Key Takeaways
- Remember that withdrawal symptoms are temporary and will lead to positive changes.
- Rest and take breaks; listen to your body during the healing process.
- Seek support by joining a recovery group or speaking with a counselor.
People who beat drug and alcohol addictions feel much better after they quit, but they typically endure a very difficult stage before they begin to feel better: withdrawal.
If you’ve used alcohol, heroin, meth, or other substances for only a short time or have taken only small doses, you might not experience withdrawal. However, if you’ve been binge drinking, using alcohol and/or drugs for a long time, or taking increasingly higher doses over a short time, you might feel quite unwell physically for a while when you stop.
Withdrawal is not the same as a post-intoxication hangover that people generally sleep off.
Common Symptoms of Withdrawal
Biological changes occur in your brain during withdrawal as your body seeks homeostasis, causing a mix of physical and emotional symptoms. You might experience some, all, or none of these, depending on the length and intensity of your addiction.
Depression
Although depressive symptoms feel worse than everyday sadness and can mimic clinical depression, they don’t usually last as long. You might experience:
- Feelings of hopelessness, doom, and low self-worth
- A lack of energy and enthusiasm
- Feeling that life ahead is empty without the thrill of getting high or drunk
- Frequent crying
- Difficulty concentrating
- Erratic eating and sleeping patterns
You might even feel let down and disappointed that something that felt so good turned out to be harmful, and leaving such a big part of your life behind might feel like grieving.
Remember: These feelings are a normal part of the process. They’re temporary and last only a few days.
Anxiety
You might feel anxiety that’s worse than everyday nervousness—a bit like an unpleasant but short-lived anxiety disorder.
As with depression, some anxiety during withdrawal is to be expected. If you took a drug or drank alcohol to relax, you’re likely to feel tenser. Likewise, if you were essentially self-medicating, you might fear what is going to happen without your usual way of coping.
Physical symptoms of anxiety can make you feel as if something scary is happening. Your breathing and heart rate might increase, sometimes to the point where you feel you can’t catch your breath or that you’re having a heart attack, even though you’re not.
Mood Swings
Rapid fluctuations in mood are common during withdrawal. One minute, you might feel exhausted, as if life is no longer worth living; the next, you might feel the urge to run away because it feels like something awful is about to happen. This back-and-forth can be draining for both you and those around you.
Fatigue
As with anxiety and depression, fatigue is common and normal for people withdrawing from drugs and alcohol. Your body must recover from the damage that drugs and alcohol do, as well as from sleep deprivation, sleep disturbance, overstimulation, and other effects of addiction.
Fatigue is also a common symptom of depression and an after-effect of anxiety. You also might feel tired from the many thoughts and emotions that can overwhelm you when you don’t have alcohol or drugs to numb them.
How to Deal With Withdrawal Symptoms
Remember, your body is recalibrating and healing, so feeling physical and emotional changes is expected. Keep these tips in mind as you navigate the first days and weeks of your healthier lifestyle:
- Feel and work through your grief. You’re grieving the loss of something you enjoyed—perhaps a significant part of your life. You may even be separating yourself from certain friends or family members. Leaning into the emotions and seeking support can help you come to terms with these losses.
- Remind yourself symptoms are temporary. Like other symptoms, anxiety, depression, and mood swings are temporary and will eventually lead to significant, positive changes in your body and mind. Life really is worth living, and very soon, it will get much better.
- Remember, you are safe. You may feel like you want to crawl out of your skin or that you are having a heart attack. Remember, the anxiety you might feel is your body going through a normal healing process.
- Rest. Withdrawal fatigue is exhausting, but people try to keep going at their usual pace. Instead, listen to your body. Consider taking a break from your regular routine. Don’t socialize for a few days, and take a sick leave from work. Get enough sleep.
- Practice relaxation skills. Try meditation, deep breathing, exercise—whatever might help you rest your mind and body.
- Get support. Consider joining a recovery group or seeing a drug and alcohol counselor. You will not be judged or shamed; these peers and/or professionals have been through recovery themselves and help people like you every day. They have access to an arsenal of resources and ways to assist. Talking with someone who understands and validates your feelings can help ease your turmoil.
- See your doctor or therapist. Suppose your feelings of depression or anxiety continue, and you are finding it difficult to function and cope. In that case, you might be experiencing a substance-induced mood disorder, or you might have had a pre-existing mood disorder that was masked by your drug use. Your healthcare provider or therapist can suggest ways to help calm your nervous system and challenge negative thoughts.
In Case of Emergency
If your anxiety symptoms intensify and are accompanied by life-threatening physical symptoms within the first few days, you might be experiencing more significant withdrawal issues and should contact your physician
How Long Does Withdrawal Last?
The duration of your withdrawal symptoms depends on the substance you used, along with the length and intensity of your addiction—typically, just a few days, but weeks or months in some cases.
When to Get Help
After the first week or two of withdrawal, your needs change. This is typically a good time to get treatment, which will help you understand why you drank or used drugs in the first place and help set you up for a life without alcohol or drugs. Some people can do this on their own, but many benefit from extra support during the first few months to avoid relapse.
Occasionally, withdrawal symptoms go on for months, or they go away and then come back. This is known as post-acute withdrawal syndrome (PAWS) and can occur with alcohol and other drugs. If it happens to you, talk to your doctor about getting more help.
If mood changes are severe, last longer than other withdrawal symptoms, or include thoughts of harming yourself or suicide, get help immediately. Contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988 (or have someone do it for you) for support and assistance from a trained counselor. If you or a loved one are in immediate danger, call 911.
For more mental health resources, see our National Helpline Database.
Final Thoughts
Facing depression, anxiety, and other emotional symptoms during withdrawal can be very difficult. Know that you are not weak; this is challenging for almost everyone. However, you won’t regret your decision once you come through withdrawal. The payoff is a healthier, happier, more productive lifestyle at home, work, and play.
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