Stimulant Withdrawal

Stimulants work by increasing the amount of the chemicals dopamine and norepinephrine in the brain.

This may increase concentration, alertness, and cognitive function and produce pleasure and feelings of euphoria. These chemicals also activate the reward pathways of the brain. The reward system is a natural part of how your brain functions. When you exercise or eat something sweet, your brain releases a small amount of dopamine, which makes you experience the activity pleasurable, and makes you want to do it again.

Taking stimulants can flood your brain with far higher levels of dopamine than is normal, causing your brain to produce urges to use a substance that is very strong and difficult to resist. With repeated use, this may lead to addiction.

Repeated use of stimulants may also lead to physical dependence as your brain reacts to the increased chemicals by decreasing the amount it produces to try and create balance. You begin to build up a tolerance to the drug, requiring higher and higher doses to achieve the same effect, and with time, you can become dependent on the drug just to feel normal.

When you develop a physical dependence on a stimulant, your body begins to need the drug to function normally.

When you stop taking it, you may experience a series of withdrawal symptoms as your body adjusts to its absence. Most stimulant withdrawal symptoms are psychological rather than physical.

Each person has a different experience of withdrawal. Your withdrawal symptoms will depend on the kind of stimulant, your tolerance, your metabolism, and the history of your drug use.

If you have co-occurring mental disorders, you may experience more severe symptoms and a long withdrawal process.

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Stimulant withdrawal symptoms may include:

• Anxiety
• Dehydration
• Slowed speech
• Loss of interest
• Slowed movements
• Slow heart rate
• Hallucinations
• Paranoia
• Fatigue
• Memory problems
• Weight loss
• Insomnia
• Body aches
• Drug cravings
• Unpleasant dreams
• Depression

These symptoms are not life-threatening for most people, but for some, they can be very severe. This is especially true for amphetamine withdrawal.

Severe symptoms most often involve suicidal thoughts and behaviors and include paranoia, violent outbursts, aggression, or panic. These symptoms tend to occur at the start of withdrawal and can last around a week.

Managing severe symptoms safely requires medical detox with 24-hour support. Without professional medical help, these symptoms can lead to overdose and other forms of self-harm.

You usually start to feel symptoms from within a few hours to several days after ceasing using a stimulant.

Symptoms are generally at the most severe about a week into treatment. Within two weeks, most symptoms should have faded. Symptoms that you still experience after two weeks are called post-acute withdrawal syndrome (PAWS). These could include insomnia, anxiety, depression, and fatigue. PAWS can last for over a year after treatment, though they are mild and ease with time in most cases.

Most people experience an initial crash as soon as the effects of the drug wear off, which can include feelings of depression, anxiety, and annoyance.

You may start feeling mentally and physically exhausted, and you could experience jerky movements, extreme annoyance, and depression. Severe symptoms such as paranoia, delusions, and suicidal thoughts usually develop at this time.

From about 24 to 36 hours after the initial crash, you may feel a strong urge to sleep. Sleeping, however, can be difficult, and you may be extremely low on energy, both physically and mentally.

After around 36 hours, sleeping tends to become easier. You may feel very tired during the day and sleep for a long time at night, and when you wake up, you might be very hungry.

Withdrawal symptoms usually last around one week. Towards the end of this week, they should begin to fade. Any symptoms that remain after this time are post-acute withdrawal syndrome (PAWS).

Withdrawing from stimulants can be difficult and, in severe cases, put you at risk of self-harm, so care and support during this time can be invaluable.

At Cirque Lodge, our medical detox program takes place in luxury facilities under the 24-hour supervision of medical professionals. Trained medical staff will be by your side at all times to make the process as comfortable as possible. If needed, they may prescribe you medicines to ease some symptoms.

Recovery from addiction requires more than detoxification.

Addiction is an illness that makes you compulsively seek and use a substance. Overcoming this involves identifying the causes of your addiction and developing skills to overcome them.

The causes of addiction are often deep-rooted and specific to your circumstances. Effective treatment programs need to recognize this.

At Cirque Lodge, our personalized treatment program treats you as a whole person. We focus on any underlying mental health conditions or co-occurring disorders you may be struggling with alongside your addiction and provide a holistic healing program that helps you reconnect with your mind, body, and soul.

You will find our state-of-the-art treatment facilities in the remote Rocky Mountains, where we offer a variety of treatment approaches, including behavioral therapy, experiential therapy, family therapy, and support groups. Our program involves therapy sessions alongside enriching outdoor activities to help you develop new skills and rediscover life free from addiction.