When someone has been using any substance regularly, their body becomes used to it. An addictive substance can be anything from coffee through to heroin- although naturally, the severity of the illness varies from person-to-person. Withdrawal symptoms are unpleasant side effects caused when a person stops using alcohol or drugs and generally indicate that they are becoming addicted. Fortunately, our understanding of addiction has never been better and there are now numerous routes to recovery in addiction centers like ours here in San Juan Capistrano, CA, at Casa Recovery.
Although marijuana is not widely recognized as a drug as dangerous as heroin or cocaine, it is still highly addictive. In fact, marijuana is more psychologically than physically addictive which can make it complex to treat. The first stage of any addiction treatment program is detox which is when the person stops using drugs like marijuana. They then go through withdrawal from the drug which is necessary to “cleanse” them of substances before proceeding to rehab.
Withdrawal syndrome is defined as a range of negative physical, emotional, and behavioral symptoms occurring after abstinence from drugs or alcohol. The severity of withdrawal depends very much on the individual and their history of marijuana use. A person who has just started experimenting with the drug recreationally is unlikely to have the severe withdrawal symptoms experienced by a chronic user. That said, compared with more potent drugs such as heroin or alcohol, withdrawal from marijuana is very mild.
Withdrawal symptoms for marijuana appear after around a week of quitting and include the following:
- Mood swings which can be extreme
- Loss of appetite
- Insomnia
- Restlessness and general malaise
- Intense dreams or nightmares
- Potential for onset of depression
- Abdominal pain
- Sweating or chills
- Tremors or shakiness
If you or a loved one is struggling with marijuana use or abuse, there is help for drug addiction in Southern California at Casa Recovery. We offer rehab programs that are personalized to the personal treatment needs of each patient entering our center. Contact us in confidence to find out more about how you can start your journey to a healthier and happier life in recovery today.