Every addiction is different and depends upon a variety of factors, including the individual, environment, expectation, chemical make up, type of drug, availability, and development of cross addiction. The circumstance of drug withdrawal follows the same pattern.
The severity of symptoms, level of craving, the time it takes to recover or for the drug to completely leave the system, and rather or not the individual requires the supervision of medical care, all depends on the above factors.
Every drug is different and affects the user in unique ways. Some drugs are not only more addictive than others, but are also more difficult to quit, which is directly related to the symptoms that incur through withdrawal. While some believe that the debilitating occurrence of drug withdrawal has nothing to do with chemical dependency, others believe they are co-existant.
The difficulty in quitting an addiction has everything to do with the onset of the negative physical, emotional, and psychological symptoms that encourage users to self medicate in the first place. As the drug addiction progresses, and a tolerance is developed, the mental and physical state of the addict is eroded. In these cases, when the drug begins to leave the system compulsive behavior sets in, as the craving becomes overwhelming. The initial stages of depression and anxiety, create chain reactions within the brain, manipulating the user to do whatever they can to obtain and use the chemical as soon as possible. Like anything else that the body depends upon, if there is a shortage of the particular chemical within the system, the body learns to respond in a variety of ways to alert the individual. As the addiction becomes chronic the situation worsens, as the body craves higher levels of the drug to satisfy its needs. Once again drug withdrawal follows the same pattern. The severity of withdrawal increases as the abuse progresses.
Drug withdrawal ranges in severity from mild irritation to possible death, depending upon the substance. While it is commonly believed that heroin is the most difficult substance to quit, it is actually alcohol that is by far the most debilitating and dangerous of chemical dependency in relation to withdrawal symptoms. When heroin leaves the body it produces flu like symptoms accompanied by profuse sweating, depression, insomnia, delusions, and overall weakness. While these symptoms can be quite painful, they are rarely life threatening, and while it is advised to seek medical supervision, in terms of physical danger, it is not always necessary. Alcohol drug withdrawal on the other hand can be very dangerous. If it is a chronic situation sobriety should not be attempted without the aid of medical help. Delirium tremens are life threatening seizures common in severe cases of alcohol withdrawal. Without supervision, these symptoms could lead to death.
Withdrawal of some degree accompanies the absence of any chemical within the body, that the individual has taken long enough to develop a tolerance to. The degree of tolerance directly depends upon factors of time and amount, while withdrawal depends directly upon the tolerance. Caffeine and nicotine are two substances that are highly used, legal, and quite dangerous. Both are quite addictive and difficult to quit. Nicotine has been compared to heroin in elements of addiction such as compulsion based behavior and craving. There are many drug rehab programs available to assist with withdrawal, detox, and treatment services.
