Drug Withdrawal and Its Symptoms
Being a drug addict is a very difficult situation to be in. You want to quit but you simply can’t because your physical and mental capabilities are affected when you try to stop using drugs. This is because most drugs affect the “pleasure center” of the brain known as the nucleus accumbens. When this area of the brain is affected, it would directly interfere with the stimulation of dopamine action in your body. So when you use drugs for an extended amount of time, the neurotransmitter becomes minimally active. You will then end up with drug withdrawal when you stop the drug usage due to the abnormally low amounts of dopamine on your brain. These activities on the brain results in negative results for the body as it tried to adjust to changes and restore the normal dopamine levels.
The withdrawal symptoms that a person will feel will depend on a lot of factors such as the amount of drugs ingested, the frequency of use, and the type of drug that was used. However, it should be noted that drug withdrawal would be at its worst when the drugs that are used affect the central nervous system. These drugs include nicotine, tranquilizers, narcotics, and stimulants.
Some symptoms of drug withdrawal can be mild but some can be as extreme as delirium and chronic seizures. So in the case when drug addiction is severe, professional help is recommended. The drug withdrawal should be supervised in a safe medical environment by a doctor or a capable staff. It is also important to remember that it would be dangerous for a severely addicted person to go “cold turkey” at once because his body has come to depend on the drug in order to function. Because of this, the processes of cleaning the body from toxins should be done slowly but surely.
Filed under: Medical & Safety Concerns
