Patient perspectives of opiate withdrawal

The objective of this study was to gather information on some aspects of the opiate withdrawal experience from the perspective of the addict. For the most part, results were consistent with expectation, e.g., the sequence with which symptoms appear during withdrawal. However, there were some unexpected findings: the patients' report of the severity of the various symptoms differed from that of experienced clinicians, patients emphasizing more the psychological symptoms. Withdrawal symptoms experienced while on methadone maintenance are also documented.