PAWS after one night of drinking?
 

Is it possible to experience PAWS after only one night of drinking? I was sober for 12 days, but had a slip last night (I had about 3/4 of a bottle of red wine, but drank it in 10 minutes...my intention wasn't to drink the wine - it was actually a part of a performance art piece I was doing, but we had two shows lined up for the evening and I felt like I wasn't performing up to par with the first one, so I drank because I knew that I could tap into that altered creative state...obviously there are some perfectionism issues here I need to work on. Once again I did not put my sobriety before my art. Some might say I am using art as an excuse to drink?)...anyway, I woke up a little hungover this morning, but during the day I felt like my head was kind of in a fog and I felt like I was laughing more than usual, not necessarily because things were actually funny...but it was almost like being inebriated a little, and laughing at everything. I couldn't articulate myself very well and I felt like I was moving around kind of slowly...maybe it's also because I didn't drink much coffee this morning (something I usually need to get the day going), tiredness from a busy weekend, and I think I'm coming down with a cold...But can you get PAWS after only drinking one night?

I can. I really notice the difference in the mornings after I drink to excess, even after days of drinking in moderation (what I am working on to get myself down to a safe tolerance before attempting total abstinence) or not at all. Seems to affect me more strongly now than it ever did.

Every hangover now is like a mini-withdrawal. Rough.

I consider a hangover to be mild withdrawals.
JMO

I do hope you feel better soon eccentricmuse

PAWS is Post Acute Withdrawal Syndrome so no, not technically. PAWS is something we deal with at, for example, 6 months sober, not 6 hours sober.

Sounds like you were in normal withdrawal/hangover like Carol was suggesting.

Yes, the hangover is a little withdrawal. I don't know if could be considered PAWS, as that is after the acute withdrawal, after the alcohol is gone from your body. But the hangovers themselves are murder.

Please don't beat yourself up over your slip. Get up, get back on your feet and start over. I relapsed also, two days ago, I drank two bottles of wine over two days and that was after 18 days of being sober. I'm so ashamed of myself and trying not to hate myself too much.

THe stress of the weekend was too much and Sunday nite I got the wine and drank it over the next day, trying to calm down and relieve the stress.

It happens, but what is important is that we start over. Try again. :ghug3

I'm really excited & happy that I'll (God willing) never experience a hangover again.

It sure feels good to feel good. I hope you get that feeling.