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withdrawal symptoms

Cultural

A wide range of physical or emotional disorders, including nervousness, headaches, and insomnia, that occur when an individual who is addicted to a substance (such as drugs or alcohol) stops using the substance.

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

One recent study analyzing data from more than 20,000 patients across nearly 80 studies concluded that about 15% of people had withdrawal symptoms when discontinuing an antidepressant.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 11, 2025

Official health guidance is to reduce the dose of antidepressant medication in stages over time, rather than stopping it suddenly or missing doses, which could lead to withdrawal symptoms.

From BBC • Jun. 6, 2024

Some studies have indicated that instead of suffering withdrawal symptoms, people feel happier during a “digital detox,” whereas others have found no change.

From Science Magazine • Nov. 7, 2023

It can take weeks to find the right dose for a mental health patient and stopping medication suddenly can cause withdrawal symptoms, Clark said.

From Seattle Times • Aug. 16, 2023

If so, she surmised, Hilda's mood was a combination of hormonal imbalances and withdrawal symptoms from dopamine not arriving in the pleasure receptors of her brain in quantities commensurate with that earlier experience.

From Tokyo to Tijuana: Gabriele Departing America by Sills, Steven (Steven David Justin)

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023