Chances for PAWS
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: Midwest, USA
Posts: 394
Chances for PAWS
I'm just starting on my road to recovery (in treatment now). I turned to drinking after severe postpartum depression and have slowly increased my use to binging up to 3 nights a week (7-8 drinks) for about 3 years now. I'm in my mid-thirties and I struggle with depression enough as it is (chronic since age 20) and now I'm reading about PAWS. It has me really scared that on top of my regular, already hard-to-handle depression, that the effects from the alcohol will put me down another spiral. I have not ever had physical withdrawal and rarely have ever drank two days in a row. Does this make me less likely to experience PAWS or to have a less severe-form? I know nobody here is a medical professional, but I'd love to hear your own experiences to calm my anxiety and foreboding.
Forum Leader
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Wisconsin, USA
Posts: 16,945
It's really impossible to say whether or not one will experience PAWS or not. PAWS itself is really just a collection of symptoms anyway. And it usually doesn't take effect for months after initial withdrawals anyway, sometimes not at all.
What will definitely help is having a strong sobriety plan, as well as finding healthy ways to deal with your depression. Are you still drinking now?
What will definitely help is having a strong sobriety plan, as well as finding healthy ways to deal with your depression. Are you still drinking now?
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: Midwest, USA
Posts: 394
No, I'm not currently drinking. I've relapsed a few times in the last couple months, but I'm currently in intensive outpatient. I'm also on anti-depressants (have always been) and see a therapist/psychiatrist. I'm just sick of all the hurdles of a dual diagnosis and then seeing if I am sober I could get PAWS. I want to not drink to actually help my depression. It is frightening to know that being sober can make you feel depressed all over again, but I know in the long run it is better than continuously damaging myself.
I'm trying to be proactive and not get to a drinking stage where I can't stop.
I'm trying to be proactive and not get to a drinking stage where I can't stop.
Member
Join Date: Feb 2016
Location: St. Louis, Mo
Posts: 7,334
You may be worrying for nothing. It may not happen. But as the really smart people here keep reiterating, if you have a plan if PAWS does occur, you will be better equipped to recognize it and handle it.
Member
Join Date: Nov 2015
Location: England
Posts: 2,675
Like the others said, it may not even happen so I wouldn't be worrying about it at this stage. It's a good idea to have a recovery plan in place so you're prepared if it does happen. Here's Dee's link on recovery plans - http://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/...ery-plans.html
Forum Leader
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Wisconsin, USA
Posts: 16,945
Originally Posted by Babescake 
No, I'm not currently drinking. I've relapsed a few times in the last couple months, but I'm currently in intensive outpatient. I'm also on anti-depressants (have always been) and see a therapist/psychiatrist. I'm just sick of all the hurdles of a dual diagnosis and then seeing if I am sober I could get PAWS. I want to not drink to actually help my depression. It is frightening to know that being sober can make you feel depressed all over again, but I know in the long run it is better than continuously damaging myself.
I'm trying to be proactive and not get to a drinking stage where I can't stop.
I'm trying to be proactive and not get to a drinking stage where I can't stop.
I'd suggest taking some time off from Dr. Google...there are enough bad things out there to keep you thinking all day long about bad stuff. Trust me - my anxiety revolves around health and I've diagnosed myself with just about every possible disease I MIGHT get based on google that I simply stay away.
Focus on the good things you are doing - and you are doing a LOT of them. Outpatient, therapy, your prescribed meds, every single one of those helps not just today, but down the road.
Member
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: Boston, MA
Posts: 1,601
I've had bouts of PAWS and I got through them. I am also dual diagnosed with depression and anxiety. Think of it this way. Did you let fear of childbirth stop you from having kids? No. Of course now. Now don't let fear of PAWS stop you from getting sober. In the end, if you get sober, you will be rewarded with a wonderful life! When I start worrying about the future my sponsor tells me to look at my feet. Where am I? What should I be doing right now for my recovery...to make me happy? Stay grounded. I've also heard it said that if you stand with one foot in yesterday and one foot in tomorrow you p!ss all over today!
Focus on today. Right now. When your mind starts racing ahead to the future tell it to SHUT UP!
Focus on today. Right now. When your mind starts racing ahead to the future tell it to SHUT UP!
Member
Join Date: Feb 2016
Location: middle of nowhere
Posts: 2,849
Put down Dr Google! !! 
me too I've been there and am dealing with similar things. It's easy to ramp oneself up by over thinking things in early recovery. You've gotten a lot of good feedback already, but I wanted to say that I understand and here are some things that really helped me.
The recovery plan can and will act for you when your thoughts and feelings are seeming to be out of control
. The trick is to design it and implement in your every day life so it becomes practice before a crisis hits. That way when you feel like you are losing control, grab the book/list, open it up and read it and it can help do the thinking for you.
Also if you can, reach out to others who understand your situation and make new connections. This is where AA and having a sponsor has really helped to give me more self confidence and people reach out to me too
Also be kind to yourself. Don't beat yourself up for negative feelings, sometimes we have to learn to acknowledge we feel bad and let that be instead of resisting it. Sometimes it takes a lot of self-reflection to figure out where it's coming from and a lot of self work to turn it around or turn it over to a higher power or counselor. Try and have faith and an open mind that it will get better, as long as you put in the work to seek out the tools available for you to use. I went from a quivering mess that was too afraid to leave the house
To slowly rebuilding a healthy foundation through Sr, aa my addictions counselor and my own work and some blind faith. You can do it too.
me too I've been there and am dealing with similar things. It's easy to ramp oneself up by over thinking things in early recovery. You've gotten a lot of good feedback already, but I wanted to say that I understand and here are some things that really helped me. The recovery plan can and will act for you when your thoughts and feelings are seeming to be out of control
. The trick is to design it and implement in your every day life so it becomes practice before a crisis hits. That way when you feel like you are losing control, grab the book/list, open it up and read it and it can help do the thinking for you.
Also if you can, reach out to others who understand your situation and make new connections. This is where AA and having a sponsor has really helped to give me more self confidence and people reach out to me too
Also be kind to yourself. Don't beat yourself up for negative feelings, sometimes we have to learn to acknowledge we feel bad and let that be instead of resisting it. Sometimes it takes a lot of self-reflection to figure out where it's coming from and a lot of self work to turn it around or turn it over to a higher power or counselor. Try and have faith and an open mind that it will get better, as long as you put in the work to seek out the tools available for you to use. I went from a quivering mess that was too afraid to leave the house
To slowly rebuilding a healthy foundation through Sr, aa my addictions counselor and my own work and some blind faith. You can do it too.
Member
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: Pacific Coast
Posts: 785
Some great responses here already.
Let's say you do develop some PAWS symptoms which make your life uncomfortable for months or even years, but then they eventually go away and you finally feel good again, and you're still sober.
Now let's look at the alternative: Where do you think you'll be months or years from now if you continue to drink?
Let's say you do develop some PAWS symptoms which make your life uncomfortable for months or even years, but then they eventually go away and you finally feel good again, and you're still sober.
Now let's look at the alternative: Where do you think you'll be months or years from now if you continue to drink?
Do your best
Join Date: Aug 2014
Posts: 67,047
D posts this very now & then & is a excellent link on paws I just want to welcome you to a fantastic supportive community
PAWS | Digital Dharma
PAWS | Digital Dharma
Member
Join Date: Apr 2015
Posts: 2,412
Oh..I'd like to answer where you'd be if you continued to drink!! I fought depression for the past 30yrs.
Alcoholism is common amongst those with depression. Something like 48% I believe? Maybe 38%.
In the long run what happens is we get MORE depressed due to drinking. Alcohol is a depressant. Not just on the Central Nervous System, but for our emotions as well.
It starts by making us more depressed when we are not drinking. Then more depressed when we are not drinking enough. Followed by more depressed when we're drunk!
I've had suicidal thoughts when I was a teenager. And maybe a bout here and there in my 20's and 30's, although I don't recall any. But by my mid 40's, my depression had ramped up as my drinking ramped up trying to chase happiness.
The last year or two before I quit, I was very suicidal. Thank God I don't own a gun. It was bad. Always severe depression. Every waking moment. It was really a major reason I quit! That and severe anxiety and panic attacks, which I NEVER experienced until I was drinking heavy every day.
Here's the deal...
Again, everyone is different. But in my case, my depression was 100% better within days of quitting. A week or two at the most. Anxiety was drastically cut in 4-5 days, I definitely remember the relief from that. It was completely gone within a month.
My depression had returned to "base line", but I felt completely awesome compared to what I was living for a few years. I returned to a state where I would just have bouts of depression, instead of chronic. And I was diagnosed with moderate depression, down from severe.
I experienced PAWS. But it was still nothing like I was experiencing while I was drinking a depressant.
So maybe it's a bridge you have to cross. I suspect if you do, you will be more prepared for it and able to handle it better than the alcoholics who never had to battle depression before.
The level of depression I experienced during PAWS was mostly lack of interest and hard to get motivated. I had no desire to kill myself. I was not crying. At worse, I just had depressive thoughts and would obsess over the things I've done to destroy my life.
Meditation and journaling, along with my meds, was enough to break the obsessive thoughts. Motivation was a little harder to break. I know exercising would have helped, a lot, but I just couldn't bring myself to do it.
Trust the process. You will be MUCH MUCH happier. I know Dr. Google can drive us nuts, but if you really want to see what's going on, search the effects that alcohol has on depression. That'll keep you straight!
Alcoholism is common amongst those with depression. Something like 48% I believe? Maybe 38%.
In the long run what happens is we get MORE depressed due to drinking. Alcohol is a depressant. Not just on the Central Nervous System, but for our emotions as well.
It starts by making us more depressed when we are not drinking. Then more depressed when we are not drinking enough. Followed by more depressed when we're drunk!
I've had suicidal thoughts when I was a teenager. And maybe a bout here and there in my 20's and 30's, although I don't recall any. But by my mid 40's, my depression had ramped up as my drinking ramped up trying to chase happiness.
The last year or two before I quit, I was very suicidal. Thank God I don't own a gun. It was bad. Always severe depression. Every waking moment. It was really a major reason I quit! That and severe anxiety and panic attacks, which I NEVER experienced until I was drinking heavy every day.
Here's the deal...
Again, everyone is different. But in my case, my depression was 100% better within days of quitting. A week or two at the most. Anxiety was drastically cut in 4-5 days, I definitely remember the relief from that. It was completely gone within a month.
My depression had returned to "base line", but I felt completely awesome compared to what I was living for a few years. I returned to a state where I would just have bouts of depression, instead of chronic. And I was diagnosed with moderate depression, down from severe.
I experienced PAWS. But it was still nothing like I was experiencing while I was drinking a depressant.
So maybe it's a bridge you have to cross. I suspect if you do, you will be more prepared for it and able to handle it better than the alcoholics who never had to battle depression before.
The level of depression I experienced during PAWS was mostly lack of interest and hard to get motivated. I had no desire to kill myself. I was not crying. At worse, I just had depressive thoughts and would obsess over the things I've done to destroy my life.
Meditation and journaling, along with my meds, was enough to break the obsessive thoughts. Motivation was a little harder to break. I know exercising would have helped, a lot, but I just couldn't bring myself to do it.
Trust the process. You will be MUCH MUCH happier. I know Dr. Google can drive us nuts, but if you really want to see what's going on, search the effects that alcohol has on depression. That'll keep you straight!
You can have reasons, or you can have results, but you can't have both.
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: Syracuse, NY
Posts: 1,232
View the thread entitled "Who Felt Better SOON After Quitting?" Lots of people have minimal or no lasting symptoms.
PAWS is real, but so are conjoined twins. Know what I mean? If it happens, talk to your doctor about it but don't worry about it until it DOES happen.
Congrats on your decision to quit!
PAWS is real, but so are conjoined twins. Know what I mean? If it happens, talk to your doctor about it but don't worry about it until it DOES happen.
Congrats on your decision to quit!
bona fido dog-lover
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: SF Bay area, CA
Posts: 99,784
I had some symptoms of PAWS for a while in my first year sober, but they went away and I haven't had trouble since then.
If you're depressed, you definitely don't want to drink as that will make it worse.
And antidepressants don't work when you're drinking.
If you're depressed, you definitely don't want to drink as that will make it worse.
And antidepressants don't work when you're drinking.
Member
Join Date: Nov 2015
Location: USA
Posts: 701
I also suffered from chronic depression, which began in childhood. I have been on medication for many years, and it is currently managed. If your meds are not working the way you think they should be, talk to your doctor. There are so many various medications available now.
I quit drinking in September 2014. I did have episodes of PAWS. However, knowing what it was, and that it goes away in a few days, made it manageable. Also, the longer you are sober, the fewer episodes you have. That is if you even have PAWS. You may sail through without it.
I can't say that PAWS was pleasant, but it wasn't nearly as bad as drinking alcoholically. If you do experience it, think of it as your brain going through the healing process. I did, and it really helped. PAWS is temporary, but the benefits of sobriety lasts a lifetime!
I quit drinking in September 2014. I did have episodes of PAWS. However, knowing what it was, and that it goes away in a few days, made it manageable. Also, the longer you are sober, the fewer episodes you have. That is if you even have PAWS. You may sail through without it.
I can't say that PAWS was pleasant, but it wasn't nearly as bad as drinking alcoholically. If you do experience it, think of it as your brain going through the healing process. I did, and it really helped. PAWS is temporary, but the benefits of sobriety lasts a lifetime!
NA Member - Atheist
Join Date: Feb 2016
Location: Middletown CT USA
Posts: 770
If you want to experience a downward spiral of depression the best way to do that is to keep using/drinking. - Never fails.
The first several months clean can be a little rough. Then it gets a LOT better.
The first several months clean can be a little rough. Then it gets a LOT better.
Member
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: UK
Posts: 6,902
Alcohol is a depressant, so you'll hopefully feel generally better for not taking it. I had PAWs, and followed the advice on the link that someone posted, and it passed.
Although I never thought of myself as depressed / anxious when I was drinking, I now see that actually that is exactly what I was. But because I'd been like it so many years I didn't spot it for what it was. So yes, about 7 months into sobriety I got PAWs. It lasted a month or so, while I figured out what it was (I'd never heard of PAWs so it took some research til I found that article, but if you know about it then forewarned is forearmed), but now I can honestly say that I am generally happier than I ever remember being, even in childhood. PAWs was just another puddle on the path. Please don't let it put you off of getting better I think of it as being like a bit of an unpleasant side effect to medication for a terminal disease that can prolong life and generally improve comfort long term.
Although I never thought of myself as depressed / anxious when I was drinking, I now see that actually that is exactly what I was. But because I'd been like it so many years I didn't spot it for what it was. So yes, about 7 months into sobriety I got PAWs. It lasted a month or so, while I figured out what it was (I'd never heard of PAWs so it took some research til I found that article, but if you know about it then forewarned is forearmed), but now I can honestly say that I am generally happier than I ever remember being, even in childhood. PAWs was just another puddle on the path. Please don't let it put you off of getting better
I think of it as being like a bit of an unpleasant side effect to medication for a terminal disease that can prolong life and generally improve comfort long term.
Currently Active Users Viewing this Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
