spells. I don't wish to use it but sometimes when the world comes tumbling down at you feet you have no choice. For me, one of my big questions how much can I take and for how long before any significant addiction occurs. I have know used it 3 times. The first two times I was on it 4 or 5 months at a rate of 2 or 3 mg/day on average. I was able to wean off it by making 5 to 10% drops in dosage every 2 weeks with little withdrawal symptoms.
This time the Cymbalta withdrawal was so severe that I had to use 4 to 6 mg a day for nearly a year. Many times I had to take 4 mg at bedtime just to get to sleep and there was two times that I had to go get a 2 mg IM shot on top of that just to calm down and get some rest. Under previous conditions 2 mg was always enough at bedtime to induce sleep. Now that my meds have stabilized I am coming off the Ativan. But this time the best rate I can do is 1% every 7 days. A lot slower. I just thought this might give others a feel for the addictiveness of Ativan. Keep in mind this is one mans experience and will probably differ from person to person.