"Sandy," a 40 year old female suffering from anxiety attacks and depression.

Her symptoms began approximately ten years ago when her parents divorced and her mother came to live with her family on a permanent basis. Since "Sandy" held a full-time job, it was believed her mother would be able to assist in the care of their nine year old daughter and take over some of the household chores. It seemed like an ideal arrangement for everyone concerned. However, soon there were many disagreements between the mother and daughter and "sandy" began to receive numerous phone calls at work on a daily basis. It was at this time she began developing severe headaches and anxiety attacks.

"Sandy" did seek medical treatment from her family doctor and was prescribed a pain reliever containing Codeine for her frequent headaches and Lithium, the drug of choice at that time to treat depression. Unfortunately, "sandy" found it more difficult to concentrate at work when taking the Lithium. She found herself skipping dosages; and at several points, stopped taking the medication altogether. This created a "roller coaster" effect emotionally and she was hospitalized on several occasions to stabilize her condition.

Anti-anxiety drugs are used to alleviate persistent feelings of nervousness and tension caused by stress or other psychological problems. But they cannot resolve the causes. This was the case with "Sandy" in that she had failed to seek counseling in dealing with the issues created with her mother's arrival; and it wasn't until she sought psychotherapy that she was able to resolve most of the problems causing her symptoms and reduce her medication to an occasional Ativan.

Ativan is the brand name for Lorazepam which belongs to a group of drugs known as benzodiazepines. Lorazepam is used to treat anxiety and insomnia and is also used for anxiety associated with depression. This drug is less likely than some of the other benzodiazepines to accumulate in the body but can become habit-forming if taken regularly over a long period. Its effects may also diminish with time so treatment should be reviewed with your physician on a monthly basis. Although rare, possible adverse side effects can include confusion, headache, nausea and rash and should be discussed with your physician in all cases.