Ask anyone going through drug or alcohol withdrawal how they feel and they'll likely compare it to being hit by a speeding locomotive. From total body aches and fits of sweating to headaches and feelings of depression, breaking an addiction is certainly not without its difficulties.
Despite the sweeping generalization of simply feeling terrible, the physical and mental withdrawal symptoms experienced are absolutely dependent on the substance of abuse.
So, what can you expect during the withdrawal process? Let's take a look at some commonly abused substances and their unique withdrawal symptoms.
When you're experiencing withdrawal from opiates – pain medications like morphine, codeine, Oxycontin, Dilaudid and heroin – involves early symptoms like anxiety, muscle aches, insomnia, sweating and yawning and late symptoms like diarrhea, dilated pupils and vomiting.
"Opioid withdrawal reactions are very uncomfortable but are not life-threatening," according data from the National Institute of Health. Symptoms typically begin within 12 hours of last heroin usage and about 30 hours following methadone.
Withdrawal from stimulants like methamphetamine is quite different from that of opiates. The difference is due to the drugs' action within the brain. While opiates attach to your brain's pain receptors, meth controls your dopamine levels and actively destroys the number of dopamine receptors available in the brain.
People who quit meth often experience a state of anhedonia, or an inability to feel pleasure. With no feelings or sensations of pleasure, severe clinical depression can occur in the absence of proper treatment.
In addition, frequent bouts of inactivity, sleepiness, carbohydrate cravings and even some forms of psychosis can accompany the severe depression.
Finally, we have alcohol. Despite being sold and marketed to the very fabric of society, some of the worst – and most dangerous – withdrawal symptoms are actually attributed to alcohol. In fact, alcohol withdrawal is so dangerous that it earned its own name: Alcohol Withdrawal Syndrome (AWS).
As you might have guessed, AWS can be (and often is) life-threatening. For this reason, people are never advised to quit drinking cold turkey.
Learn more about the medical detoxification process and how it prevents or lessens withdrawal symptoms.