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Nursing Homework: Addiction and Withdrawal

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Addiction and Withdrawal

When a person forgoes or cuts back on addictive substances such as drugs and alcohol

or addictive behaviour such as gambling for a day, they undergo a process called

withdrawal[ CITATION Ric201 \l 1033 ]. This includes a combination of physical, mental and

emotional symptoms some of which can prove fatal or dangerous if left unmanaged. The

withdrawal symptoms vary from mild to severe and can differ from one person to another.

The severity or mildness of the withdrawal is greatly influenced by three factors which

include; the type of substance or behaviour and the amount of time abused, the person's age

and their physical and psychological characteristics, and the type of withdrawal process used.

Some of the withdrawal symptoms that a person will experience include irritability,

insomnia, aches and pains, cravings, changing moods, fatigue, hallucinations and nausea. The

person may also develop cold-like symptoms such as a running nose. Other difficulties that

the person may experience is feeling hot and cold as well as having goosebumps. The most

severe withdrawal symptoms, particularly for drugs and alcohol consist of seizures and

tremors, paranoia, confusion, and disorientation[ CITATION Lin19 \l 1033 ]. Though the

symptoms may last for the whole day, weeks or months the body eventually adapts and the

symptoms ultimately stops.

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References

Rick D. Kellerman, D. R. (2020). Conn's Current Therapy 2021, E-Book. Elsevier Health

Sciences.

Skidmore-Roth, L. (2019). Mosby's 2020 Nursing Drug Reference E-Book. Elsevier Health

Sciences.