kj3880

Help, I think I have PAWS!! Yesterday I went to visit my sister at her home, she has a new baby, yay. So anyway, I turned away from washing my hands at the sink, stepped on her 1-year-olds' plastic toy man, and fell head first into the wall! I mean, into the wall, my head was literally stuck in the sheetrock. Ouch! I felt so bad breaking her wall like that. That has never happened to me, I used to be known for my agility. Thank goodness I wasn't holding the baby. I hope it's just PAWS and that I won't always be this clumsy, I've been dropping a lot of things too. At least she wasn't mad, just worried that I might have hurt my head.
kj

suki44883

OUCH!!! Hope you're okay. BTW - What's PAWS??

kj3880

PAWS=Post Acute Withdrawal Syndrome--A set of impariments that occur immediately after withdrawal from alcohol or other drugs. Lasts 6-18 mos after the last use and is marked by fluctuating but improving course. Most of the symptoms are cognitive, emotional or memory, but for me, my coordination seems way off.
kj

suki44883

Wow! I've never heard of that. Can it be diagnosed?

barb dwyer

Post Acute Withdrawal Syndrome - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

check it out. truly.

barb dwyer

carolD has a link she posts about it - but I don't know where she got it. I just googled this one.

I know when I found out about my own PAWS, it was a great burden. Now, pushin' two years sober, it still shows up from time to time, but only when I get startled or too exausted.

It's my opinion that doctors should tell us about PAWS right away. I thought I was NUTS ... and turns out it's just a little temporary brin chemistry problem. I was so RELIEVED to learn about it.

I thoght that PAWS was a sticky in the alcoholism forum but I didn't see it.

hope this helps.

barb

CarolD

Here is the one I have in my files...

Post Acute Withdrawl - Relapse Prevention Specialists - TLC The Living Center

Please note that not everyone has the same
time line or severity or symptoms.

By 2 months...I was back to physical
and emotional well being.

barb dwyer

CarolD to the rescue!!!

least

My emotions are on a wild roller coaster ride, I'm clumsy, can't remember things, my hands and fingers don't 'work' right, I'm cranky and nervous... my counselor told me I wasn't losing my mind, just my body and mind losing the alcohol, so to speak, and that it would take time to get back to normal.

Going to meetings helps me too cause it helps me deal with stress better, so less stress, fewer other PAWS type problems that stress intensifies.

This too shall pass. You are healing. It just takes time.

:ghug

kj3880

Thanks for all your responses, especially you Least, I'm so happy you seem to be doing a whole lot better this week, yay for you! Will you at least consider changing your name to something more positive like "most!" you certainly aren't the "least" anymore!
Back on the topic of PAWS: I just read Carols' reference and part of it stated: "People recovering from long term opiate and stimulant use often have PAW symptoms for no apparent reason for up to 10 years after they have stopped using their drug of choice."
10 YEARS!!! ugh. I really hosed myself up good with them there opiates. dang.
kj

CarolD

Don't worry about what you did do...
too late for that.
consentrate on what you can do

And that takes action...

tanyapmc

I was an opiate and benzo addict. I had PAWS in the beginning. The first time I drove to a meeting I could not find my way home. And I had lived there for 15 years! Scary stuff. I think your doing the right thing talking about it.

I am now 16 months sober and I don't think I have any PAWS symptoms. So if you don't pick up you never have to do this again!