For those tortured by PAWS (Post Acute Withdrawal Symptoms) and who fear they might go mad Part 5
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Join Date: Nov 2022
Posts: 59
Originally Posted by BettyP 
Rothmaninc - the anhedonia hung on for me for a long time. So long that when I started to not feel it it was like a surprise to me. Like I was like "oh am I feeling excited about going out to see a movie and I'm not just forcing myself to do it?" That lasted for me well into 18 months and during waves in my second year. It'll come back.
I also had tons of GI problems and if I have a wave even now I'll have what you're describing - the back and forth between extremes. Remember that your whole GI is nerve tissue, and it's healing just like your brain. I knew I was getting better when I could eat certain foods again and just have some peace in my digestive tract. This also took more than 18 months - more like 2 years.
Anxiety was just a chronic constant for me, but I'd find I'd have outbursts of irritability and anger - I think it was PAWS but also just general frustration with being "this way" for so long. I think you get a little resigned to it at times.
Heat intolerance - I was really really sensitive to sunlight, and would find myself happy when it was a rainy day so that I wasn't overstimulated by the sun. I had a very hard time regulating my hot and coldness in my body, too, and if I got too hot I'd be sort of freaked out - I'm not sure if that's what you're describing.
I also had tons of GI problems and if I have a wave even now I'll have what you're describing - the back and forth between extremes. Remember that your whole GI is nerve tissue, and it's healing just like your brain. I knew I was getting better when I could eat certain foods again and just have some peace in my digestive tract. This also took more than 18 months - more like 2 years.
Anxiety was just a chronic constant for me, but I'd find I'd have outbursts of irritability and anger - I think it was PAWS but also just general frustration with being "this way" for so long. I think you get a little resigned to it at times.
Heat intolerance - I was really really sensitive to sunlight, and would find myself happy when it was a rainy day so that I wasn't overstimulated by the sun. I had a very hard time regulating my hot and coldness in my body, too, and if I got too hot I'd be sort of freaked out - I'm not sure if that's what you're describing.
I believe that due to my longterm exposure to prescribed pain meds, and PAWS my immune system is a bit diminished. I am a pet owner and have had dogs and cats for 25 years, but I have noticed that this past spring and during last spring I experienced what seem to be allergic reactions. My eyes are water, slightly swollen, and I have little to no energy. Some days I drink 3 (k) cups of coffee, but still have no energy. I am not sure as to the catalyst for all of this, but I believe that PAWS magnifies what may have been smaller issues. I have scheduled an appointment with the allergist but they are so busy it will be mid sept before I can get in. Betty I really appreciate the concern that you have shown for others here. I stopped taking pain meds 23 months ago, but I did so without tapering. This caused the beginnings of PAWS which was misdiagnosed, as panic attacks, anxiety/depression for almost a year. I ended being prescribed even more meds, and decided to seek professional assistance in removing myself from all. That was 14 months ago, so it is hard for me to evaluate my situation. I had more than a dozen surgeries, over the course of 20 years. Most of that time I was in a pain management program, so I was on prescribed meds for a long time. I feel significantly better than I did but it has been a process, and I am still attempting to understand where I am in this PAWS nightmare, because I stopped the pain meds 23 months ago, but the other has only been 14 months. Thank you so much and I always appreciate any/all information and/or experiences that you share.
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Join Date: Dec 2020
Location: Boston, MA
Posts: 326
Hi Roth -
I'm glad to be able to support you! And others going through PAWS. I would say with your complex history of medications, you can probably assume that you'll be in the throes of it for a solid 24 months. That's not to say that the symptoms will be at the same intensity all the way through. Every day your brain and other nerve tissue heals a little more, and you'll progressively have better days, lesser symptoms, and even string together some symptom-free days. It's unfortunately all a waiting game :-( But you've gotten through the absolute worst months so far and you're doing great. The stretch leading up to the 18 months mark that you're going through is ...hard. Not just because of the symptoms, but more like because they're still around and you start to lose hope that you'll ever be the same again. I've read a lot of success stories about this phenomenon. Please try to remember that this is your brain and disease still hanging on and trying to tell you to give up because what's the point. There is an end, I can promise you this. I crossed the three-year sober mark on July 7th, and I have to say that even though I thought I was feeling pretty good six months ago, I'm still getting better and better as the weeks go on. Three years is a long time - I am so over it when I still have symptoms, but I try to think back to when I was just six months sober and feeling absolutely brain damaged and how I'd kill to feel a few days of normalcy.
Keep going - one day at a time!
Regarding the allergy symptoms - I'd say yes check this out with a doctor. Allergies can pop up anytime in life. That said, my eyes are like water faucets ever since I got sober. They weren't great before I stopped drinking, and I used eye drops a lot, but in sobriety they can burn and itch and sometimes I wake up with them crusted shut. It might be a PAWS thing? it's hard to say. I think anything you didn't have before you started PAWS is probably a PAWS symptom, but it's definitely worth checking out with a doctor any time you're uncertain. Just be leery about taking drugs like Claritin or Allegra etc. - I've always found that they have aggravated my anxiety, and choose instead to suffer through the symptoms. I do use allergy eyedrops when my eyes get extra goopy, though.
I'm glad to be able to support you! And others going through PAWS. I would say with your complex history of medications, you can probably assume that you'll be in the throes of it for a solid 24 months. That's not to say that the symptoms will be at the same intensity all the way through. Every day your brain and other nerve tissue heals a little more, and you'll progressively have better days, lesser symptoms, and even string together some symptom-free days. It's unfortunately all a waiting game :-( But you've gotten through the absolute worst months so far and you're doing great. The stretch leading up to the 18 months mark that you're going through is ...hard. Not just because of the symptoms, but more like because they're still around and you start to lose hope that you'll ever be the same again. I've read a lot of success stories about this phenomenon. Please try to remember that this is your brain and disease still hanging on and trying to tell you to give up because what's the point. There is an end, I can promise you this. I crossed the three-year sober mark on July 7th, and I have to say that even though I thought I was feeling pretty good six months ago, I'm still getting better and better as the weeks go on. Three years is a long time - I am so over it when I still have symptoms, but I try to think back to when I was just six months sober and feeling absolutely brain damaged and how I'd kill to feel a few days of normalcy.
Keep going - one day at a time!
Regarding the allergy symptoms - I'd say yes check this out with a doctor. Allergies can pop up anytime in life. That said, my eyes are like water faucets ever since I got sober. They weren't great before I stopped drinking, and I used eye drops a lot, but in sobriety they can burn and itch and sometimes I wake up with them crusted shut. It might be a PAWS thing? it's hard to say. I think anything you didn't have before you started PAWS is probably a PAWS symptom, but it's definitely worth checking out with a doctor any time you're uncertain. Just be leery about taking drugs like Claritin or Allegra etc. - I've always found that they have aggravated my anxiety, and choose instead to suffer through the symptoms. I do use allergy eyedrops when my eyes get extra goopy, though.
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Join Date: Apr 2020
Location: Mid-Atlantic states
Posts: 993
Hey there,
I am at 3 years 2 months sober, and I can say that the 2 year benchmark is very accurate, though I, like Betty, continue to still feel better.
I struggled A LOT for at least 18 months, but there is something magical about that 2 year period, and that is backed by research (I recently took a substance abuse graduate class). So, I promise you will feel much, much better, but it is going to take a little more time. It was VERY hard for me, but it happened JUST like everything I read.
I am at 3 years 2 months sober, and I can say that the 2 year benchmark is very accurate, though I, like Betty, continue to still feel better.
I struggled A LOT for at least 18 months, but there is something magical about that 2 year period, and that is backed by research (I recently took a substance abuse graduate class). So, I promise you will feel much, much better, but it is going to take a little more time. It was VERY hard for me, but it happened JUST like everything I read.
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Join Date: Nov 2020
Posts: 200
Yep, can confirm everything above.
1 year was rough for me, actually on the 1 year mark I got a huge panic attack that day.
2 years was definitely somewhat back to regular me but with bouts of anxiety and some GI issues remaining.
3 years in I still have some anxiety here and there but I definitely feel like 97% myself. Still some GI issues here and there but better than before.
1 year was rough for me, actually on the 1 year mark I got a huge panic attack that day.
2 years was definitely somewhat back to regular me but with bouts of anxiety and some GI issues remaining.
3 years in I still have some anxiety here and there but I definitely feel like 97% myself. Still some GI issues here and there but better than before.
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Join Date: Oct 2017
Location: Belgrade
Posts: 301
I drank again , at almost 7 months i saw no improvement and my uncle died so most people were drinking at the funeral i and had a few beers which turned into a 5 day bender.
what is strange is that i don't even feel that bad because i have no feeling that i ruined everything , because i saw no improvements in 7 months , if there is no progress there is nothing to ruin.
what is strange is that i don't even feel that bad because i have no feeling that i ruined everything , because i saw no improvements in 7 months , if there is no progress there is nothing to ruin.
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Join Date: Dec 2020
Location: Boston, MA
Posts: 326
Hey Laz, glad to see you back. Grief is really tough, especially when you're stuck in PAWS. I'm wondering if you have any other forms of sobriety support in your life? Trying to go it alone is really difficult and lonely. It might be worth checking out some outpatient programs in your area to get some structure? Sending you so much support tonight - alcohol is so powerful :-( but you can do this.
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Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Australia
Posts: 211,460
I’m sorry you drank again Laza.
my addiction loved to tell me that this was the best my sober life was going to get, and if that was the case… I may as well drink…
I drank for many many years man - and I accepted the last time I stopped drinking that it may take longer than I wanted it to to feel ok.
While I felt better sober, it took a lot of time for me to even start to feel ‘normal’ again.
Drinking on anxiety is a trap.
You start self medicating and you find you’re anxious anytime you’re not drinking, so you drink’ more often, but still find you’re anxious when not drinking so you drink some more…
Wherever the answer lies for you Laza it’s not in a bottle.
D
my addiction loved to tell me that this was the best my sober life was going to get, and if that was the case… I may as well drink…
I drank for many many years man - and I accepted the last time I stopped drinking that it may take longer than I wanted it to to feel ok.
While I felt better sober, it took a lot of time for me to even start to feel ‘normal’ again.
Drinking on anxiety is a trap.
You start self medicating and you find you’re anxious anytime you’re not drinking, so you drink’ more often, but still find you’re anxious when not drinking so you drink some more…
Wherever the answer lies for you Laza it’s not in a bottle.
D
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Join Date: Nov 2022
Posts: 32
19 months!!!
From the last month or two i am pretty decent!!! I do not know if this is something like placebo, but the diary said so!! I am scared that it will come back, because of 10000000 episodes of PAWS before . I have like PTSD from this
. Still some anxiety, still intrusive toughts, depression , but somehow i can manage them. If i compare now and before a year is like day and night!!!
Laza(Brate) stick without this poison, it will get better!! I was really upset and angry at the beginning from videos and comments like "It will get better", when i was totally mess. I asked myself " When the hell will get better, when i do not have results?" . Now from this point i can say YES ! IT IS BETTER NOW AND WILL GETTING BETTER!!!
. Still some anxiety, still intrusive toughts, depression , but somehow i can manage them. If i compare now and before a year is like day and night!!! Laza(Brate) stick without this poison, it will get better!! I was really upset and angry at the beginning from videos and comments like "It will get better", when i was totally mess. I asked myself " When the hell will get better, when i do not have results?" . Now from this point i can say YES ! IT IS BETTER NOW AND WILL GETTING BETTER!!!
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Join Date: Nov 2020
Posts: 200
I agree with Asix9, BettyP and Dee74.
I am sorry to hear that you slipped.
But:
You didn't give it enough time. I know 7 months sounds like a lot but it isn't when you're dealing with recovering from alcohol abuse.
We all had different drinking patterns, I was so bad that I didn't really even start feeling myself until year 2.
It sucks but it's something you will have to soldier your way though one way or another.
If you don't stop drinking, only misery and pain await you and your family.
Maybe this is a little bit of tough love, but maybe it's what you need right now. Nothing good awaits you at the bottom of the bottle.
I am sorry to hear that you slipped.
But:
You didn't give it enough time. I know 7 months sounds like a lot but it isn't when you're dealing with recovering from alcohol abuse.
We all had different drinking patterns, I was so bad that I didn't really even start feeling myself until year 2.
It sucks but it's something you will have to soldier your way though one way or another.
If you don't stop drinking, only misery and pain await you and your family.
Maybe this is a little bit of tough love, but maybe it's what you need right now. Nothing good awaits you at the bottom of the bottle.
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Join Date: Jan 2021
Location: NC
Posts: 1,657
Hello fellow PAWS sufferers. I want to give you some good news! I am coming up on 32 months sober on August 17th. I had so many PAWs mental and physical symptoms I am not sure I can remember them all. But I am 99% better. The only nagging thing is I still have the boaty dizziness/rocking sensation. I think it is still here thanks to me taking benzos as prescribed before I quit drinking and in very early sobriety. But my dizziness does go away occasionally and I can mange it. The worst symptoms that I had were insomnia, depression, anhedonia, numbness and tingling, intrusive thoughts, DP and DR, anxiety, severe health anxiety, feelings of doom, jaw tightness, and probably some I am forgetting. But I am finally having a pink cloud of sorts. Feeling better about my future in spite of climate change and the sad state of our world. I have been feeling really good for the past 6 months or so. So please hang in there. It will get better! A special shout out to Betty, Vinny, Graceful, Dee, Matt, SoberNord and others who supported me through the worst of it.
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Join Date: Nov 2020
Posts: 200
Originally Posted by CBS62
Hello fellow PAWS sufferers. I want to give you some good news! I am coming up on 32 months sober on August 17th. I had so many PAWs mental and physical symptoms I am not sure I can remember them all. But I am 99% better. The only nagging thing is I still have the boaty dizziness/rocking sensation. I think it is still here thanks to me taking benzos as prescribed before I quit drinking and in very early sobriety. But my dizziness does go away occasionally and I can mange it. The worst symptoms that I had were insomnia, depression, anhedonia, numbness and tingling, intrusive thoughts, DP and DR, anxiety, severe health anxiety, feelings of doom, jaw tightness, and probably some I am forgetting. But I am finally having a pink cloud of sorts. Feeling better about my future in spite of climate change and the sad state of our world. I have been feeling really good for the past 6 months or so. So please hang in there. It will get better! A special shout out to Betty, Vinny, Graceful, Dee, Matt, SoberNord and others who supported me through the worst of it.
Yaaay! I get an honorable mention!
Thank you for sticking with us CBS62!
I can confirm that I had the exact same list of symptoms as you, DP and DR were especially rough.
I still have the rocky/boaty feelings but mostly when I'm overwhelmed with something (like a deadline at work or some trouble on the home front, etc). I especially notice the rocky feeling in the evenings. I have low level anxiety in the mornings, but nothing I can't handle these days.
Overall I think I'm around the same as you, 95%+ better.
Congrats on almost 32 months. One day at a time!
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Join Date: Nov 2020
Posts: 200
Addendum:
That "rocky/boaty" feeling you get is anxiety. I know because I have the exact same thing.
Your HPA Axis has somewhat balanced itself out after almost 3 years so you probably don't get that gut-wrenching anxiety anymore (the one that you feel in your stomach) but you still haven't 100% healed so you get that rocky/boaty sensation instead. Mine was pretty bad but has somewhat balanced itself out now. Even though I still get it when I'm worried about stuff.
That "rocky/boaty" feeling you get is anxiety. I know because I have the exact same thing.
Your HPA Axis has somewhat balanced itself out after almost 3 years so you probably don't get that gut-wrenching anxiety anymore (the one that you feel in your stomach) but you still haven't 100% healed so you get that rocky/boaty sensation instead. Mine was pretty bad but has somewhat balanced itself out now. Even though I still get it when I'm worried about stuff.
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Join Date: Dec 2020
Location: Boston, MA
Posts: 326
CB, congratulations on all your progress! Thanks for checking in and letting us know that it gets better! You, me, and Graceful all came in right around the same time and it's so nice to see that we did, indeed, improve and continue to get better. It seems like we all have a few symptoms lingering, but have reached a tipping point where we know it's going to get better. For anyone reading this and still in early recovery - that's three success stories of three pretty sick PAWS sufferers. I mean my anxiety DP/DR was awful. Awful. It was like walking around in the Upside Down in Stranger Things day in and day out. I still have some trouble getting up in the morning and getting out of bed because I'd become accustomed to feeling afraid all day so it was hard to push myself, but now at least 75% of the time I feel pretty good within an hour of waking up and I feel like "ok it's going to be an ok day, you've got this."
Hang in there if you're struggling today - it's really just all about giving yourself time to heal. Think of your brain like a broken leg - it takes a long time to get back to marathon training even when the bone itself heals. You can do this!
Hang in there if you're struggling today - it's really just all about giving yourself time to heal. Think of your brain like a broken leg - it takes a long time to get back to marathon training even when the bone itself heals. You can do this!
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Join Date: Nov 2020
Posts: 200
"I still have some trouble getting up in the morning and getting out of bed because I'd become accustomed to feeling afraid all day so it was hard to push myself"
Ooooh, that hits the nail on the head. I have the exact same thing, my body has become used to being afraid of those early withdrawal symptoms coming back. I thought I was the only one. But it is certainly getting better!
Ooooh, that hits the nail on the head. I have the exact same thing, my body has become used to being afraid of those early withdrawal symptoms coming back. I thought I was the only one. But it is certainly getting better!
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Join Date: Nov 2022
Posts: 59
I am now approximately 15 months in, and my energy level is terrible on a daily basis. I sleep a decent amount but often wake up early in the AM (3AM) and must take melatonin to fall back to sleep. Most mornings consist of ruminating thoughts even though the topics are not that bad. Once I get up I feel a little bit better but do not feel significantly better until I have 2 K_cups of coffee...About 16ozs of coffee.. I find myself requiring an additional cup later. Early on in PAWS I would take my 100 MG gabapentin at 8AM and return to bed. I discontinued the 100 mg of gabapentin in the AM. At one point I was prescribed 900 mg daily 300 three times a day. I have titrated down to 100 mg one time a day, which is taken at bedtime. It was not unusual for me to sleep from 11PM til 6 AM get up do what needed to be done and go back to sleep from 8AM to 11Am. I have not done this all summer long but find myself very tired. Have any of you experienced anything resembling this? I have had blood work several times, an endoscopy, sleep test etc, and all was fairly normal. My iron level is good after being down for some time... PAWS is the most frustrating condition that I have encountered....The symptoms constantly make one feel as though there are other medical deficiencies occurring. As always I appreciate any feedback, and a thank you to everyone who has lived through this and taken the time to help others. This is a huge part of recovery, and does not receive anywhere near the attention that it should. I imagine that if the proper amount of attention/education was allocated to PAWS the relapse rate would be reduced significantly....I anxiously await responses.. You guys are our lifeline!!!
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Join Date: Nov 2022
Posts: 59
I also wanted to know if anyone 15 months in has experienced days with anxiety and depression intermittently throughout the day. I have had this recently accompanied by headaches. I stopped using Tylenol last week because my CT scan indicated fatty liver....
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Join Date: Nov 2020
Posts: 200
@rothmaninc
Yep, nothing you say is surprising to me. 15 months is still (and I hate to say this part out loud) early in your recovery. On my 12 month mark I was still a complete mess.
The biggest part of recovery for me was actually relearning to live in the real world without being inebriated. You are depressed and anxious throughout the day because your brain doesn't have the emotional force-shield that was once provided to you by alcohol. You feel everything around and it f. sucks. As someone once said SOBER stands for: son of a bitch, everything is real.
It will get better, but you will be on that emotional roller coaster for a while still.
As for the energy levels. Same thing happened to me. I took melatonin and tried to sleep around 11. Woke up at 6-7 most of the days, did some work, went back to sleep around 12. I noticed that part of it was me not wanting to deal with emotional ups and downs, it was easier to sleep through it. Again, it's just something that is part of your brain still rebalancing itself. It has not yet found all the solid footing it needs. I suspect your sleeping and low energy has nothing to do with any physical issues but has everything to do with what I just stated. You are still hurting in your sobriety and your mind chooses to shut down for a few hours rather than take it. This is normal. It will heal.
Meanwhile, not much you can do other than continue your sobriety. Sports helped, I took up a bunch of different hobbies, drowned myself in work. But those were just band aids, they took the edge off but not much else. If there is some miracle cure for quick healing, I was unable to find it.
As I said, month by month, you will feel better but it will be a journey still.
Yep, nothing you say is surprising to me. 15 months is still (and I hate to say this part out loud) early in your recovery. On my 12 month mark I was still a complete mess.
The biggest part of recovery for me was actually relearning to live in the real world without being inebriated. You are depressed and anxious throughout the day because your brain doesn't have the emotional force-shield that was once provided to you by alcohol. You feel everything around and it f. sucks. As someone once said SOBER stands for: son of a bitch, everything is real.
It will get better, but you will be on that emotional roller coaster for a while still.
As for the energy levels. Same thing happened to me. I took melatonin and tried to sleep around 11. Woke up at 6-7 most of the days, did some work, went back to sleep around 12. I noticed that part of it was me not wanting to deal with emotional ups and downs, it was easier to sleep through it. Again, it's just something that is part of your brain still rebalancing itself. It has not yet found all the solid footing it needs. I suspect your sleeping and low energy has nothing to do with any physical issues but has everything to do with what I just stated. You are still hurting in your sobriety and your mind chooses to shut down for a few hours rather than take it. This is normal. It will heal.
Meanwhile, not much you can do other than continue your sobriety. Sports helped, I took up a bunch of different hobbies, drowned myself in work. But those were just band aids, they took the edge off but not much else. If there is some miracle cure for quick healing, I was unable to find it.
As I said, month by month, you will feel better but it will be a journey still.
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Join Date: Dec 2020
Location: Boston, MA
Posts: 326
Yes I agree with Graceful, @rothmaninc - 15 months is still really in the thick of it. You have come a seriously long way, though - always remind yourself that you never have to do those 15 months again as long as you stay sober.
The tiredness - my gosh yes. I live on the fourth floor and even up until the beginning of this year I would have to stop at the top of every flight of stairs and sometimes even lean against a wall. I felt like I had no muscle energy - like I was 100 years old sometimes. It was wild. I ate really well, and had my bloodwork done regularly, it was just PAWS making me feel like I'd run 10 marathons. My legs on some days literally felt like lead. But then yes, all kinds of sleeping disturbances. Like Graceful I'd just wish to be asleep most of the time so I didn't have to feel the awful symptoms, but your body and brain are on a totally different page.
Stay the course - you're only a few months away from 18 months, that's when I started to really see a light at the end of the tunnel. PAWS didn't magically go away at that point, but I noticed symptoms starting to lessen and fall away, and it gave me the strength to keep getting up every morning and pushing through the day. Keep posting whenever you need a little encouragement - we've all been there!
The tiredness - my gosh yes. I live on the fourth floor and even up until the beginning of this year I would have to stop at the top of every flight of stairs and sometimes even lean against a wall. I felt like I had no muscle energy - like I was 100 years old sometimes. It was wild. I ate really well, and had my bloodwork done regularly, it was just PAWS making me feel like I'd run 10 marathons. My legs on some days literally felt like lead. But then yes, all kinds of sleeping disturbances. Like Graceful I'd just wish to be asleep most of the time so I didn't have to feel the awful symptoms, but your body and brain are on a totally different page.
Stay the course - you're only a few months away from 18 months, that's when I started to really see a light at the end of the tunnel. PAWS didn't magically go away at that point, but I noticed symptoms starting to lessen and fall away, and it gave me the strength to keep getting up every morning and pushing through the day. Keep posting whenever you need a little encouragement - we've all been there!
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Join Date: Aug 2023
Posts: 16
Hello everyone,
I am extremely grateful for this forum, it helps a lot to know that you are not alone and that there is hope for health. Thank you! I'm almost three months sober now and the last two months have been extremely bad. I realized years ago that I drink far too much and I was often a little lethargic in the morning. But the hangover went away and I continued. But the hangovers got worse and lasted much longer, for days. I was dealing with massive anxiety and panic attacks. As a result, drinking times and times of abstinence alternated, but that didn't work either, it got worse. (Kindling?) I then went abstinent for a year and very slowly it got better. I had to go to a day clinic for psychotherapy with the panic attacks, but they didn't see an alcohol problem, despite drinking 4 liters of beer a day. At that time I didn't know anything about PAWS either and so I thought I could drink again if controlled. That went wrong and now I have all the symptoms even worse than before. But I hope it will be good again. I can already see a change in the symptoms. The extreme mood swings are better and there are brief periods without anxiety. The problem is the sensitivity to stress and the current sleep problems. I am also often confused and unsteady on my feet.
Thanks to the forum you guys are fantastic.
Please excuse the grammar, I had to translate the text.
VG Koninne
I am extremely grateful for this forum, it helps a lot to know that you are not alone and that there is hope for health. Thank you! I'm almost three months sober now and the last two months have been extremely bad. I realized years ago that I drink far too much and I was often a little lethargic in the morning. But the hangover went away and I continued. But the hangovers got worse and lasted much longer, for days. I was dealing with massive anxiety and panic attacks. As a result, drinking times and times of abstinence alternated, but that didn't work either, it got worse. (Kindling?) I then went abstinent for a year and very slowly it got better. I had to go to a day clinic for psychotherapy with the panic attacks, but they didn't see an alcohol problem, despite drinking 4 liters of beer a day. At that time I didn't know anything about PAWS either and so I thought I could drink again if controlled. That went wrong and now I have all the symptoms even worse than before. But I hope it will be good again. I can already see a change in the symptoms. The extreme mood swings are better and there are brief periods without anxiety. The problem is the sensitivity to stress and the current sleep problems. I am also often confused and unsteady on my feet.
Thanks to the forum you guys are fantastic.
Please excuse the grammar, I had to translate the text.
VG Koninne
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Join Date: Nov 2022
Posts: 59
thanks to all of you who have replied, and been there for us!!!!!! I was recently to the allergist, as I felt that my lack of energy, occasion eyes burning were allergy related. The tests said that I was fine, so maybe due to PAWS my immune system, and nervous system are the catalyst
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