Dealing with withdrawal during lockdown

When thinking about withdrawal, it is common to associate it with hard drugs, such as heroin and cocaine. What few people realise is that behavioural addictions such as shopping and gambling can also have withdrawal symptoms.

According to Sr Debbie Capazorio of SANCA typical withdrawal symptoms include agitation and anxiety.

“People are irritated and most times they also suffer from insomnia. Withdrawal from an addiction can also include feeling down, because your body is no longer receiving the same amount of dopamine.”

Capazorio went on to explain that with any addiction, dopamine is released when the person takes part in the activity.

“All of a sudden they do not have the crutch that calms them down or gives them a feeling of happiness. This creates a difficult situation in which the person does not know how to handle their emotions anymore.”

People can also experience flu-like symptoms when going through withdrawal, typically seen with alcohol and cigarette addictions. These symptoms include headaches, body aches, tremors, cramps, nausea, fatigue, and in some instances diarrhoea. These symptoms can last for two or three days.

“People firmly believe they are sick, not realising that they are actually going through withdrawal,” Capazorio said.

The most important thing to remember is to begin with harm reduction in these cases.

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“People should try and wean themselves off the substance, going as slowly as possible. For example, when smoking cigarettes, make a point of it to smoke only 10 cigarettes a day for two weeks and then the following two weeks they should move to nine cigarettes a day and so on.”

Capazorio also mentioned that there are many natural products that can help. These include herbal remedies for anxiety, insomnia and cravings, and are all available over the counter at many pharmacies. It is important for people to stay clear of any products that may create another dependency.

Marina Erasmus, SANCA Nelspruit director, also reminded the public that they are free to visit SANCA at any time when dealing with any sort of addiction.

“When people think of addiction, they see someone on the street. They see the end result and do not realise that addiction develops very slowly over time. We do not want someone to only visit the centre once they have reached the last phase of addiction, but rather in the early stages.”

SANCA is currently open.

“We are open to the public during level 4, and have a rigorous screening process before anyone enters the building,”she said.

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