WITHDRAWAL SYMPTOMS

Mental and physical symptoms experienced when drugs are unavailable to individuals who have become addicted or habituated to them.These symptoms may be relatively mild, moderate, or extremely intense, depending on the existence and degree of physiological dependence on the drug. Milder effects include vague uneasiness, headaches and slight depression. Typical moderate effects are insomnia, nausea, and restlessness. Severe symptoms are mental confusion, excruciating abdominal pain, convulsions, and delirium.In cases of physical dependence, as in heroin addiction, the symptoms generally follow a regular sequence in which they develop, reach maximum intensity, and decline at fairly specific times. This sequence is sometimes termed “abstinence syndrome.” The severity of heroin withdrawal symptoms can be reduced by administration of tranquilizers and the synthetic narcotic, metha done. For specific withdrawal symptoms,