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Substance Withdrawal
Substance Withdrawal
Authored by Philippa Gold Edited by Hugh Soames
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Substance Withdrawal
What is Substance
Substance is one of the most widely abused drugs in North America and Worldwide. Addiction is nothing now, but what is new is the super worrying trend of increasing deaths due to Substance overdose. In part, this can be said to be due to a number of factors such as:
- Lack of education around Substance
- Increase in Pharmaceutical Prescriptions generally
- A failure of Governments worldwide to do enough to stop Substance addiction and related deaths
- Societal thinking regarding addicts and Substance addiction
- Lack of Harm Reduction methods around Substance usage
- Lack of addiction related education in the medical professional
Further reading about Substance from around the web
In classical physics and general chemistry, matter is any substance with mass and takes up space by having volume. All everyday objects that can be touched are ultimately composed of atoms, which are made up of interacting subatomic particles, and in everyday as well as scientific usage, matter generally includes atoms and anything made up of them, and any particles (or combination of particles) that act as if they have both rest mass and volume. However it does not include massless particles such as photons, or other energy phenomena or waves such as light or heat. Matter exists in various states (also known as phases). These include classical everyday phases such as solid, liquid, and gas – for example water exists as ice, liquid water, and gaseous steam – but other states are possible, including plasma, Bose–Einstein condensates, fermionic condensates, and quark–gluon plasma.
Usually atoms can be imagined as a nucleus of protons and neutrons, and a surrounding “cloud” of orbiting electrons which “take up space”. However this is only somewhat correct, because subatomic particles and their properties are governed by their quantum nature, which means they do not act as everyday objects appear to act – they can act like waves as well as particles, and they do not have well-defined sizes or positions. In the Standard Model of particle physics, matter is not a fundamental concept because the elementary constituents of atoms are quantum entities which do not have an inherent “size” or “volume” in any everyday sense of the word. Due to the exclusion principle and other fundamental interactions, some “point particles” known as fermions (quarks, leptons), and many composites and atoms, are effectively forced to keep a distance from other particles under everyday conditions; this creates the property of matter which appears to us as matter taking up space.
What Are Substance Withdrawal Symptoms?
Withdrawal from Substance is a serious matter. The effects on the body from Substance use is extreme, and because of these effects Substance withdrawal can very quickly become an acute medical emergency. Withdrawal from Substance can cause a hypertensive crisis or myocardial infraction. In other words, a stroke or heart attack caused by sudden stoppage in taking Substance or respiratory distress syndrome whereby your body shuts down from the lungs and respiratory system outwards. Substance withdrawal can also lead to serious anxiety and mental health related issues.
Never in any circumstances underestimate the seriousness of Substance withdrawal1https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2891684/. If you are withdrawing from Substance it is advisable to seek medical attention and in the case of medical emergency from Substance withdrawal do not hesitate to head to the nearest Emergency Room.
Substance withdrawal will vary for everyone and will be affected by several factors. The length and severity of Substance use with be one of the main predictors of withdrawal symptoms and intensity. With Substance withdrawal, it’s impossible to accurately predict how an individual will react to withdrawal.
Substance Withdrawal Timeline
Full Substance withdrawal often takes seven to fourteen days but sometimes longer, and the Substance withdrawal symptoms are categorized according to their severity.
There are no minor symptoms of Substance withdrawal. The first symptoms to exhibit themselves, usually 3-12 hours after Substance withdrawal starts proper are headaches, tremors, sweating, itching, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, fever and total confusion with anxiety or depression.
These are followed relatively quickly by the next stage in Substance withdrawal timeline by:
- Insomnia
- Seizures
- Hallucinations
- Confusion
- Tremors
- Anxiety
- Digestive discomfort
- Headaches
- Heart palpitations
- Panic attacks
- Muscle pain
- Psychosis
- Delirium tremens
- Relapse
Worryingly, every time an individual attempts Substance withdrawal the severity of symptoms tends to increase.
Substance withdrawal has a mortality rate of between three and 19 per cent, depending on seriousness of Substance usage.
Withdrawal from Substance is a physically demanding process, in which the body will utilize every means possible to remove toxins, while creating psychological challenges because of the changes to the individuals brain chemistry.
Substance Detox Process
The severity of Substance detox makes it a process that should be approached carefully. Substance Detox, especially for those with a heavy or long-lasting Substance dependency, produces a range of symptoms and in extreme cases withdrawal can be fatal. However much they may want to end their addiction to Substance, it’s vital to seek medical advice and enlist the support of their loved ones.
Substance Withdrawal at a Rehab
Detoxing from Substance within a treatment facility ensures medical help if it’s needed during the treatment process. Because Substance rebound is a significant danger during withdrawal, having medical personnel present 24-hours a day can mean an instant response to any hypertensive or life-threatening crisis that may occur as a professional tapering process lowers the chances of patients experiencing fatal episodes.
Substance withdrawal and detox begins with an initial medical exam to determine the patient’s physical condition upon entry into the rehab. This pre-detox Substance withdrawal period can last up to 24 hours, as medical personnel determines both the patient’s general medical condition and drug history.
Detoxification of the patient’s body from Substance begins after the pre-detox period ends. Medically assisted or tapered withdrawal from Substance can take up to a few weeks to complete.
Rapid Detox from Substance
Rapid detox from Substance is a controversial topic and one that is unlikely to be accepted by everyone for its positive uses. It is a concept that has helped individuals addicted to Substance and other drugs kick the habit and gain the help they need to live a healthier lifestyle.
A patient undergoing a rapid detox from Substance is put under anesthesia for up to six hours. During this time, an opioid antagonist drug such as naltrexone is used to remove the Substance from the patient’s body. Rapid detox can alleviate some of the more distressing symptoms of Substance withdrawal.
The Substance rapid detox method is used to stop a patient from feeling the devastating effects of Substance withdrawal. Sedating the patient and putting them under anaesthesia allows them to “sleep” through the initial heavy Substance withdrawal and detox process. The hope is that after the rapid detox process, the patient will wake up with their body completely clean of Substance. The remainder of the withdrawal process will be minimal enabling the person to get on with the rehab process. Throughout rapid detox, the patient is monitored to ensure safety.
Does Substance Rapid Detox Help Withdrawal Symptoms?
Experts claim that rapid detox from Substance is a safe way to cleanse the body. It is also more pleasant as individuals who go through Substance withdrawal can experience shakes, sweats, nausea, and other issues for long periods.
Substance withdrawal can take weeks to fully complete. However, rapid detox from Substance can take only a few days to a week at most. While the process of undergoing anaesthesia is just a few hours, Substance detox patients can be kept in a medical clinic for monitoring afterwards. The process enables a patient to get – for many – the most difficult and frightening part of rehab out of the way. Once completed, patients can focus on the mental and emotional side of recovery.
For most Substance addicts, the biggest barrier of attending rehab is withdrawal. The pain and distress Substance withdrawal can have on a person can drive them back to using. Therefore, limiting or stopping a person’s physical Substance withdrawal symptoms allows them to focus on making a full recovery.
By completing a residential rehab program following rapid detox, individuals can fully recover from their Substance addiction.
