People often wonder why a person can’t summon the willpower to get sober on his or her own. Typically, a person will relapse within the first week or two of trying to get clean because the symptoms of drug withdrawal are so uncomfortable. Different drugs have different withdrawal symptoms, both mental and physical. In some cases, the symptoms are so harsh that individuals turn back to drugs in order to feel better. When people become physically dependent on a dangerous drug to feel normal, the dependency changes the brain’s survival-centered regions, causing people to believe they will die without drugs.
One of the best ways to ensure that you make it through withdrawal is by going to a residential detox clinic or a residential addiction treatment center like Crestview Recovery first. Relapse prevention starts early on, from adequately dealing with the withdrawal symptoms. Not only will you get through this difficult stage of the recovery process in detox, but you’ll learn some very beneficial tools. First, you should understand why your body experiences different symptoms of withdrawal.
Why Drug Withdrawal Happens
Any time you begin putting anything in your body regularly, your body changes and begins to adapt. To maintain balance, your internal body chemistry changes to compensate for the new substance. Even people who drink caffeine regularly or eat fast food may experience minor symptoms of withdrawal. This happens when they stop using the substance, and the body begins trying to regain equilibrium.
When it comes to drugs, withdrawal symptoms are much worse than what you’d experience from quitting caffeine. Drugs change the way your brain functions as a result of an excess of dopamine. The receptors in your brain no longer get the flood of dopamine that they’re used to, which can cause a wide range of symptoms. Depending on your drug of choice, the symptoms can be very different.
Drug Withdrawal from Stimulants
Stimulant withdrawal is unique because it doesn’t cause physical symptoms. Most of the withdrawal symptoms from drugs like prescription amphetamines, meth, and cocaine are psychological. The downside to this is that there aren’t many medications that minimize these symptoms. When you begin the medical detox process, medications can help reduce a few of the symptoms, though, including:
- High blood pressure
Drug Withdrawal from Depressants
Depressants include substances like alcohol, prescription opiates, benzodiazepines, and heroin. Withdrawal from these types of drugs has similar psychological symptoms to stimulants, but with physical symptoms. Luckily, medications can help decrease many of these uncomfortable symptoms by tricking the brain. Some of the most common depressant withdrawal symptoms include:
- Flu-like symptoms
- Aches and pains in joints and bones
- Body tremors
Why You Need Addiction Treatment
The worst mistake anyone attempting sobriety can make is thinking they can maintain sobriety long term by only going to detox. It takes thorough, in-depth addiction treatment programs in order to stay sober and live a healthier life. This comes from transitioning from a detox program to an addiction rehabilitation facility. At a rehab facility, you’ll learn how to deal with all of the thoughts, feelings, and situations that make you turn to drugs in the first place.
Aside from one-on-one individual counseling, you’ll also learn many other ways to manage your thoughts and emotions. Yoga therapy is not only a great way to relieve stress, but it’s something that can help with the symptoms of withdrawal. This is important because some people experience post-acute withdrawal syndrome (PAWS) long after detox. Yoga and other holistic methods can help you deal with those symptoms.