What is your experience with PAWS?
02.27.15 :): ▽VII△VIII
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: California
Posts: 2,802
Oh my goodness, yes! A couple weeks ago I was driving to work, a route I take every day. I stopped at a light, and when it turned green and I started driving, I suddenly had no idea where I was! It took me a couple seconds to get my bearings. I mean, I didn't even know what town I was in. I had my 2 year old in the car, and it really freaked me out. Around that time I was also having a ton of trouble sleeping and focusing at work, and I was really tired all the time. I almost went to my doctor because I felt so out of sorts I thought something was seriously wrong with me. This makes total sense.
Member
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Mississippi
Posts: 8
Ok so this is the "emotional/psychological" characteristics of withdrawal. Glad you shared this as this will help my boyfriend when he comes out of rehab.. I'm sending it to his email right now so that he will be educated on it (if they don't touch on it while in rehab)???
Anyway this is very significant as the article states can last 1-2 years and comes and goes and can come out of nowhere. Also the fact that if the "recovering person" is not aware that this may only last a few days versus a couple of months then this can just pave the way to relapse.. Awesome info.. I mean I like to think that I am well educated on the disease but this portion I am not and freely admit that... That is why I am here to learn all that I can from all of you so that I may help him in his recovery and I do understand "help" and can't "do it for him"... but this part of the disease the rehab part, him coming out of treatment and all the emotions that he will be feeling, versus the PAWS and other things that he will need to know about and have a back up plan to work through the problem etc is crucial to avoiding relapse (which I also know that it could happen and that he is powerless just as I am powerless, but we can plan) I hope I'm right someone please correct me where I've gone wrong as I'm sure that I have???? Again thank you Nighthawk for posting
Anyway this is very significant as the article states can last 1-2 years and comes and goes and can come out of nowhere. Also the fact that if the "recovering person" is not aware that this may only last a few days versus a couple of months then this can just pave the way to relapse.. Awesome info.. I mean I like to think that I am well educated on the disease but this portion I am not and freely admit that... That is why I am here to learn all that I can from all of you so that I may help him in his recovery and I do understand "help" and can't "do it for him"... but this part of the disease the rehab part, him coming out of treatment and all the emotions that he will be feeling, versus the PAWS and other things that he will need to know about and have a back up plan to work through the problem etc is crucial to avoiding relapse (which I also know that it could happen and that he is powerless just as I am powerless, but we can plan) I hope I'm right someone please correct me where I've gone wrong as I'm sure that I have???? Again thank you Nighthawk for posting
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Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: The Deep South
Posts: 14,636
Norma, I recommend you get the book Staying Sober: A Guide For Relapse Prevention by Terence Gorski and Merlene Miller. He details PAWS in that book better than anywhere else I've read about it. It's probably the one book I'd read if I had to pick just one. Good luck with your boyfriend!
Nothing is impossible!
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: EAGAN
Posts: 792
Originally Posted by Torso 
I've wondered about this as I've done a lot of reading about anti-psychiatry etc.
And how many labels/diagnosis there are these days.
(I refuse to acknowledge many of my diagnosis' and have had some succesfully written off my medical history)
However... PAWS makes sense....
When you look at simply put bad stuff in, bad stuff comes out.
Short term or long term.
Many people with anxiety, bipolar, bpd, schizophrenia have abused substances.
So I wonder if their sober symptoms are actually paws?
It's like recently I did a module for my degree on does video gaming and violent films create violent acts, or do people with a predisposition to violence indulge more in violent media....not even the professionals know.
And how many labels/diagnosis there are these days.
(I refuse to acknowledge many of my diagnosis' and have had some succesfully written off my medical history)
However... PAWS makes sense....
When you look at simply put bad stuff in, bad stuff comes out.
Short term or long term.
Many people with anxiety, bipolar, bpd, schizophrenia have abused substances.
So I wonder if their sober symptoms are actually paws?
It's like recently I did a module for my degree on does video gaming and violent films create violent acts, or do people with a predisposition to violence indulge more in violent media....not even the professionals know.
Paws has been proven to be real. Its problems with memory, especially short term, some anxiety, and just a sense of sort of losing your mind for a few days, usually at the 3, 6, 9, and 12 month intervals. They almost come like clockwork. I would have weeks pop up, and a few days where I was just out of sorts and it was frustrating. I am at 2 years now, where they say the "Disease" is fully in remission, so I dont have PAWS anymore, but it was a ride at times. I think people need to know about it, so they realize its temporary and dont revert back to drinking (or using).
Nothing is impossible!
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: EAGAN
Posts: 792
Originally Posted by Norma45
Ok so this is the "emotional/psychological" characteristics of withdrawal. Glad you shared this as this will help my boyfriend when he comes out of rehab.. I'm sending it to his email right now so that he will be educated on it (if they don't touch on it while in rehab)???
Anyway this is very significant as the article states can last 1-2 years and comes and goes and can come out of nowhere. Also the fact that if the "recovering person" is not aware that this may only last a few days versus a couple of months then this can just pave the way to relapse.. Awesome info.. I mean I like to think that I am well educated on the disease but this portion I am not and freely admit that... That is why I am here to learn all that I can from all of you so that I may help him in his recovery and I do understand "help" and can't "do it for him"... but this part of the disease the rehab part, him coming out of treatment and all the emotions that he will be feeling, versus the PAWS and other things that he will need to know about and have a back up plan to work through the problem etc is crucial to avoiding relapse (which I also know that it could happen and that he is powerless just as I am powerless, but we can plan) I hope I'm right someone please correct me where I've gone wrong as I'm sure that I have???? Again thank you Nighthawk for posting
Anyway this is very significant as the article states can last 1-2 years and comes and goes and can come out of nowhere. Also the fact that if the "recovering person" is not aware that this may only last a few days versus a couple of months then this can just pave the way to relapse.. Awesome info.. I mean I like to think that I am well educated on the disease but this portion I am not and freely admit that... That is why I am here to learn all that I can from all of you so that I may help him in his recovery and I do understand "help" and can't "do it for him"... but this part of the disease the rehab part, him coming out of treatment and all the emotions that he will be feeling, versus the PAWS and other things that he will need to know about and have a back up plan to work through the problem etc is crucial to avoiding relapse (which I also know that it could happen and that he is powerless just as I am powerless, but we can plan) I hope I'm right someone please correct me where I've gone wrong as I'm sure that I have???? Again thank you Nighthawk for posting
Yeah for some reason its not often discussed and I think its crucial because people in recovery, especially in the beggininng stages are fragile and its easy to get distressed when you have wild emotional swings. If my dad wouldnt have told me about this, I would have thought something was really wrong with me. Once I became aware, I knew when I was experiencing it and was able to take my mood swings for what they were, and realize it was just temporary. I would hate for people to experience them and think "I dont get what sobriety is all about, this sucks" and start using again, when its just PAWS. Im so glad I could help you out with this and your boyfriend can get some knowledge on it, because I think its super important!!
Nothing is impossible!
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: EAGAN
Posts: 792
Originally Posted by Briar
Oh my goodness, yes! A couple weeks ago I was driving to work, a route I take every day. I stopped at a light, and when it turned green and I started driving, I suddenly had no idea where I was! It took me a couple seconds to get my bearings. I mean, I didn't even know what town I was in. I had my 2 year old in the car, and it really freaked me out. Around that time I was also having a ton of trouble sleeping and focusing at work, and I was really tired all the time. I almost went to my doctor because I felt so out of sorts I thought something was seriously wrong with me. This makes total sense.
It can definitely be unnerving when you have no idea what is happening to you. A few times I thought I was going crazy or something, but was so relieved to hear it was a real thing and explained so much. I forgot words a lot too, words I use often but when talking with someone, I couldn't quite get to the word I wanted, so I would use a different one to keep the conversation flowing, lol.
Nothing is impossible!
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: EAGAN
Posts: 792
Originally Posted by MIRecovery
Another symptom I remember was forgetting I was holding on to things and dropping them. Also being super clumsy
Oh the clumsiness it SOOO annoying. Ive had days where I was like a hot mess, dropping things, tripping on rugs, running around my house trying to do things, but making it so much harder by forgetting what I was doing, and just roaming around. lol
Nothing is impossible!
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: EAGAN
Posts: 792
Originally Posted by sparky78
I have found that as long as I manage stress ok my PAWS is not nearly as bad as everything that I read about it. I have been careful not to take too much on a one time as I feel a little more fragile in general. When I am overly stressed, I do tend to forget things but I just finished my masters degree & had no problem with classes or my thesis..more so with little things, like the name of the movie I watched last night.
The sleep thing is interesting..for the first time in my life I can take naps & wake up refreshed & still sleep at night. I do seem to need a little more sleep but I see it as a sign of healing & its so nice after so many alcohol induced 2am awakenings & hours of insomnia.
Mood swings for me seemed to peak at 3-5 months, I still have them but there less extreme & I can deal with them better.
The sleep thing is interesting..for the first time in my life I can take naps & wake up refreshed & still sleep at night. I do seem to need a little more sleep but I see it as a sign of healing & its so nice after so many alcohol induced 2am awakenings & hours of insomnia.
Mood swings for me seemed to peak at 3-5 months, I still have them but there less extreme & I can deal with them better.
Oh stress really kicks into high gear I have noticed. When I would get stressed, PAWS really made itself known.
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Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: Ohio
Posts: 3,785
Originally Posted by Nighthawk8820
Oh the clumsiness it SOOO annoying. Ive had days where I was like a hot mess, dropping things, tripping on rugs, running around my house trying to do things, but making it so much harder by forgetting what I was doing, and just roaming around. lol
Originally Posted by Alraihani
I've experienced some of these, but it doesn't upset me, nor does it cause me to want to use.
They don't want me want to do anything really. Just more in tune with myself or less in tune as the case may be.
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