ABSTRACT
A withdrawal syndrome is the constellation of physiological and behavioral changes that are directly related to the sudden cessation (or reduction in use) of a psychoactive drug to which the body has become adapted. The
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of the American Psychiatric Association
in its revised fourth edition (DSM-IV-R)
requires three criteria to be fulfilled before a diagnosis of substance withdrawal can be made. For each drug or group of drugs it lists the symptoms and signs that must be present:
Criterion 1: The development of a syndrome (which is substance specific) due to the cessation of or reduction in substance use. The substance use must be heavy and prolonged.
