The discomfort and distress that follow discontinuing the use of an addictive drug?

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Multiple Choice

The discomfort and distress that follow discontinuing the use of an addictive drug?

Discomfort and distress after stopping an addictive drug are withdrawal symptoms. When someone uses a drug regularly, the brain and body adapt to its presence. If the drug is suddenly removed, those adaptations rebound in ways that produce physical and psychological symptoms—anxiety, sweating, tremors, nausea, insomnia, and more, depending on the substance. This withdrawal experience is what people refer to when they talk about the distress that follows cessation. Craving is a strong desire to use the drug again, which can occur during withdrawal but is a different phenomenon. Tolerance means needing more of the drug to achieve the same effect, not the distress of stopping. Dependence describes the overall reliance on the drug, of which withdrawal is a consequence when stopping.

Discomfort and distress after stopping an addictive drug are withdrawal symptoms. When someone uses a drug regularly, the brain and body adapt to its presence. If the drug is suddenly removed, those adaptations rebound in ways that produce physical and psychological symptoms—anxiety, sweating, tremors, nausea, insomnia, and more, depending on the substance. This withdrawal experience is what people refer to when they talk about the distress that follows cessation.

Craving is a strong desire to use the drug again, which can occur during withdrawal but is a different phenomenon. Tolerance means needing more of the drug to achieve the same effect, not the distress of stopping. Dependence describes the overall reliance on the drug, of which withdrawal is a consequence when stopping.

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