Some of the benzos have higher addictive potential than others. So you could ask your pdoc about the addiction potential of ativan. I sometimes take Xanax, and I really like being able to take it as needed, rather than it being a med that I have to take every day and that is in my system constantly. Some situations are just more anxiety-producing than others, so I think "take as needed" benzos can be really helpful. (I'm not sure if Ativan can be used in this way or not.) Good luck