withdrawal symptoms

Cultural  

1. 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.

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Example Sentences

A recent study found that nearly two-thirds of patients on antidepressants for more than two years had moderate or severe withdrawal symptoms.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 19, 2025

In some people, stopping sleep medication abruptly after more than a month of use can trigger withdrawal symptoms, which can include heightened anxiety, restlessness or rebound insomnia, meaning your sleep is disrupted again.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 8, 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

In 2021, the Queen hosted a 70th anniversary reception for the show, where she admitted to suffering "severe withdrawal symptoms" after recordings were disrupted during Covid.

From BBC • Sep. 14, 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)