Theory 18/Hysteresis & Memory/Psychopharmacology
Withdrawal Is the Mirror
The claim
Withdrawal severity is set by the magnitude of the adaptation built during exposure, not by the dose removed, so tapering to a low dose can still produce severe symptoms.
01Mechanism
The nervous system adapts to the drug's presence; withdrawal is the unmasked adaptation, whose size reflects how long it had to build.
02Prediction
Severity should track exposure duration at equal final dose.
03Refutation
Severity tracking dose removed would remove the adaptation account.