Heroin PAWS is such a long process

[enquerencia1980]

I didn't really understand what was going on with me until I read a little bit about PAWS. It's been almost five months since I've used heroin, and I assumed I was done with it. All in the past. Recently I started drinking, somewhat heavily, and I started feeling way, way more addicted to alcohol than I should be. I also relapsed on cigarettes, in the same day as a pretty seriously over-the-top night with booze. I woke up the next morning like it was day three of my (still ongoing) abstinence from heroin. I was sick as a dog. I kept going back to alcohol, just trying to ease my sickness, not to get drunk, but I found myself being drunk without feeling less sick. I thought maybe it was nicotine withdrawal. Then I thought maybe I actually had the flu.

But I think this is still heroin withdrawal. It's fading now, finally, after three days in a row of hell. Three days I had to work through, one of which was at a new job. I just read an article about long term PAWS, and I realize this won't be the last time this happens. I'm essentially obliged, as if contractually, to periodically go through this for up to two years. And that kids, is why doing heroin is a really, really bad idea. Just don't.

 

[enquerencia1980]

Even just knowing this has made me feel better. I was sure I had replaced my heroin addiction with alcohol dependence. And to a point I have. But it didn't make sense to me how extremely tense and wound up and awful I felt, or how alcohol didn't seem to alleviate those feelings. It's just PAWS. It'll pass. And knowing that, I don't have to become a complete mess of a person. I still have issues with alcohol, but I'm a long way off from leaving Las Vegas style addiction. Thank god.

 

[itsok]

Maybe you won't feel PAWS again. I didnt since i quit the last sixteen months this time. There are lots of factors that can make you feel better and maybe avoid PAWS. It is so mysterious and varied for everyone. So i know this sounds corny but think positive and remember that its better than full on withdrawal.

 

[enquerencia1980]

Maybe you won't feel PAWS again... but think positive and remember that its better than full on withdrawal.

I'm pretty sure that it was related to getting really drunk and smoking like twenty cigarettes. But what makes me feel positive is that I can clearly avoid that in the future by not over-drinking and smoking tons of cigarettes. But that doesn't mean necessarily that I'll never experience PAWS again. However, it does mean I'll be able to recognize it next time.

Thanks for your response, it was thoughtful, and helpful.

 

[IbizaJoe]

I personally think this PAWS-"syndrome" is connected to simply to dopamine and brain's reward pathways. Cigarette smoking and nicotine itself is maybe one of the most common stimulants out there when it comes to simple dopamine release. Of course there is lots of other chemicals going on in any addiction, like serotonin etc.

But dopamine is connected to these natural reward pathway circuits like food, sex, enjoying movie etc. and these receptors can experience total desensitization when stronger activities gradually take over the function of massive dopamine releases, like in case of drug addiction. Meth comes to mind, because it produces such massive dopamine release.

For example: http://www.dls.ym.edu.tw/chudler/plast.html
"Rewiring and unwiring refers to neuroplasticity or brain plasticity. Neuroplasticity is the lifelong ability of the brain to reorganize neural pathways based on new experiences. "
"Neuroplasticity works in two directions: it can weaken or delete old connections as well as strengthen or create new connections. "

Those old addictive pathways are probably still out there: it takes lots of time to completely delete them from your brain's system or "reward circuitry" and rewire your brain to more 'natural' things to experience pleasure. Even simply starting up smoking might activate some of these dormant pathways, because they share lots of same space in your brain with other addictive behaviors .