Abstinence syndrome: what is it? Symptoms and Treatment

Alcohol and drug addiction can hardly be considered a rarity. And it's not a secret for anyone that stopping the use of a certain substance that has caused addiction is accompanied by severe symptoms. Why there is an abstinence syndrome? What is it and what are its signs? How dangerous is this condition? These questions will be of interest to many.

Abstinence syndrome: what is it? The mechanism of the emergence of "breaking"

This condition occurs against the background of discontinuation of the substances that caused the dependence. The presence of such a condition indicates chronic alcoholism or drug addiction - in healthy people there are no such problems.

But why there is an abstinence syndrome? What are these mechanisms responsible for physical changes in the human body? The fact is that prolonged use of a narcotic substance (or ethyl alcohol) leads to a breakdown in metabolism. Over time, the body becomes so addicted to the toxin that it includes it in the metabolic reaction. Accordingly, stopping the use of the drug affects the work of almost every organ. In fact, the withdrawal syndrome is an attempt by the body to restore the natural state.

Abstinence syndrome and its symptoms

As a rule, the first signs of "breaking" appear after 6-48 hours after the last use of the drug. Symptoms in this case depend on the stage of alcoholism. Nevertheless, we can identify some common features.

As a rule, abstinence syndrome is accompanied by increased irritability, absent-mindedness, decreased efficiency. Noticeable and physical changes - pain in the muscles, excessive sweating, tachycardia. Patients report shortness of breath and arrhythmia. From neurologic symptoms stands out tremor of hands, unsteadiness of gait. As a rule, people suffer from insomnia. Even if they manage to fall asleep, dreams are accompanied by nightmares, and in the morning there is a strong weakness and fatigue.

There are other symptoms that accompany the withdrawal syndrome. What are these violations? For example, with a severe form of dependence, changes in the CNS are observed. Patients suffer from hallucinations (visual or auditory), display an inadequate response to habitual stimuli. In some cases, this condition is accompanied by convulsions. Help with withdrawal symptoms is simply necessary. Yes, in some cases, people with addictions manage to survive such a violation on their own. But most often "breaking" leads to either a breakdown, or to the appearance of a severe psychosis, popularly known as the "white fever".

Treatment of withdrawal syndrome

As a rule, patients with this diagnosis need hospitalization. Only the narcologist can help the patient to withstand the withdrawal syndrome. The drugs used in therapy are designed to eliminate the main symptoms, normalize the metabolism and purify the body of toxins. With mental disorders in the first few days, it is possible to use sedatives and tranquilizers. If the syndrome is accompanied by convulsions, patients are prescribed anticonvulsants. For problems with the work of the heart, beta-blockers are used. In any case, there is no dependence on the pill. Drug treatment can facilitate the process of stopping the use of narcotic substances, but does not relieve the psychological dependence.