Discomfort after discontinuing an addictive drug is called what?

Discomfort after discontinuing an addictive drug is called what?

• A. Craving
• B. Dependence
• C. Withdrawal
• D. Tolerance

Answer: (C)

Withdrawal is the physical and psychological discomfort that occurs after stopping a drug on which the body has become dependent. When someone uses an addictive substance regularly, the brain and body adjust to its presence; stopping abruptly disrupts those adaptations, leading symptoms such as anxiety, sweating, tremors, nausea, and insomnia as the body re-equilibrates. Craving is the urge to use again, which can accompany withdrawal but refers to desire rather than the actual symptoms. Dependence describes the overall reliance on the drug, not the after-cessation symptoms. Tolerance refers to needing more of the drug to achieve the same effect, not the reaction to stopping.

Withdrawal is the physical and psychological discomfort that occurs after stopping a drug on which the body has become dependent. When someone uses an addictive substance regularly, the brain and body adjust to its presence; stopping abruptly disrupts those adaptations, leading symptoms such as anxiety, sweating, tremors, nausea, and insomnia as the body re-equilibrates. Craving is the urge to use again, which can accompany withdrawal but refers to desire rather than the actual symptoms. Dependence describes the overall reliance on the drug, not the after-cessation symptoms. Tolerance refers to needing more of the drug to achieve the same effect, not the reaction to stopping.