Strategies for Coping With Withdrawal Symptoms
Coping with the effects of withdrawal from drugs or alcohol is tough because the mind and body suffer many effects when there is a sudden discontinuation of drugs or alcohol.
Some of the withdrawal signs are psychological as well as physical. The body might feel that everything is zapped from it. Some people suffer from extreme fatigue, severe headaches, flu-like symptoms, hallucinations, sleeplessness, cravings for the substance, severe stomachaches, vomiting, psychosis, and more.
In many instances, severe cases of withdrawal require the help of a doctor. In many cases, a person is weaned from the substance by decreasing the dosage of the drug until it is eliminated from the body.
Unfortunately, not everyone can simply be weaned from a substance and must stop cold turkey. Below are some of the best ways to cope with the effects of withdrawal from a drug or alcohol dependency.
Drink Lots of Water
One of the best natural remedies for withdrawal is water. Water helps relieve urges, cravings, constipation, hunger, and coughing. Water helps flush the body of any remaining substance such as drugs, nicotine, alcohol, or whatever it is you are withdrawing from.
Eat a Well-Balanced Diet
Next, it is a good idea to eat healthy foods such as fresh fruits, vegetables, and foods that contain a lot of fiber and nutritional value. This will help the body revitalize due to the nutrients and other essential substances so that the body can begin to heal itself.
When the body is detoxifying, we lose a lot of natural nutrients and toxins, so replacing them is necessary.
Try Natural Herbs or Alternative Medicine
A good natural remedy to help with withdrawal is using natural herbs and plants, such as mimosa, in your tea.
Drinking tea helps relieve anxiety and headaches caused by substance withdrawal. Tea is also known to help boost your mood. Milk thistle is known for helping the liver recover from alcohol withdrawal, and it helps the liver rid itself of toxins and keeps toxins from entering the liver.
Pantothenic acid is great for helping detoxify the liver. This is a B vitamin and is a good supplement to use if you are fighting an alcohol addiction and withdrawal. It also works well for other withdrawal side effects and helps relieve anxiety and stress. In most cases, 500 mg of this B5 vitamin is taken a couple of times a day to relieve the effects of withdrawal.
For coping with withdrawal, the supplement gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), is a great choice. GABA helps ease anxiety and nervousness caused by the effects of withdrawal because it helps calm the nerves with its balancing effect.
Another herb known to produce a calming effect on withdrawal effects is known as a skullcap. Skullcap also helps ease body tension, alleviates headaches and helps with insomnia and irritability. It comes in capsule form, but it can be taken in tea form.
Physical Activity Can Help
Exercising has been known to help with withdrawal. Simply try adding some walking, jogging, or other physical activity to help your body help itself. This will help you mentally feel better as well. You don’t have to go through an extreme workout, simply stay active to help distract the mind from your withdrawal effects.
The very best relief from withdrawal symptoms is never to use the substance in the first place, but because not everyone can do that, the above tips can help you get through the withdrawal symptoms naturally.