withdrawal

withdrawal definition - medical

with·draw·al (wĭÞ-drôˈəl, wĭth-)

noun
  1. Detachment, as from social or emotional involvement.
  2. Discontinuation of the use of an addictive substance.
  3. The physiological and mental readjustment that accompanies such discontinuation.
  4. A pattern of behavior, observed in schizophrenia and depression, that is characterized by a pathological retreat from interpersonal contact and social involvement and that leads to self-preoccupation.
  5. Coitus interruptus.

The American Heritage® Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

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