Understanding Drug Withdrawal

How Does Withdrawal Work?

When a drug user becomes physically or psychologically addicted to a drug, his brain will start depending on it to produce certain chemicals. Many amphetamines produce dopamine, for instance, which depresses the natural production of dopamine in the brain. When the user stops taking the drug, they might feel the effects of a decreased dopamine production, which can include anxiety, depression and even thoughts of suicide.

Drug withdrawal can cause many different psychological and physical symptoms. The user may experience anxiety, depression, lethargy, irritability, mood swings and a feeling of isolation and disturbed sleeping patterns. The user may also experience chest pain, headaches, sweating profusely, shaking, tachycardia (heart racing), tightness in the chest and difficulty breathing. More serious symptoms may include heart attacks and grand mal seizures. Although most drugs do not produce these, the withdrawal process should be monitored by medical professionals.

Why is Drug Withdrawal Different For Everyone?

All drugs are different. They produce different chemicals in the brain and these chemicals may be stimulants or depressants. The way that each chemical affects each individual's brain can widely vary, depending on the type of drug that is used, whether the drug is psycholigically or physically addictive and how much of the drug is used.

Additionally, the method of drug taking can have quite a bit to do with the withdrawal process that each patient must go through. It is not the same to have consumed the drug by snorting it, intravenously injecting it or smoking it. Each one causes different complications and health problems attached to it.

What Are The Stages of Drug Withdrawal?

Drug withdrawal does happen in stages. The very first stage of drug withdrawal is called The Acute Stage. In this stage, the patient might need to go through a detoxification process depending on the drug the patient is addicted or dependent on. The Acute Stage only lasts for a few weeks and varies widely in each individual depending on several outside factors, including drug of choice. It is during this time that the patient will feel physical withdrawal effects.

The next stage is called Post-Acute Withdrawal Syndrome. As the patient's brain chemistry begins to go back to the way it was before, the patient is likely to experience many psychological withdrawal symptoms. The patient will experience all the psychological symptoms that he or she experienced when first withdrawing from the drug. At first, these periods will be close to each other and may last for days, even weeks. As time goes along, however, these periods will start to get further and further from each other as brain chemistry returns to normality. It is very important that the patient is attending some sort of cognitive therapy around this time or has the support of a mental health professional that specializes in addiction, as they will be able to guide the patient through the hard times. Post-Acute Withdrawal Syndrome can last up to two years and the patient is at increased risk when its symptoms show up again. It is important to remember that this is temporary.