Understanding The Negative Effects Of Withdrawal Symptoms
Vitality Magazine March 15, 2022 Guest PostSince long-term substance addiction can affect the brain in many ways, the bulk of prolonged withdrawal symptoms is psychological in character.
Using a substance creates overstimulation of the system or overproduction of dopamine in the early stages of addiction, resulting in pleasure or a “high” feeling.
However, the brain’s ability to manufacture such substances on its own can deteriorate over time, resulting in a shortage.
Due to the brain’s reliance on the chemical, people who battle with addiction will require more of the substance to attain the same feeling, if they ever experience pleasure at all.
Since it is not healthy, people try to quit addiction once they realize its consequences. But, the process is not easy. It starts with a bunch of withdrawal symptoms and they are so painful that the person deciding to quit the substance often relapses back into the trope.
If you are struggling with withdrawal symptoms and decide to take admission in Gallus Detox, you will learn to cope with these withdrawal symptoms in no time.
What Are Withdrawal Symptoms?
After abruptly ceasing to consume a substance, the onset of symptoms is known as acute withdrawal.
These symptoms are often the polar opposite of the substance’s effects, distinguishing them from one another. Prolonged withdrawal is defined as symptoms that stay longer than this time frame or recur after this time frame. Prolonged withdrawal is the less researched two types of withdrawal, yet it is often a pivotal contributor to recurrence.
The symptoms are:
- Insomnia
- Loss of appetite
- Anxiety and tension
- Hyperactivity
- Anxiety and tremors
- Sweating
- Nausea
- Increased heart rate
- Increased blood pressure
- Fever
- Hallucinations
- Depression
- Fatigue
Due to the extended length of these symptoms, they make people more sensitive to relapse.
Some of these symptoms can last for months, a year, or even a decade. So when moving from inpatient to outpatient treatment, it’s often good to make a plan for the first few days after discharge, just in case such symptoms arise.
Negative Effects Of Withdrawal Symptoms
Side effects are issues that arise when a therapy surpasses the expected impact or when unfavorable or irritating symptoms develop in conjunction with treatment.
To put it another way, side effects are the physical or psychological reactions that the body has as a result of the presence of a drug in the body. Side effects are unforeseen consequences of a drug’s presence in the body that occur in addition to the targeted impact.
A person using sleeping pills for curing insomnia, for example, may notice that their heart rate decreases and their pupils dilate while on the medication. These aren’t the drug’s primary effects, although they do happen when it’s in the body.
Simply put, if you stop taking the drug, the negative effects will go away. However, this is addressed in further detail in the following section.
Withdrawal symptoms usually appear while a person is using the substance and trying to quit it.
Side effects can start as soon as the first dose; otherwise, they may appear once the person has reached the target drug treatment concentration in the body. Depending on the medicine, the length of time required varies.
However, because the drug does not affect the body until it reaches a therapeutic dosage, any side effects may take that long to manifest, unless they are unfavorable reactions, such as allergies to the drug’s ingredients.
While adverse effects may persist after a person has stopped taking the medication, they are not caused by the person stopping taking it. The drug’s influence on the body, rather than its removal, causes the negative effects to persist. As a result, most negative impacts fade away rapidly once the medicine is stopped.
What Do These Negative Effects Look Like?
Adverse effects of withdrawal symptoms are frequently linked to the medicine being used. For example, a person taking a stimulant may suffer jitters, high heart rate, paranoia, or hyperfocus as side effects. Side effects of taking an anxiety pill, on the other hand, include decreased heart rate and breathing, tiredness, and inability to concentrate.
In certain circumstances, side effects are unrelated to the drug’s mechanism of action in the body. Antibiotics, for example, can create anxiety or panic as a side effect when used to treat bacterial infections.
If a person has side effects, the best course of action is to taper down and stop taking the medication. However, if withdrawal symptoms occur after the substance is stopped, a more severe condition may be present, and drug misuse or addiction treatment may be necessary.
Seeing a doctor is a good first step toward finding relief in either situation. Then, follow up with treatment from a professional, skilled treatment program if you’re experiencing withdrawal or addiction.
This may make it easier for the person to continue on their path to rehabilitation.
The severity of withdrawal symptoms varies from person to person and can range from minor to severe. Insomnia, irritability, mood swings, sadness, anxiety, aches and pains, cravings, exhaustion, hallucinations, and nausea are some of the symptoms. In addition, the individual may feel hot and cold, have goosebumps, or have a runny nose as if they are sick.
Paranoia, confusion, tremors, and disorientation are common withdrawal symptoms, especially for drugs and alcohol.
Symptoms may persist a few days or weeks, but they will fade away. Hence, if you are suffering from withdrawal symptoms, you are on the right path. This happens to everyone.
So, have faith, and commit to the process. Things will soon get better.
Seek Help!
Addiction is difficult to overcome. Therefore, starting the procedure in a safe and secure place, such as at home, a detox facility, or a hospital, is critical.
Before assisting someone with withdrawal, speak with a doctor, another health professional, or a drug and alcohol program.
Encourage someone struggling with an addiction to exercise and eat nutritious foods. Distract them, reassure them, and remind them why they’re quitting. Take care of yourself. This involves proper nutrition and sleep and exercise, socializing, and taking a break.
If you need more information, reach us in the comment box.
These symptoms may be subtle at first but can become more noticeable as time progresses and the stress continues.