Does Depression Get Worse During Drug Withdrawals?

There are many withdrawal symptoms patients may experience during drug and alcohol detox, and depression is a common symptom for the detox process.

Patients detoxing from many legal and illegal substances may experience depression as a part of their withdrawal symptoms, or a worsening of existing depression symptoms if they were self-medicating with drugs. Yes, depression can get worse during drug withdrawals, but it is possible to treat depression during detox and beyond.

Why People Get Depressed During Detox

During the drug and alcohol detox, patients work to readjust to a state without drugs or alcohol influencing their actions, behaviors, and perceptions. This involves tapering or fully stopping the use of the addictive substance; however, doing so can put many systems within the body into distressed states.

For example, those who abused opioids may have trouble feeling happy without the opioids their minds and bodies have grown dependent upon, causing them to feel depressed during detox. Depression is one of the symptoms of Post Acute Withdrawal Syndrome, and withdrawals can make existing depression worse.

Other patients detoxing from alcohol or prescription pills like Xanax or antidepressants may feel depression during drug withdrawals as well. In many cases, patients experience the opposite of their drug effects during detox. So, if a patient is taking drugs to treat depression, mood, or anxiety, their mood may be the opposite of their intoxicated state during detox.

Neurotransmitters within the brain essentially learn to depend on the drugs a person is taking when they’re living with addiction, and once those drugs are removed, the neurotransmitters may not know how to behave properly.¹ This can cause or worsen symptoms of depression for patients during detox.