Fighting Common Drug Withdrawal Symptoms

Withdrawal symptoms tend to vary according to the kind of drug the patient has been taking. Most of these drugs, including tranquilizers, narcotics, amphetamines, nicotine and drugs for depression target the central nervous system and post different drug withdrawal effects on a person. There’s no really one way of narrowing down all the symptoms because these would also depend upon the physiological make-up of a person and how these chemicals react to it. There are, however, some commonalities:

drug withdrawalWeight Loss

Withdrawal from drugs usually affects the body’s appetite for food. Due to a constant craving for a certain drug, an appetite is overshadowed. It is important that someone is administering proper amounts of fluids and food to the patient. Intense withdrawal often leaves the patient incapacitated and unable to tend to his own needs.


Paranoia is a common symptom of withdrawal. This disrupts normal brain functions thus producing an obsessive thought process that may lead him to think that he is in danger. Some drugs scramble the normal functions on the brain to the point that it confuses the senses and perceptions. Some patients need only a mild sedative while others would require restraints.


Depression is a state of low activity and energy in a patient, usually accompanied with persistent sadness, insomnia, loss of interest in activities, and restlessness among others. This is common to withdrawal patients — the feeling of hopelessness and worthlessness. Just like paranoia, treatment for depression would depend on the severity of the sickness. This is very important to monitor for all withdrawal patients. Depression can lead to various dangers, including thoughts of suicide.

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