How to Help a Person Dealing With Withdrawal

Withdrawal, which occurs when a person discontinues the use of an addictive substance, is rarely pleasant. The nature of a withdrawal is connected to the substance the person is withdrawing from. There are seven recognized substances, which when the dependent person stops taking them abruptly will cause withdrawal: alcohol, opioids, marijuana, benzodiazipines, cocaine, caffeine and nicotine. Patience and understanding is needed to help a person dealing with withdrawal, regardless of the dependency.

Instructions

Educate yourself

• 1

  Read books about addiction. The most important thing you can do to help someone going through withdrawal is to educate yourself on what they're going through. In addition to medical books on the topic, there are countless biographies of people who have gone through withdrawal. Reading these will not only increase your understanding of what the person withdrawing is going through, it will allow you to understand the challenging behavior the person may present. Withdrawal symptoms manifest themselves in anxiety, depression and craving; these symptoms often turn into aggression towards the people trying to help the addict recover. Don't take the aggression personally, realize that it's part of the recovery process.

• 2

  Remove the destructive substances. The "cold turkey" approach doesn't work for certain types of addiction; in these cases a doctor will prescribe medicines to wean the patient off the abused substance. Except for these medicines, all other harmful substances should be removed from the place where the person is struggling through withdrawal. The person in withdrawal will be seeking to replace the sensations gained from the addictive substance and may seek out other substances to achieve the same feelings. Create a secure, safe place for the recovery to begin.

• 3

  Call others for support. Helping someone through withdrawal is a difficult process. A drug helpline can offer support, guidance and provide you with an outlet for the anxieties and frustration you will likely be feeling. Although the degree of withdrawal depends on the substance, keep in mind that withdrawal brings with it considerable physical and psychological struggles for the person in the midst of it. If you feel the person you're helping requires medical attention, even if the substance they're withdrawing from is illegal, make it happen. Ultimately, the best way to help someone dealing with withdrawal is to ensure that the person is looked after both physically and mentally. If the situation becomes serious enough that you're unable to guarantee the person's safety, seek professional help immediately.