A really good friend of mine is on the drug Ativan. He is drinking alcohol heavily and is away at school. From the banal internet research I’ve done, I know that consuming a lot, if any, alcohol while on this drug can be potentially dangerous.
I believe the medical or pharmaceutical name for Ativan is [u][b]Benzodiazepines[/b][/u], and I understand that the drug is used to treat extreme social anxiety and or alcohol dependence (irony).
Anyhow I’d like to know, what extreme measure of action I need to take, if any, to prevent my best friend from really hurting, if not God forbid ending, himself.
Well, if he’s a good friend of yours and vice versa then he/she should be more inclined to listen to your concerns, but having him follow your advice is an entirely different matter. I would suggest that perhaps you can discuss this with YOUR family doctor and ask him/her for their advice since there is no doubt that doctors themselves have commonly dealt with this very issue from a patient of theirs sometime or another. There may be something that they can do that you or I don’t know about.
Having said that, I don’t believe that your friend has a care free attitude since he 1) is away 2) at school, which tells me that he has made a decision in his life to pursue an interest which will no doubt be an investment into his future. I don’t believe he/she would have made this type of committment if he/she didn’t want or care to live or hurt himself. He/She is probably just making an unwise decision and is simply ignorant as to the potential impact his decision can make.
However, don’t feel helpless or that you are not doing enough. The fact that you are person that has come to a public forum and ask for help tells me, and most importantly SHOULD tell your friend, that you are a caring individual, a good a friend that is genuinely concerned with the welfare of your friend. This alone, is doing MORE than what most people would even attempt to do for someone. You are doing more than you may think, be persistent yet unoverbearing.
Contact his Doctor immediately! I havent read anything on the drug, but it sounds to me in any case, liver damage could be the least of the problems to occur, which in itself isn’t good at all. Go to his dorm room, look on his prescription and get the doctor’s name. If you don’t think he will listen to you, go around his back, it sounds bad, but emotionally he may take it personal if you confront him up front. I’d rather be a hero without someone knowing it, then have them risk doing it behind your back too? My opinion, but make your own decision because you know the details. Good Luck bro…