Frequent use of drugs or alcohol can result in dependency. This means that users become so accustomed to having the substance in their bodies that they believe they cannot survive without it. The human body is designed to react with physical symptoms when it is deprived of something that it thinks is essential, and drugs and alcohol are no different.
For example, when we stop drinking water, we experience thirst. When we stop eating, we get hungry. When we stop using a substance that our bodies have become dependent on, we go through a set of withdrawal symptoms.
The body does this in order to warn us that it is running out of the substance, and that we should get more. We alleviate thirst by drinking water, and we alleviate hunger by eating. In the same way, people with drug addictions or alcohol addictions instinctively manage their withdrawal symptoms by seeking more drugs or alcohol.
If they do not get the substances into their bodies soon enough, the withdrawal symptoms become more severe. In some cases, they can cause serious illness, or even death. Our professionally supervised detox is a way to keep people with addictions safe from self-harm or illness while their bodies are becoming used to surviving without the drugs or alcohol.
What withdrawal symptoms are common?
The withdrawal symptoms depend on many factors, including the nature of the substance, the amount and frequency of use, the age and physical wellbeing of the user, history of mental health conditions and more.