When a person who is addicted to drugs or alcohol goes for an extended period of time without using them, the body begins to go through a process called withdrawal. Depending on the severity of the addiction, the process can begin only a few hours after the last episode of drinking or drug use. Withdrawal is extremely taxing on the body, both physically and mentally. In fact, the physical aspects of withdrawal can be life-threatening if a person does not seek medical attention during the withdrawal phase.
Even the beginning stages of withdrawal—sweating, trembling, nervousness, and of course, the worsening of cravings for the drug—are enough to make a person, no matter how determined he may have been to stop, succumb to the urge to take the drug. This is why many drug addiction programs do provide facilities to help a person during the withdrawal stage.
As a person continues to deprive himself of the addictive substance, initial withdrawal symptoms increase, and others begin to appear. As more and more of the drug leaves the body, a person will begin to tremble harder. The constant shaking causes muscle pain.
Sometimes, the trembling is caused by the body having chills-much like those experienced when a person is running a high fever. When chills are present, the teeth can chatter. It is not unknown for chills to be so violent that the teeth are actually broken because of the intense and constant chattering motion.
Addiction recovery programs that are equipped to handle withdrawal episodes have staff members who can provide “palliative” treatment; that is, they can provide non-narcotic medications to control pain caused by constant shivering or the muscle spasms that can sometimes occur during withdrawal. In addition, they can provide warm clothing and blankets for someone who is suffering and episode of chills.
It is not unusual for someone who is going through withdrawal to become nauseous and throw up. This can be particularly dangerous, especially if the person is alone, because the fluid that has been vomited can actually be breathed into the lungs. This can cause choking, or even suffocation and death. Being in a drug rehab program during withdrawal will ensure that someone is there to monitor the patient, and take action should a life-threatening situation occur.
It is not necessary to suffer through withdrawal alone. A person needs only to log on to http://www.drugtreatmentprogram.net/ or call 1-866-923-1134 to find an addiction recovery program that will help him through the withdrawal phase.
