Randy925

I am at 21 months sober. Lately I have noticed that I fall into really deep, restful sleep. It feels great.

Also my Post Acute Withdrawal Symptoms have nearly vanished. I had the hardest time with PAWS and remember reading here how it would get better if I could hang in there. I'm so glad I have been able to do so. Now there are times that it is still tough but I am just now realizing that it isn't as hard as it was early on and I feel so much better now. It feels like my brain has adjusted and is regenerating back to normal. I am hoping to hang in there for my 2 year sober anniversary - I am sure I can do it now.

I want to encourage anyone in early recovery that is having PAWS symptoms or sleep trouble to hang in there because it really will get better. Your brain just needs some recovery time.

biminiblue

Thanks for the post! You're right, it takes longer than I would have thought and it's well worth the wait.

ScottFromWI

Great post Randy. I would agree that it's worth the wait, some of the things that were problematic for me because of my drinking took years to finally get back on track. And I had to treat them for what they were too - for example, my anxiety required a lot more work than just "not drinking" to make it better.

But the good news is of course that things absolutely can ( and will ) get better if you do the right things. Very glad to hear you are feeling and sleeping better.

August252015

Great post!! I too suffered severe and prolonged PAWS- and while the harshest examples took only about 90-100 days (I saw a good leap forward around 100) yet found that over my first year especially (I am almost 21 months sober) my body continued to process and normalize.

Now, I am really active and healthy (hot yoga 6x a week, a monthly 5K race and occasional other running) and the only real thing I "suffer" from is night sweats that are worse when something is really on my mind, and because I expend a LOT of emotional energy in every day life, as well as physical, I still nap many days and/or go to bed early (I tend to wind down about 7 and am asleep b 9).

Thanks for sharing!!

Doug39

I am coming up on 13 months sober and my PAWS type symptoms are pretty much gone.

I also feel that I now have the tools to deal with "off days". When I was in early recovery I was so messed up and couldn't cope with anything.

FindingMyNext

I am so glad to read this thread.
I'm 5 months in, and sleep is still fitful (sweaty, broken, strange); I also still have mood swings and unexpected depression (and sadness--I wrote about that in another thread).
I'm putting faith in knowing it will get better in time.

In spite of the challenges of PAWS and sleep, I have no desire to drink, and I am cherishing things sobriety brings to me (remembering important things; remembering mundane things; clear thoughts; headache-less mornings, self-worth; and so on) but I sure home time will take me to a more "normal" place of feeling better in general.
Thanks again.

P.S. August-- I, too, definitely noticed an important positive shift at 90-100 days. Thank goodness

D122y

Randy et al,

I'm nearly 1000 days sober out of 1002. I consider that fairly clean.

My PAWS is way gone, but I am still learning to deal w life sober.

Emotions that are untamed or altered by any active addiction.

Quitting coffee and salt intake recently sent me into a bit of a spin, but my stamina seems to have improved.

I keep finding myself falling into negative thought...depression maybe.

It comes and goes. I keep telling myself it will get better, but I worry still.

I interact fine w everyone at work, except my boss. I also argue sometimes w my wife.

I have issues w authority I think.

Being clean makes it stand out more.

Thanks.