What Is Abstinence Syndrome? 7 Symptoms To Identify It
Are you quitting an addictive substance? Do you know what a withdrawal syndrome consists of? Discover all the symptoms of this withdrawal syndrome and how to successfully address it.
Taking the first step to overcome an addiction is already a difficult process. In many cases, when quitting an addiction, withdrawal syndrome, which can affect the person so much that it leads them to resort to this substance again. How can we manage it?
The abstinence It is created due to a combination of physical and mental effects experienced when stopping taking or consuming an addictive substance.
The duration or intensity, as well as the symptoms of a withdrawal syndrome They will depend on the type of substance and the level of addiction. In many cases, withdrawal can lead to a return to the substance to which one was addicted. For this reason, it is vital to talk to your doctor or a professional psychologist if this occurs.
Symptoms of withdrawal syndrome
There are a series of withdrawal symptoms that can be observed in those people who suffer from it. Psychologists highlight the following.
Sleep disorders: One of the first symptoms that people who suffer from suffer from withdrawal from alcohol or other substances They mainly affect your sleeping habits. In this way, those who stop addiction often experience insomnia, hypersomnia or lucid dreams.
Tremors and nervousness: Withdrawal can also cause some nervousness problems. The consequences of quit smoking cold turkey or avoid an addictive substance It usually ends up causing tremors, sweating and the sensation of having a racing heart.
Irritability and anxiety: He abstinence syndrome It also creates the person being irritable or distressed due to the lack of the addictive substance and all the changes that are occurring in their body and mind.
Depression: In the vast majority of cases of withdrawal syndrome people often experience a feeling of sadness so intense that it can lead to depression.
Lack of concentration: He withdrawal syndrome from tobacco and other addictive substances They can cause an inability to concentrate on daily tasks, a fact that makes this process even more difficult.
Dissatisfaction: The people that experience withdrawal They usually have a feeling of emptiness towards themselves and their own life.
Difficulty avoiding addiction: Finally, one of the symptoms more persistent withdrawal symptoms It is precisely the difficulty of avoiding relapse into addiction.
Craving: Craving is an intense and uncontrollable desire (or psychological need) that leads the individual to abandon abstinence The management of craving is decisive for the adherence to treatment of drug-dependent people since it is the most important factor in therapeutic abandonment.
If you identify yourself in these withdrawal symptoms It is essential that you consult with a professional psychologist to have help during this process. Relapse is a step that can delay your recovery.
Causes of withdrawal syndrome
He abstinence syndrome It is experienced as both the body and the brain work together to maintain a state of balance known as homeostasis. In this way, by introducing a foreign substance into our body, this ends up changing the internal balance, which causes our body to take measures to adapt to it.
These changes usually involve an increase or decrease in a series of neurotransmitters, that is, substances that act on our brain’s reward system. By regularly taking a drug, our body develops tolerance and dependence on that substance. Therefore, we will need higher doses to be able to experience the same effects as our first dose.
When you suddenly stop or reduce the intake of a substance, the body becomes unbalanced and that is where the symptoms of withdrawal syndrome begin to appear. In many cases, withdrawal symptoms They are usually opposite to the effects of the substance. Thus, if you are withdrawing from alcohol, since it is a depressant, people usually have symptoms such as anxiety or restlessness.
Types of withdrawal syndrome
The withdrawal symptoms They usually depend on the type of substance to which one was addicted. Among the most common addictive substances we find the following withdrawal syndromes.
Alcohol withdrawal syndrome: After quitting alcohol, not all people experience a withdrawal syndrome Still, most people who stop drinking experience a wide variety of anxiety symptoms.
Cocaine withdrawal syndrome: Mostly cocaine withdrawal syndrome It usually causes many symptoms, among the most common: depression, insomnia, nausea, constant changes in appetite, irritability, among others.
Tobacco withdrawal syndrome: Nicotine is a very addictive substance. For this reason, the abstinence syndrome It usually causes irritability, increased appetite, insomnia and other sleep disorders, difficulty concentrating and even depression.
Marijuana withdrawal syndrome: Unlike other substances, marijuana withdrawal syndrome It is usually milder. This is usually characterized by experiencing anxiety, lack of appetite and, above all, changes in mood.
Although the best way to carry out an effective process to quit an addictive substance is with the hands of a mental health professional, there are a series of tips that we can follow to cope. withdrawal syndrome
Ask for help: It is important that withdrawal a family member or friend or a therapist help us throughout the entire process. In this way, we can avoid relapsing in the worst moments.
Practice a healthy lifestyle: In order not to relapse into the substance, it is vital to try to lead a healthy lifestyle at all times. In this way, the person who experience withdrawal syndrome You should try to eat well as well as exercise regularly.
Use relaxation techniques: One of the main withdrawal symptoms It’s nervousness. For this reason, mental and physical relaxation are essential to avoid falling back into addiction.
Controlling stress: Stress can be an extra source that encourages us to use the addictive substance again. During withdrawal syndrome It is vital to try to reduce sources of stress to a minimum to avoid experiencing more nervousness than this process already entails.
Even though you experience withdrawal syndrome It can be a very hard process, the reality is that you are on the right track. These moments must be supervised by a mental health professional to avoid relapse into addiction. You are just one step away from leaving behind all the personal and professional effects of falling under the influence of an addictive substance.
