When self-medicating, the user is trying to escape something unpleasant to them, usually pain. Typically, the user is dealing with an unidentified medical problem and often does not even realize they have a medical problem. Once the user begins to self-medicate, they begin to feel better, which ultimately leads to an addiction to the form they were using to self-medicate. Self-medication usually consists of pain medications, illicit drugs, and/or alcohol. Depending on what type of symptom they want to mask determines when they will use the medication. If the person wants to suppress their anxiety they will use a depressant, for aggression they will use opiates and for depression they will want to use stimulants. Many people who self-medicate suffer from some form of mental illness and have dual diagnoses of a mental disorder and substance abuse. “Physical dependence is characterized by a withdrawal syndrome when opioid treatment is abruptly stopped. » (Gordon, D. and Dahl, J. (2011).) Withdrawal is a frightening thing for people addicted to prescription drugs and can be enough of a fear to keep the person from stopping using. Withdrawal symptoms include drug cravings, diarrhea, abdominal pain, chills and goosebumps, nausea and vomiting, body aches, restlessness, and severe mood swings. Many people will do anything to avoid suffering