You’ve probably heard of withdrawal syndrome. However, you have not thought that you can go through it if you have not been a user of any hard drugs. Although the withdrawal syndrome in these types of substances is generally more intense, there are many types of substances that can cause withdrawal syndrome when we stop consuming them. Everything from coffee to alcohol or tobacco can generate this process, so it is quite likely that all of us, at some point in our lives, will go through this process, even if it is in a milder way. Since this is the most common, we will focus primarily on the withdrawal of these two substances, although the processes are similar for any substance.
For this reason, at we want to resolve all doubts about what What is withdrawal syndrome, its duration, its stages and its treatment?.
What is Abstinence Syndrome?
Abstinence is a feeling of discomfort that occurs when you stop consuming a certain substance. This begins when the presence of said substance in tissues and blood decreases. The characteristic symptoms of withdrawal can cause the person to use the substance again in order to alleviate them.
Depending on the substance, symptoms can be headaches, chills, dehydration, nausea, seizures or hallucinations. All symptoms depend on the person and the degree of consumption.
- In the case of alcohol withdrawal may appear delirium tremens in cases of high consumption. This leads to anxiety, sadness, irritability, nightmares, seizures, hallucinations, among others, and can be fatal in the most serious cases.
- As for the tobacco, it is common for weight gain, increased appetite, difficulty concentrating, irritation, anxiety or, among others. In this article you can see the .
Phases in withdrawal syndrome
In the phases of addiction recovery, we find the 4 phases of withdrawal syndrome.
- Withdrawal phase or withdrawal syndrome. This stage of withdrawal lasts between one and two weeks. It is characterized by the hardest moments of the withdrawal syndrome since the physical symptoms are at the highest stage. This can cause high desire to consume, irritation, anxiety, anger, depression…
- Early withdrawal or honeymoon phase. The person feels very confident about overcoming the problem. Sometimes it becomes illusory and one believes they have control over the situation that does not correspond to reality. The problem with this is that it can cause the person to use again due to this relaxation in the situation. This phase lasts 4 to 6 weeks.
- Prolonged withdrawal phase or wall phase. In this phase of the withdrawal syndrome, the person experiences it as a setback since energy decreases again, there is a desire to consume again, there are feelings of sadness or anger, sexual function may be impaired and family and social problems may arise. social relations in general. This phase lasts about 3 or 4 months.
- Adaptation and resolution phase. In this phase the person has overcome physical abstinence, which implies greater emotional stability. Therefore, the person begins to resume their life and include new healthy habits.
With it you can know your level of dependence on tobacco.
Duration of withdrawal syndrome
How long does drug withdrawal last? How long does it take to overcome an addiction? It must be taken into account that physical abstinence is temporary and it is the one that follows these phases, which can last between 4 and 6 months. However, psychological dependence is permanent. Although at first it is more intense and then you can live with those traces of dependence, you must always be alert and not trust yourself to use again “just once”, since the physical dependence would be reactivated again. Remember that “just once” is part of that more psychological dependence that does not end up disappearing.
It is difficult to give an exact answer to how long the withdrawal syndrome lasts, since it will depend on the substance, the consumption and the person, but we can say that physical withdrawal has its peak between the 24 and 72 hours, then the intensity decreases. In tobacco, the most physical symptoms last between 2 or three weeks, a similar duration with alcohol. The intensity of psychological withdrawal also reduces, although it may never disappear completely, but the most annoying symptoms normally subside between 4 and 6 months after.
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Treatment of withdrawal syndrome
If the substance you are dependent on is alcohol, it is common to need a supplementation in vitamin C and vitamin B1, in addition to magnesium and glucose since there is slight malnutrition. It is common for them to be accompanied by psychiatric support in the event that medication for anxiety is necessary (although it is not recommended because it generates addiction) and a psychological therapyboth individually and at the group level.
In psychological therapy, both at the level of tobacco and alcohol, the reasons why it is consumed are worked on: alleviate anxiety, due to social or cultural aspects… and alternatives are sought for the same. They train relaxation exercises and forms of distraction for the person to apply every time they have a desire to consume. Likewise, irrational ideas are worked on about the status that consuming implies (in the case that consumption is carried out due to social pressure) and assertiveness is trained to learn to reject consumption. In the same way, the person is reminded of the abstinence process that he has had to go through due to the consumption that he has exercised.
In the case of caffeine, it is common to use nicotine to alleviate the symptoms. Furthermore, since it is common for sudden cravings to appear, work is done on distraction techniques for the moment they appear.
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This article is merely informative, at Psychology-Online we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.
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Bibliography
- American Psychiatric Association, (2013), Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). Arlington, VA:American Psychiatric Publishing.
- Campbell Collaboration. (2017). 12-step programs to reduce illicit drug use are neither better nor worse than other interventions.
- Myers (2006), Psychology 7th edition, Editorial Médica Panamericana: Madrid