Withdrawal syndrome is a term used to describe the conditions that result from separation from something the body has become dependent on.  It is most commonly associated with drugs or alcohol but can apply to other substances as well.

Withdrawal symptoms

The withdrawal symptoms will vary greatly depending on the substance that an individual was dependent on.  They can include things like anxiety, irritability and insomnia or for withdrawal from more powerful chemical addictions there can be racing heart, tightness in the chest, extreme sweating, strokes, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and even hallucinations.  Learning what the individual was addicted to can help to determine what withdrawal symptoms they will most likely experience.

Withdrawal Causes

People go through withdrawal from a substance because their body has become chemically dependent on it.  This could be because of an illness or injury which required them to take specific drugs to help ease pain or speed up recovery, or it could be recreational drugs.  When an individual completely cuts out the chemical from their body they will quickly begin experiencing withdrawal.  The complete removal of a substance that one is addicted to is known as ‘stopping cold turkey’.  The other option is to slowly decrease the amount of the substance they are taking over time which is done to ease the withdrawal symptoms.

Withdrawal Treatments

Depending on the substance the individual is addicted to there are several things that can be done to help ease the difficulty of withdrawal.  Sometimes just slowly reducing the amount of the chemical they are taking can be enough.  Other times they need to be managed medically with other drugs or therapies to help reduce the symptoms to a more tolerable level.

Withdrawal Diagnosis

Doctors or therapists can diagnose withdrawal easily in most cases by blood or tests to determine what chemicals they are addicted to.  In the majority of cases the drug that is present in their system in small levels will be the one that they are addicted to and suffering from withdrawal from.