Withdrawal

Got the shakes? Headaches? Temperamental and irritable? Feeling depressed and unmotivated? Then its quite possible you are experiencing withdrawals symptoms. There is no way to predict how any individual will respond to quitting, whether they are quitting caffeine, tobacco, drugs, or alcohol. Symptoms also depend on how "chemically dependent" the person is to the substance.

If the person is a "heavy consumer" of the substance, it is possible that if they quit "cold turkey" they will definitely need to be under the care of a physician. "they will experience some physical withdrawal symptoms -- which can range from the mildly annoying to severe and even life-threatening. Typically, for those who are mildly dependent, doses of vitamins (Thiamin) and a proper diet will prevent most of the mild withdrawal symptoms from occurring. For the severely dependent, medication can be administered, but only by a physician."(about.com)

What I found interesting is that the withdrawal symptoms for alcoholism, are also the same withdrawals that drug users and pill users experience when they quit. A gentleman I met in treatment suffers from paranoia schizophrenia because of the Xanex and Valium he was on for so long. I also experienced some of these symptoms myself when I got clean, and I was considered to be a moderate user and drinker. It is quite amazing to me the effects that our bodies experience from foreign chemical substances, even alcohol.

No matter your poison, your body can and in most cases will develop a chemical dependency. When you remove that chemical all of a sudden, your body and your brain experience a bit of a shock. It is definitely a good idea to stop putting such harmful chemicals into our bodies, but do it safely. Please seek the help of others including physicians as well as those who have walked that same path. Attending support groups and in time finding a 'sponsor' that can help you to get through it by sharing their own experiences and being an amazing support system for you.