Fear of withdrawal keeps people using more than almost anything else. The antidote is a concrete timeline: knowing that day 3 is the peak, or that the crash ends, is itself harm reduction. We publish full day-by-day pages per substance — this is the hub.
The pattern across all substances
- Hour 0–72: acute phase. Opioids peak at 48–72 h; stimulants 'crash' at 24–72 h; alcohol and benzos are the dangerous ones (seizures) — both need medical detox.
- Weeks 2–4: most physical symptoms resolve. Mood is the battleground now.
- Months 2–6: PAWS (post-acute withdrawal) — waves of low mood, craving, poor sleep. They pass. Nearly everyone who stays stopped feels substantially normal by month 3–6.
- The exception rule: benzo and GHB/GBL withdrawal can kill — never cold-turkey daily use.
Pick your substance
| Substance | Peak misery | Feel-better point |
|---|---|---|
| Heroin/fentanyl | Day 2–4 | ~1 week physical; months of PAWS |
| Cocaine | Day 1–3 (crash) | Weeks for mood |
| Meth | Week 1–2 | 1–3 months |
| MDMA | Day 1–3 (comedown) | 1–2 weeks |
| Xanax/benzos | Week 2–3 of a taper | Months; must be tapered |
| GHB/GBL (daily) | Day 1–3 — MEDICAL EMERGENCY | Weeks, hospital-supervised |
| Ketamine | Days 1–7 mild | Weeks; bladder heals for months |
The relapse rule that saves livesTolerance drops fast. After even a week clean, your old dose can kill you. If you slip, treat it like your first time — and never use alone.