These are descriptions of how individuals experienced various symptoms during withdrawal. While everyone's withdrawal is unique and symptoms will be different for everyone, it may be useful to know what others went through. All withdrawal symptoms can be caused by things in addition to withdrawal. If a symptom is persistent or you are worried by it, it is always a good idea to get it checked out by your doctor to ensure nothing else is going on. ______________________________________________________________________ Definition: (n) Emotional disturbance; perturbation. ______________________________________________________________________ What I've Felt: "You feel like you can never quite sit still and be with yourself, or other people. Some part of your body has to be in constant motion -- fingers tapping, legs pumping up and down, lips making popping noises, fingers opening and closing. Maybe you chew your nails or constantly have to chew gum. Perhaps you need to talk constantly. You want people just to hurry up and spit it out when they're talking. You need to rush to the next place. Maybe you'll feel a bit better there, have a bit more peace. At night you thrash around in the sweaty sheets , your toes curling and unfurling, clenching your stomach muscles, air whistling in and out of your mouth. Even the soft, soft bed, formerly a place of repose, feels like a slab of concrete. Your legs kick some more and you will yourself to fall asleep. The pressure of troubled thoughts makes your teeth chatter. Eventually you feel things slowing down a bit, and you drop into a fitful slumber. I used to love hanging out by myself, reading, surfing the Web, writing short stories, playing video games, spending long days on the rocks or in the mountains. During withdrawal I was absolutely terrified of any dead time, especially when alone. I had to have a book, telephone, computer, TV, or radio handy, lest my thoughts collapse inward and whip up my symptoms. I felt a constant sort of annoying, burning tingling in my gut/genitals/legs/teeth, and sometimes in my forehead, about an inch above my eyes, as if millions of ants were teeming through my veins. I often felt like exploding in rage, tearing off running (if I could breathe), or crumpling into a ball on the floor and shivering. I had the greatest difficulties when people were talking to me, either in person or on the phone. I writhed, knowing that I wanted the conversation to be over, fearing that it soon would be." - Matt ________________________________________________________________________ What I've Felt: “I did feel restless for a lot of the time. Sitting still and being peaceful, while not impossible, took a lot of effort to achieve. Mostly it was better to keep moving and distracted or to curl up in bed. Sitting and talking to people seemed to need me to tap my toes or fingers, otherwise it seemed too difficult to sit and concentrate on what they were saying. When I wanted to sit peacefully and relax it sometimes needed an hour of feeling uncomfortable before I could calm down enough to get any enjoyment out of relaxing. It was the same trying to sleep or nap – it took a long to relax enough to do so.” - Anthea _________________________________________________________________________ My Coping Strategies:
______________________________________________________________________
|
Disclaimer: The information contained in this website was not compiled by a doctor or anyone with medical training. The advice contained herein should not be substituted for the advice of a physician who is well-informed in the subject matter discussed. Before making any decisions about your health or treatment you should always confer with your physician and it is always assumed that you will do so. About this site Disclaimer Contact Last updated 21 July 2020
|