Hi Alaska girl -- welcome aboard!
I don't know what the official position is, but I can share my experience. AV activity has been somewhat unpredictable for me, although generally quieter as time goes by. There have been times when I expected AV activity (because of stress or events/proximity to booze, etc) -- and I heard not a peep. Other times I have been surprised by AV coming right out of the blue. It really doesn't matter -- the only thing I have to do is learn how to recognize it, so I can stare down the beast.
"I suspect I have a long road ahead of me because of PAWS" -- that sounds like the AV to me, because it suggests you're going to struggle and possibly fail. So my suggestion is to try to take things as they come ... your body and mind will go through healing and adjusting, and some of that will feel good and some of it might feel uncomfortable. But whatever you feel has no bearing on your decision not to drink.
There's really no need to fear what you might feel in abstinence ... whatever transitory feelings or symptoms you might have, the only way out is through. You can get medical or psychological help, if needed. Many people do not have difficult symptoms after quitting -- you might be in that group. I felt like a million bucks after I quit.
Cheers to you -- set your confidence arbitrarily at 100%. It really does work...took me awhile to believe that, but now I do.