sobriety26

I have been rambling about paws and I think I have it again,I remember the first experience before leading into paws I had this nervous feeling in my stomach,I am a 200 pound 5'6 female(thou should not judge) I have always felt gluttony during my drinking days,I went from an 90 pound underweight female and once Istarted ddrinking weight was so easy to put on,anyways even when I stopped drinking I have heard your eating habits go to normal but mine didn't,I ate food while drinking(a lot) and sober im eating nothing but junk,anyways again(whole reason im writting) first of all my day started off fine,my boyfriend made me breakfast,then we went out to eat and I just wasn't feeling like myself,Iwas happy one minute and then iI got sad out the blue,he even suprised me with an engagement ring,I smiled and tried to make it seem like I was happy but I felt awful,we then went to the mall for outfits,I looked in the mirror and felt ugly just lousy,I felt like I did all over again,like before I got paws,distance,sad,stomach very shaky,and loss of appetite,I heard paws come by the 3rd month of sobriety im in the middle of my second month,I don't know if it's possible for it to come this soon,I dont know if it's just nerves or what.

Anna

I didn't experience Paws, but I know for sure that there were lots of ups and downs in the first few months of my recovery. I was experiencing all kinds of emotions and trying to find ways to deal with my guilt and shame so I was all over the place emotionally.

Inchworm

Be patient, be gentle with yourself, sobriety. In new recovery we are discovering so much about ourselves. Nothing is the same, it seems. And, congratulations on your engagement!

cl9000

I'm right at 3 months, kind of all over the place lately, and glanced at a list of paws symptoms and that sounds about right. Also 20+ pounds heavier than usual. It's actually reassuring to hear others are going through something similar and it's not "just me," though I'm sorry to hear it's been tough for you. Lots of people say just to ride it out and it will eventually get better, and I'd like to think they're right.

Dee74

Do you feel depressed sobriety26? It might be a good idea to talk with your Dr?

D

Maffers

I agree with going to your doctor if your feeling depression. I know I'm up in lbs since I quit drinking last fall. Course the Dairy Queen opening up right next to my work didn't help But again, a doctors visit would be a very wise decision just to make sure everything is normal.

doggonecarl

Understanding PAWS helped my recovery. It helped to understand it and to realize it was a "normal" part of getting sober for many of us. But your fixating on it seems counter productive. Recovery has a lot of ups and downs...emotionally, physically. Ride it out and take pride in your progress.

Dad23

Hey. I'm right at 12 weeks today. I had a fairly severe bout of PAWS for about 4 days last month.

Initially I had no clue what was going on - I had never even heard of PAWS! When I started researching it - it was a terrible shock to realize that this was caused by the severe damage I had done to my body and my brain. I was devastated!

But once the initial jolt was over, I came to see the silver lining in the cloud...

1) That this was my body's way of getting better. That I was getting healthier and stronger.

2)That I was never going to do that damage to myself ever again by drinking. If there was the slimmest chance of me ever drinking again, that chance was completely obliterated by suffering PAWS.

As far as the weight and eating situation, I found that I was craving a lot of high calorie foods like sugars, carbs, fats, etc. I'm guessing that's a lot to do with the elimination of alcohol from my diet (booze is high calories, empty calories) PLUS the fact that my brain was trying to get a new "reward" from sugars.

The best thing that has happened to me very recently was starting to get out and walk. I'm now walking at a high pace for 60-90 minutes a day. It has done wonders for my energy, focus, state of mind, and I'm even losing a pound or two!

Hope this gives you some ideas. Stay strong!

sobriety26

I know im depressed and have a doctor's appointment set up but I really thought it may be paws again but really don't know.

least

It's good that you're seeing your doctor. Early recovery can be a rough ride for a while. Be good to yourself.

Soberween

You drank for a really long time so you aren't going to get back to the real you overnight.The eating thing for me leveled out at about the six month mark. I was eating a lot of sugar in early sobriety and that also contributed to my mood swings. You do sound depressed. I was depressed, as well, and talked to my doctor and went on a mild antidepressant that I feel was vital to my recovery. Don't be afraid to have an honest talk with a medical professional. This is much more common than you think.

Soberwolf

Good job having a Dr apt set up that will really help if you feel like this now just hang around SR get posting & try to distract your mind I know its hard but if it even improves thoughts by 1% that's a win

ScottFromWI

Glad you are seeing a doctor, hopefully they can help you find some strategies to cope.

PAWS is really just a set of symptoms that affect everyone differently. Some people get it, some don't, there's really no specific cause or any specific solution. As Carl mentioned, understanding that it will pass is probably the best thing to know.

It's quite possible that if you have Depression that it could mimic a lot the "PAWS-like" symptoms, hopefully you can figure that out with your Doctor.