Psychological Symptoms
Withdrawal affects the entire body because the central nervous system (CNS) controls everything from your heart rate to your digestion. When the CNS is destabilized by medication reduction, symptoms can appear anywhere. This list is not exhaustive, but covers the most common categories reported by patients tapering benzodiazepines, antidepressants, and opioids.
These are often mistaken for a “return of the underlying condition,” but are frequently distinct withdrawal phenomena.
- Rebound Anxiety: Anxiety that is more intense than what you experienced before taking the medication.
- Chemical Terror: A distinct feeling of doom or fear that comes on suddenly, unrelated to external events (often upon waking).
- Depersonalization: Feeling detached from yourself, as if you are an observer.
- Derealization: Feeling that the world around you is unreal, foggy, or dreamlike.
- Intrusive Thoughts: Unwanted, repetitive, often disturbing thoughts.
- Anhedonia: Inability to feel pleasure or joy.
Physical Symptoms
- Insomnia: Difficulty falling asleep, or “toxic naps” (waking up in a panic shortly after falling asleep).
- Akathisia: An intense inner restlessness or need to move. This is often described as one of the most distressing symptoms.
- Brain Zaps: Electric shock sensations in the head or neck (common with antidepressants).
- Tremors: Shaking hands or internal vibrations.
- Muscle Tension: “Coat hanger pain” (tight neck/shoulders) or jaw clenching.
- Benzo Belly: Bloating, distension, and digestive issues caused by GABA receptors in the gut reacting to withdrawal.
- Tinnitus: Ringing or hissing in the ears.
Sensory Symptoms
- Photophobia: Extreme sensitivity to light.
- Hyperacusis: Normal sounds seem painfully loud.
- Paresthesia: Tingling, numbness, or burning sensations on the skin.
The “Windows and Waves” Pattern
Recovery is rarely linear. Most people experience:
- Waves: Periods where symptoms surge and feel unbearable.
- Windows: Periods of relative calm or normalcy.
Over time, as you taper and heal, the windows tend to get longer and the waves less intense. Tracking these patterns in the Taper® app can help you see the long-term improvement that is invisible in the day-to-day struggle.