If you’re taking medication for a mental health condition, or if you’re working to change your relationship with alcohol or other substances, you may eventually face the idea of withdrawal. Withdrawal can be a scary-sounding word, but it just means your body is reacting to the absence of something it had become used to. 

Maybe you want to quit alcohol, but you’ve heard stories about stopping cold turkey. Maybe you’re on a prescribed medication like an antidepressant or an antipsychotic, and you wonder what happens if you ever stop taking it. 

It’s natural to feel confused or scared. You need clear, simple facts. The most important thing to know is this: Never stop taking a medication or quit a substance suddenly without talking to a healthcare provider. Trying to handle withdrawal alone is what makes it dangerous. 

This article is your guide to the four main ways withdrawal can happen. We’ll show you what the risks are and, most importantly, how a healthcare provider can help you move forward safely.

The science: Why your body changes

Withdrawal symptoms happen because your brain is a smart machine that always tries to find balance. When you use alcohol or take a medication, especially one that changes your nerves, your brain changes how it sends chemical messages. 

• Substance use (alcohol, opioids) 

If you drink alcohol every day, your brain’s chemicals, like GABA, slow your body down. When the alcohol is suddenly gone, your brain goes into overdrive. It tries to speed up all at once to fix the balance. This intense speeding up causes severe sickness. 

• Medication use

Medications for anxiety or depression change chemical levels, like serotonin, in your brain. If you stop them quickly, your brain is shocked. It has a hard time figuring out how to start running on its own again. 

Because of these big changes, all types of withdrawal need a healthcare provider’s help. The danger is different for each substance, so let’s look at the four types: 

Type 1: Classic withdrawal syndrome (the riskiest kind)

Classic withdrawal syndrome happens when someone stops using substances that cause a strong physical need, or addiction. This includes alcohol, sleeping pills (like benzodiazepines) and pain pills (opioids). This withdrawal is often the most serious and can cause death. 

This syndrome involves a collection of physical, nervous system and psychiatric symptoms that are severe and distinct from the original condition being treated. Physical addiction is the main problem here. 

The danger comes from the brain becoming too active. The most severe and deadly problems are:

• Seizures 

Your brain loses its ability to slow itself down.

• Delirium tremens (DTs)

This is the most dangerous kind of alcohol withdrawal. It causes high fever, extreme confusion, intense shaking and seeing things that aren’t real. 

Can alcohol withdrawal kill you? Yes, without proper medical care, it can cause death. The most serious form, DTs, is fatal for about 15% of people who don’t get treatment.. This is why you must never quit alcohol suddenly without medical help.

For people recovering from addiction, specialized medical detox is the only safe way. In some cases, you may be referred to inpatient detox centers. Qualified healthcare providers prescribe medicine to safely and slowly calm the nervous system down. 

Type 2: Discontinuation syndrome 

Discontinuation syndrome is what happens when someone suddenly stops or quickly lowers the dose of a regular medicine that isn’t addictive, like pills for depression or bipolar disorder: antidepressants or antipsychotics. 

The symptoms are usually not as life threatening as classic withdrawal, but they are still very rough. They can include strange feelings, like brain zaps, feeling stressed or jumpy, anxiety, and being unable to sleep. These feelings usually get better on their own over time. 

Antipsychotics like Seroquel or Wellbutrin are good examples. Stopping them suddenly won’t usually lead to death like severe alcohol withdrawal can, but it’s still very risky. 

Can Seroquel withdrawal kill you? While death from Seroquel withdrawal is rare, the risks are very serious and require a healthcare provider’s care. Suddenly discontinuing Wellbutrin can increase the risk for seizure. The main dangers are:

• Severe crash

This is the sudden return or huge worsening of the problems the medication was treating, like very severe depression or having thoughts of self-harm or suicide. 

• Rebound psychosis

Stopping quickly can bring back or make problems like hearing voices or having false beliefs much worse. This is very dangerous and often requires going to the hospital right away. 

The safest way to stop these medications is to follow a slow tapering schedule. A tapering schedule is your provider’s plan to slowly lower your dose over time. This gives your brain time to adjust without a shock. 

Type 3: Rebound effect (the illness bounces back)

The rebound effect is different from withdrawal sickness because it’s only about your original illness returning, often much stronger than before. 

This is when the symptoms the medication was supposed to fix come back, but often at a level that is worse than before you ever took the medicine. 

If you take a medication that fixes high blood pressure and suddenly stop it, your blood pressure may shoot up higher than it was at the start. In the same way, a medication that kept your mood steady may cause huge mood swings or deep depression if stopped too quickly.

The risk of the rebound effect is that the sudden worsening of the underlying condition, such as a manic episode or severe depression with suicidal thoughts, can lead to dangerous outcomes that require emergency care. 

Type 4: Persistent post-withdrawal disorders (long-term trouble)

While many people may feel better soon after a successful taper, a few people may have symptoms that last for a long time after the drug is completely out of their body. This is called a persistent post-withdrawal disorder. 

This means symptoms continue for weeks, months or even years after stopping certain medications, especially antidepressants or antipsychotics. These long-lasting effects can change how the person’s original illness acts. 

Because the symptoms can last so long, this needs constant, careful support. Healthcare providers work to manage the lingering effects and make sure the effects are not the original illness coming back. 

The main rule: Always get medical supervision

The four types of withdrawal share one simple, critical message: Don’t try to quit any substance or stop any prescribed medication on your own. 

Healthcare providers stress that when withdrawal happens and how bad it is depends on the medication, how long you used it and how much you took. This means your plan must be personal. 

Whether you’re dealing with the life-threatening risk of alcohol withdrawal or the severe emotional dangers of Seroquel discontinuation, professional care provides three important things:

• Safety

Healthcare providers can give you medication to stop the most dangerous symptoms, like seizures, or slowly walk you through a tapering schedule, like for psychiatric pills. 

• Support

Clinicians will watch your health, check how you feel and make sure you stay safe. 

• Stability

They can tell the difference between real withdrawal, a rebound effect and a return of your original illness. This lets them change your treatment right away.

If you or someone you know is seeing things that aren’t real, feeling very confused, having seizures or thinking about hurting themselves, please get emergency medical help immediately.

ReKlame Health supports safe withdrawal

Deciding to change a medication or quit a substance is a brave and hopeful decision. You deserve a healthcare partner who makes this tough process safe and manageable.

At ReKlame, we are modern care providers. Our young and diverse team of clinicians is here to help people take back control of their lives. We truly understand how hard it can be to find balance and to figure out the tough parts of healthcare. We promise to provide you with culturally competent and compassionate care that is built just for your needs. New members can often get an initial consultation scheduled within 48 hours of contacting us. This gets you support fast.

Our care uses evidence-based approaches. This includes careful, precise medication management and integrated care coordination with other healthcare experts. We create a supportive place where you can explore your options without being judged, allowing you to find a true path toward consistent focus and inner balance. 

Give our care team a call today for more information, check your eligibility for free online or book an initial appointment online.