stillpooh19

Can some one share their experience with post acute withdrawals? My new counselor scared me yesterday, she gave me a timeline for experiencing symptoms like anxiety and panic that closely resemble the milestones in AA...30 days, 60 days, 90 days 6 months etc ? PLEASE say it ain't so!

Also, is it just me, or does anyone else have a HARD time getting out of bed in the morning? What do you do?

Bunny211

I had some PAWS symptoms around 3 months where I was very anxious and depressed...and again at 6 months and around 9 months but nothing out of control or unmanageable. For me, the key was working a program of recovery (AA's 12 steps). That helped take me out of myself and focus on others as well as recovery. I remember one time, I was around 6 months sober, I bought a new pair of boots at TJMaxx and I sat on the bench outside TJMaxx with my shiny new boots and just sobbed and sobbed because I knew there was something wrong with me on the inside...that a new pair of boots wouldn't fix. I went to a meeting and shared that and people came up to me and hugged me and said they understood.

Share what you are going through....everyone in meetings and on these boards can relate and it is helpful to you and others when you share. PAWS is normal and for me it was not terribly bad. It's nothing like the crippling anxiety I felt when I was waking up hungover and wondering how I was going to get through a day at work....taking off to lie down int he handicapped stall in another floor, praying for death.

Don't let PAWS scare you. PAWS won't kill you but drinking will.

doggonecarl

Here's how I look at it...

Congratulations for being sober long enough for PAWS to be an issue!

Don't let it overwhelm you.

SoberLife90

Don't worry about that stuff too much. Of course your going to have anxiety stopping drinking. We were so used to numbing all of our emotions so now we are going to start to have to live life on lifes terms. You are going to begin to "feel". You can do it. You will be uncomfortable, but continue to hit meetings, call your sponsor (get one if you don't have one), get a homegroup, and start working those steps and you stand a good chance of staying sober. If you put half effort into sobriety you will get halfed results. As for getting out of bed in the morning just do it! No matter what, DON'T drink. That is the key to staying sober in early sobriety. If ya feel an urge post on here or call another AA. If you want to stay sober you can.

least

I had some PAWS symptoms for a while but they went away. By the first year I no longer had them. Stay sober and it will get better.

Hawkeye13

Yes, I had it
but it was a lot easier to manage than drinking.

If you know what it is, it is that much easier to say no and stay sober.
I wouldn't worry about it but just keep working on recovery, not just not drinking.

You may be one of the ones who has no problem--many don't.

ScottFromWI

Not everyone gets PAWS, and in reality it's mostly just a collection of possible symptoms. Having a good plan to live a sober life will prepare you to deal with things like that should they even occur.