That's an intelligent question. Here's what I think:

The psychiatrist did order me some Ativan, which I asked him to do. (My main reason for calling him.) I've never been on Ativan. There were a few of my friend's hospice supply left over, and I did use them during the 1rst week after he died. That few for that short a time wouldn't set a person up for withdrawal.

However, Saturday I picked up the ones just ordered for me. Saturday evening I took 3 of the 0.5 mg tablets for dose equaling 1.5 mg. Two hours later I ate a nice bowl of soup with croutons that tasted delicious. An hour after that, I fell asleep snd stayed asleep for a good rest. Also the hysterical crying spells went away.

The sequence of what I did, outlined above, suggests that I was in need of some sedation and had a very good response to getting some. There's a time and a place for every legitimate drug. It's bad to give out an antibiotic when there's a very good chance that your own immune system can overcome an infection. But it is stupid to withhold antibiotic treatment, if you have a bacterial infection that starts to snowball. Doctors very rightly should generally avoid treating grief with a sedative. But it's stupid to withhold sedation from a person who is genuinely in need of medication to break a cycle of escalating extreme acute psychological distress. Ativan (lorazepam) is a legal drug that has legitimate uses. Otherwise, why has the manufacture of lorazepam not been outlawed?

I also have Vicodan readily available. I'm not needing as much as I did when I was caring for my friend, doing all the work that his care involved.

Ativan 1.5 mg would not halt true withdrawal signs and symptoms . . . at least not for very long. Sunday, I've had a very good, busy, productive day. I get weepy, but I'm managing like a normal person in grief.

My sorrow isn't more special than the next person's sorrow. But due to a variety of stressors happening at once and my own depressive tendencies, I "decompensated." I'm a lot better this past day and a half. IMO - that's a good thing. I've given my analysis of why I'm better - Some Ativan stopped the snowballing psychic distress. I've had no urge to take more Ativan in the last day and a half.