Hello Everyone, I think Cynical One was the original poster for the information below (it was very helpful to me, but it is a bit of a long read, but worth the time...)
Post Acute Withdrawl (PAW)
When most people think about alcoholism or drug addiction they think only of the alcohol/drug-based symptoms and forget about the sobriety-based symptoms. Yet it is the sobriety-based symptoms, especially post acute withdrawal, that make sobriety so difficult. The presence of brain dysfunction has been documented in 75-95% of the recovering alcoholics/addicts tested. Recent research indicates that the symptoms of post-acute withdrawal associated with alcohol/drug-related damage to the brain may contribute to many cases of relapse.
Post-acute withdrawal means symptoms that occur after acute withdrawal:
Syndrome: A group of symptoms
Post: After
Post Acute Withdrawal: Symptoms that occur after acute withdrawal.
Post-acute withdrawal is a group of symptoms of addictive disease that occur as a result of abstinence from addictive chemicals. In the alcoholic/addict these symptoms appear seven to fourteen days into abstinence, after stabilization from the acute withdrawal.
Post-acute withdrawal is a bio-psycho-social syndrome. It results from the combination of damage to the nervous system caused by alcohol or drugs and the psychosocial stress of coping with life without drugs or alcohol.
Recovery causes a great deal of stress. Many chemically dependent people never learn to manage stress without alcohol and drug use. The stress aggravates the brain dysfunction and makes the symptoms worse. The severity of PAW depends upon two things: the severity of the brain dysfunction caused by the addiction and the amount of psychosocial stress experienced in recovery.
The symptoms of PAW typically grow to peak intensity over three to six months after abstinence begins. The damage is usually reversible, meaning the major symptoms go away in time if proper treatment is received. So there is no need to fear. With proper treatment and effective sober living, it is possible to learn to live normally in spite of the impairments. But the adjustment does not occur rapidly. Recovery from the nervous system damage usually required from six to 24 months with the assistance of a healthy recovery program. Recent research is showing that for some recovering people the symptoms of PAW often occur at regular "moon cycle" intervals and without apparent outside stressors. Often those 30, 60, 90, 120, 180, and 1 & 2-year sobriety dates seem to be "triggering" times for PAW symptoms to increase. 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. Often PAW symptoms appear to come and go without apparent reason and without any specific pattern. Individuals who intend to have consistent long-term recovery must learn to recognize these symptoms and learn how to manage them.
SYMPTOMS OF POST ACUTE WITHDRAWAL
How do you know if you have PAW? The most identifiable characteristic is the inability to solve usually simple problems. There are six major types of PAW symptoms that contribute to this They are the inability to think clearly, memory problems, emotional overreactions and numbness, sleep disturbances, physical coordination problems, and general problems in managing stress. The inability to solve usually simple problems because of any or all of these symptoms leads to diminished self-esteem. A person often feels incompetent, embarrassed, and not okay about themselves. Diminished self-esteem and the fear of failure interfere with productive and challenging living. Lets take a look at some of the PAW symptoms that contribute to the inability to solve usually simple problems.
TYPES OF PAW SYMPTOMS
1. Inability to think clearly
2. Memory problems
3. Emotional overreactions or numbness
4. Sleep disturbances
5. Physical coordination problems
6. Stress sensitivity
hey VW girl!!!
I was just asking about this on the pain pill board.....and up pops your post!
I read that same online article that you posted, but, I was wondering....Do you know what any treatment methods may be?
My Dr. is in the process of trying to learn about this as well, but of course, online, they never publish possible treatments.
Just looking for some answers!
Thanks and Good to "see" you!
Sarah (Not feeling clever)
I was just asking about this on the pain pill board.....and up pops your post!
I read that same online article that you posted, but, I was wondering....Do you know what any treatment methods may be?
My Dr. is in the process of trying to learn about this as well, but of course, online, they never publish possible treatments.
Just looking for some answers!
Thanks and Good to "see" you!
Sarah (Not feeling clever)
Hi Sarah, I'm not sure about treatment options...I'm brain-dead from this heat wave here in SoCal so you may need to re-phrase what you are asking...sorry about that...I didn't opt for a treatment program although it is offerred by my EAP at work. I just pretty much went cold turkey (but was under Doctor's care for about the first week). I detoxed at my Sister's house and experienced a slight form of DTs, shaking, vomiting, sweating and insomnia...but it got better day by day. I practice the 12 Step Program's approach to sobriety...so that is the treatment I use for my recovery on a daily basis. I don't know if any of this makes sense.
Wow....
I'm almost @ 2 years (God willing) and I can relate to some of that . Stress sensitivity..yeah, thats me right now. I'm just trying to stick real close to the program.
Taking that daily 10th step inventory @ the end of the day is helping.
I just feel sometimes like I get too bothered with things. I'm so bloody sensitive sometimes..real emotional.
Sometimes in dealing with work issues I get numb...its that old defense mechanism kicking in...wanting to shut down....I have to be careful.
What we also have to realize is that most people do numb feelings with one thing or another . And we in recovery, don't. We feel every feeling ,good and bad.
And I spent my life not wanting to feel most things, so in life in recovery I probably will be more sensitive for a while.
Thank you for posting that VW (ps...YGM).
I'm almost @ 2 years (God willing) and I can relate to some of that . Stress sensitivity..yeah, thats me right now. I'm just trying to stick real close to the program.
Taking that daily 10th step inventory @ the end of the day is helping.
I just feel sometimes like I get too bothered with things. I'm so bloody sensitive sometimes..real emotional.
Sometimes in dealing with work issues I get numb...its that old defense mechanism kicking in...wanting to shut down....I have to be careful.
What we also have to realize is that most people do numb feelings with one thing or another . And we in recovery, don't. We feel every feeling ,good and bad.
And I spent my life not wanting to feel most things, so in life in recovery I probably will be more sensitive for a while.
Thank you for posting that VW (ps...YGM).
C ~ I can totally identify with everything you wrote in your last post...everything...I'm so glad it's a one day at a time program, just like I don't pick up a drink one day at a time, I also handle life like that, I just take it one day at time. I was told early on....just stay in today...
Thank you for the paws information.. I pulled out my material from the classes and some said it could happen abruptly some information said after being clean for a substantial time.
Depends on who you ask. lol
I told my doctor when he said i was experiencing it in such a short time of being off the sub, that all the information I had read said months after being clean, not weeks. Of course he doesn't have the answers either. Does anyone really know? Rhetorical question.
I can say that I have no idea why I crashed so hard. It could have been a combination of things, or something totally unrelated.
Thanks again.
Depends on who you ask. lol
I told my doctor when he said i was experiencing it in such a short time of being off the sub, that all the information I had read said months after being clean, not weeks. Of course he doesn't have the answers either. Does anyone really know? Rhetorical question.
I can say that I have no idea why I crashed so hard. It could have been a combination of things, or something totally unrelated.
Thanks again.
The disease of alcoholism is "cunning, baffling and powerful" (taken right out of the Big Book)...I know I receive a daily reprieve from my disease based on my spiritual condition...I personally have met and know people who've had decades of sobriety and went out; no defense against picking up that first drink...again, cunning, baffling and powerful.
