What Cynical One described is not an exaggeration. I had HUGE anxiety attacks after helping my husband go through withdrawals. No way, would I ever do it again. You couldn't pay me enough.
Here is the really crazy part, the ONLY thing that is going to offer them any relief from the wd for the first week to 10 days is the exact thing that got them this way. Opiates!! The brain will be screaming for the drug too.
After all that, my husband relapsed anyway and was working a program with NA.