stillpooh19

I am 3 years 10 months free from alcohol. I suffered horrible PAWS for at least a year, but I slowly recovered and things became "normal." Then last month I was hit with anxiety and depression, it was like I was in PAWS...AGAIN! Is it normal or common to have the symptoms to come back after such a long time? I do not/cannot take psych meds nor have I dipped my toe back into the world of alcohol. Any thoughts?!

stillpooh19

This post was a duplicate of another post I made my apologies!!!

doggonecarl

I don't know if PAWS is the issue or not. But, if you are almost 4 years free of alcohol, I would imagine that what you are going through has nothing to do with long-term withdrawal from alcohol and is more a factor of just plain depression and anxiety.

Probably not the answer you are wanting to see, but trying to pin this onto PAWS may be the wrong tact to take.

snitch

All I know about PAWS is from what I have googled and from what I remember (I havent googled for a while!) is that the post acute withdrawal symptoms can take many years to disappear completely and in some cases may continue throughout one's life. Which kind of makes sense in some ways as I am no brain surgeon but drinking heavily and over long periods of time can cause imbalance in the brain that may never completely heal fully.

I am 18 months sober. I have alcoholism, depression and am peri menopausal. My moods can really fluctuate. Last weekend I was so down i literally felt that I and everyone around me would be better off if I topped myself . Today, I feel great, really positive and hopeful a out the future. Could that have been PAWS? Maybe. It's really hard to know. It may also be my alcoholism, my depression or my peri menopause symptoms!

Since last week (it wasn't the first time I have felt that way) I have started writing a diary of how i am feeling, how my mood is. It will be nteresting to see if there is any pattern in it. If symptoms persist it may be worthwhile going to see your GP?

Congrats on your sobriety!

August252015

This is the best piece I know about PAWS. Dee shared it a long time ago (I'm 3 yr 8+ mo sober and prob saw this about 9 mo in, so 2016) - it immediately resonated with me and I definitely fit the 2 yr category in many ways -

https://digital-dharma.net/post-acut...r-immediately/

I maintain ongoing self care including psychiatrist/mental health med maintenance, a therapist right now for some current life handling, and I have a great team of medical drs from my GP to back surgeon to eye dr....

I'm a big believer that my 5 yr mark will be when I am truly on the next plane of healed life in recovery.

Gottalife

Alcohol comes in bottles, alcoholism comes in people. Two of the most common symptoms of alcoholism are depression and anxiety. It could be that the alcoholism is making its presence felt. What have you been doing to treat it?

Andante

I had a hard time with PAWS symptoms too, and I can still feel my brain changing even after 6.5 years sober, so I would say yes, it's possible there is a connection.

But it's not an either/or thing. You drank a lot for a long time, which may have left your brain more susceptible to the neurochemical imbalances that accompany anxiety and depression, even if the immediate cause of the symptoms isn't related to the alcohol itself.