| Persons with addictive disease continue to use their | | | | The withdrawal referred to here also embraces the |
| substances in the face of a long history of adverse | | | | symptoms of a more subjective nature associated |
| consequences in significant areas of their lives, including | | | | with psychological dependence upon a substance, with |
| medical problems, legal problems, relational problems, | | | | obsessive thoughts and preoccupation with the |
| and employment problems. The drive to use often is | | | | substance. Also included within the withdrawal definition |
| stronger than one’s love for a significant other or a | | | | is the apprehension felt by the recovering person that |
| child; stronger than loyalty to an employer or a friend; | | | | he/she will now have to face all of the pain and |
| and stronger than one’s values or even spiritual | | | | vicissitudes of life without the drug used as a primary |
| tenets. Persons with addictive disease continue to use | | | | coping mechanism for years. The individual will be |
| long after any rational individual would choose to do so. | | | | acutely aware of the fact that recovery will require |
| This article provides a brief summary of one factor, | | | | facing the pain and consequences of active addiction |
| among many, involved in the power of addictive | | | | (e.g., harm caused to loved ones), again without his/her |
| disease: the role of fear of withdrawal. | | | | drug. Often the pain, guilt, remorse, and self-hatred |
| Fear of withdrawal is one of the fundamental forces | | | | emotionally overwhelm the individual, triggering the |
| at play in the power of addictive disease, be it | | | | coping response of the addict or alcoholic, namely, use |
| alcoholism or drug addiction. Withdrawal in this context | | | | of his/her drug of choice. |
| is defined to include the physical signs and symptoms | | | | Fear of withdrawal as defined here is an imposing |
| of withdrawal usually associated with abrupt cessation | | | | obstacle to the development of willingness on the part |
| of use of a substance, after chronic use to the point | | | | of an addict or alcoholic to choose abstinence and |
| of development of tolerance and tissue dependence. | | | | recovery. The cumulative effect of chronic pain and |
| For example, here are some of the signs and | | | | consequences, if properly presented to the addicted |
| symptoms associated with withdrawal after physical | | | | individual by a skilled mental health professional with |
| dependence on alcohol: cravings for alcohol, tremors, | | | | expertise in addictions, with a healthy dose of hope for |
| sleeplessness, diarrhea, anxiety, sweating, loss of | | | | a way out of the morass of addiction, can help the |
| appetite, up to hallucinations and seizures in severe | | | | individual to face these fears though treatment. |
| cases. | | | | |