Thanks so much for this post. I saw it at the perfect time. I have been abstinent 7 months today. It has been a hellish rollercoaster ride. I was painfully naive about dependence and knew nothing at all about withdrawal, never mind PAWS. It never occurred to me that I was at risk for this. When I went into withdrawal I had no idea what was happening. I thought I was having panic attacks and it took me some time to figure things out. The first 2 to 3 months were terrible. Someone, in a previous thread on the topic described it as living at the bottom of an aquarium and that strikes me as about right. After that things got much better, and I thought I was coming into the open. But over the last few weeks they have gotten bad again. I can relate to many of the things you describe: brain fog, intense bouts of anxiety, dizziness, feelings that I have gone mad, that I have destroyed myself, etc etc etc. The posts on PAWS here have been a lifeline because they have given me as sense that others have gone through this and come out the other side and that I can do the same. I am doing all the right things in terms of exercise, nutrition, rest, etc. I try to stay positive and take it one day at a time. But after 7 months of this you do get awfully sick and tired of being off. Thanks again for the post. It caught me at a low moment and helped to level me out.