Author: Alex Thompson

Drug Withdrawal Symptoms, Timeline, Treatment and Coping

For example, alcohol is a depressant, so if you suddenly stop consuming alcohol, you might experience symptoms of overstimulation such as anxiety or restlessness. Treatment of withdrawal depends on the substances used, the symptoms, and the severity of symptoms. This article will review the causes, symptoms, and treatment of withdrawal for a variety of substances. Ashley Olivine is a health psychologist and public health professional with over a decade of experience serving clients in the clinical setting and private practice. She has also researched a wide variety psychology and public health topics such as the management of health risk factors, chronic illness, maternal and child wellbeing, and child development.

Your body must recover from the damage that drugs and alcohol do, as well as from sleep deprivation, sleep disturbance, overstimulation, and other effects of addiction. Detox can be done at a clinic, hospital, or rehabilitation center and may include medications to manage withdrawal and help to reduce symptoms. After the detox process, continuing treatment with groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous is recommended to keep you substance free. Abruptly stopping benzodiazepines or heavy alcohol use can be dangerous, even life-threatening, and medical supervision is widely recommended.

1. Roughly 5.5 million Americans use cocaine each year, making it the second most used recreational drug in the U.S. following marijuana.
2. Stimulant withdrawal symptoms include anxiety, changes in appetite, depression, difficulty focusing or concentrating, difficulty sleeping, dizziness, fatigue, headaches, irritability, and mood swings.
3. Major symptoms include intense flu-like distress, anxiety, insomnia, muscle aches and pains, lacrimation, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.
4. If you’ve used alcohol, heroin, meth, or other substances for only a short time or have taken only small doses, you might not experience withdrawal.
5. The extinction phase, of episodic cravings, dysphoria, and poor concentration, can extend to 28 weeks.

Stress management activities such as yoga and meditation may also help you cope with your withdrawal experience. Be sure to reach out to your doctor, however, if you are struggling to cope or if you experience any worrisome symptoms. More and more students are fighting anxiety and depression and need more than a winter break to recover. It is possible to overdose on heroin, which is when the use of the substance causes a reaction that can be fatal. American Addiction Centers (AAC) is committed to delivering original, truthful, accurate, unbiased, and medically current information.

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Therapy, support groups, and lifestyle changes can help individuals manage the symptoms of cannabis withdrawal and overcome addiction. Medications like methadone, buprenorphine, and naltrexone can help reduce the intensity of many opiate withdrawal symptoms and help individuals work toward recovery. Therapy, medication through benzodiazepines, and support groups can help individuals manage the side effects of stimulant withdrawal. Protracted withdrawal, on the other hand, can persist for weeks, months, or even years after cessation of drug use—and can involve a variety of emotional and psychological symptoms. Most people who use drugs will experience some form of drug withdrawal when they stop taking them. When you regularly take a substance for a period of time, your body may build a tolerance and dependence on that substance.

“Cold turkey” is the colloquial term applied to abruptly and completely stopping use of a substance on which a person has become dependent, precipitating withdrawal symptoms. Cold turkey precipitates withdrawal symptoms, and there’s evidence that it can shorten the withdrawal phase and jump-start recovery from harmful health effects of the substance used. While most symptoms of nicotine withdrawal are not life-threatening, depression and other mental health concerns that may occur are linked to suicide. Therefore, it is important to seek professional support if any mental health concerns emerge when going through nicotine withdrawal. Marijuana withdrawal symptoms usually last a couple of weeks, but some may remain for several months. The severity of symptoms can range from mild to severe, and it is important to seek professional support for the emergence of symptoms such as depression.

What Does Withdrawal Feel Like?

Your loved one may need assistance during withdrawal, which may involve outpatient, residential, or inpatient options. Your doctor will also be able to determine if the symptoms you are experiencing are due to withdrawal or if they are the result of another condition. For this reason, you should always talk to your doctor before stopping or reducing your substance use. You might even feel let down and disappointed that something that felt so good turned out to be harmful, and leaving such a big part of your life behind might feel like grieving.

View our editorial content guidelines to learn how we create helpful content with integrity and compassion. Jessica graduated from the University of South Florida (USF) with an English degree and combines her writing expertise and passion for helping others to deliver reliable information to those impacted by addiction. Informed by her personal journey to recovery and support of loved ones in sobriety, Jessica’s empathetic and authentic approach resonates deeply with the Addiction Help community. With the right resources, commitment, and support, anyone can overcome substance abuse and reclaim their life. By putting down drugs, you’re taking control of your life and setting yourself on a path toward health and happiness. Your doctor may also prescribe medication to address specific symptoms to make the process bearable.

Tapering is a process of slowly decreasing the use of a substance, such as a prescription medication, over time to prevent withdrawal. Over-the-counter (OTC) medications are available to help decrease or stop using some substances. For example, nicotine patches and gum can be used to make it easier to stop smoking. Detox, or detoxification, is a process of supporting a person going through withdrawal to help them get the substances out of the body more safely. The stimulant cocaine has a very short half-life; acute withdrawal can begin as little as 90 minutes after the last dose, peaks around 3 days, and lasts a week to 10 days.

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Genes that encode for the alpha5 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor affect nicotine and alcohol withdrawal symptoms. The term “cold turkey” is used to describe the sudden cessation of use of a substance and the ensuing physiologic manifestations. In order for the symptoms of withdrawal to occur, one must have first developed a form of drug dependence. Drug dependence develops from consuming one or more substances over a period of time. Support groups are available for addiction and even for addiction to specific substances such as alcohol, heroin, cocaine, and marijuana. Additionally, there are things that can be done at home to help alleviate symptoms of withdrawal, such as eating a healthy, well-balanced diet.

Common Psychological Symptoms of Drug Withdrawal

This is how the body and brain communicate to allow a person to think, feel, act, and experience the environment. Addiction is a disease that involves not being able to stop using a substance even when continuing has negative consequences. Medication-assisted treatment (MAT) does not, by itself, cure addiction, but it allows people to focus on and develop skills for sustained recovery and rebuilding a meaningful life. Buprenorphine treatment does not require hospitalization, can be prescribed by practicing physicians, and is typically available in conjunction with counseling and behavioral therapy. Withdrawal starts after the active drug is cleared from the body (measured as “half-life,” the amount it takes for blood levels of the drugs to drop by 50 percent).

Withdrawal is a reaction of the mind and body that happens when a person reduces or stops using a substance. Symptoms can range from mild to severe, and withdrawal may even result in death. It is important to seek help from a qualified healthcare professional before reducing or stopping substances and to treat withdrawal symptoms. Abrupt cessation of stimulants like cocaine produces a different pattern of withdrawal; it occurs in three distinct phases—crash, withdrawal, and extinction—and is not considered medically dangerous.

Because it is not always possible to predict who will experience complications and who will not, medical supervision is generally advised for a period of detoxification. Detoxification typically involves individualized treatment with medications that mitigate the symptoms of withdrawal and diminish the risk of complications such as seizures. Benzodiazepine withdrawal can lead to death, so it is important to seek professional support for this substance.

Drug withdrawal symptoms can be successfully managed with the help of medications and a high level of supportive care that is provided through a medical detox program and follow-up treatment. The route of administration, the amount used at a time, and polydrug (using more than one drug at time) abuse can all influence drug dependency and may complicate withdrawal and treatment. Biological factors, such as metabolism, age, gender, and any medical or mental health conditions, also play a role in the intensity of drug withdrawal. Withdrawals can result in high blood pressure, heart attack, seizures, and other potentially deadly side effects. It’s crucial to seek medical supervision during the withdrawal process to ensure the safe management of these symptoms.

Acute withdrawal symptoms usually peak in intensity during the first 24 to 72 hours after the last use and gradually subside afterward. When caring for someone else, it is essential to ensure that you also care for yourself. This can be difficult and draining, so make sure to take care of yourself physically and emotionally. This can involve taking time for yourself, ensuring you are attending to your needs, and checking in with yourself often. This way, you will be in the best possible position to support your loved one. Withdrawal symptoms are often the opposite of the effects of the substance.