Written by the Fiveable Content Team โข Last updated September 2025
Verified for the 2026 exam
Verified for the 2026 examโขWritten by the Fiveable Content Team โข Last updated September 2025
Definition
Withdrawal refers to the physical and mental symptoms that occur after stopping or reducing intake of a substance such as drugs or alcohol, which the body has become dependent on.
A psychological and physical inability to stop consuming a chemical, drug, activity, or substance, even though it is causing psychological and physical harm.