Eveleivibe
Ex-Bluelighter
PAWS (Post-Acute Withdrawal Symptoms) tends to come after the acute withdrawal period which can differ depending on which opiate the person is withdrawing from. There is a lot of confusion arounds PAWS. Some get it confused with the initial withdrawal period, some people may be having a bad day n confuse it with PAWS.
Anyway NSA gave me the idea to start a thread as so often people discuss PAWS but it's in the wrong thread, going off- topic and so forth.
So here's a thread for anyone going through PAWS, worried about PAWS, had a bad/good experience with PAWS, knows some treatment to lesson PAWS or amyone who may want a discussion/debate/to show research/info on PAWS. Please post here
All the best
Evey xxxxNSA EDIT: I added this information for the benefit of people and as an introduction to this thread. It was posted in Eveleivibe's post because she wanted it at the begining of the thread and this sentence was also added at evel's request as she wanted it known that this was from me.
PAWS- Post Acute Withdrawal Syndrome
PAWS is the name given, collectively, to all possible symptoms that clean addicts commonly experience after detoxification. PAWS is the main force that drives use once an addict has broken away from physical dependence. PAWS is commonly referred to as the "psychological addiction" and is also the force that drives chronic use of substances that do not cause physical dependence. PAWS also drives compulsive performance of actions, associated with addictive behaviors, such as sex, work, shopping. It is the real power of addiction. PAWS symptoms usually begin to occur between seven and fourteen days after the acute period of withdrawal, and usually peak between three and six months after the start of abstinence. The symptoms of paws can however resurface at any point in an addict's life and have been seen to be a consistent life long battle for an unfortunate few.
Also referred to as:
- The protracted withdrawal syndrome,
- Chronic brain toxicity,
- Long-term neuropsychological impairment
- Long-term neurocognitive impairment
The most common post-acute withdrawal symptoms are:
- Mood swings
- Anxiety
- Irritability
- Tiredness
- Variable energy
- Low enthusiasm
- Variable concentration
- Disturbed sleep
- Anhedonia (an inability to experience joy).
- Depression.
- Behaviors associated with OCD.
- Difficulty focusing.
- Disturbances in autonomic functioning.
- Lapses in memory.
- Hyper arousal with regards to stressful situations.
- Agitation.
- Inability to solve simple problems
- Disorganized thought patterns
- Difficulty sleeping or staying asleep
- Sexual dysfunction
- Mood swings
- Depression
- Drug or alcohol cravings
- Self imposed isolation
- Exhaustion
- Poor physical coordination (dry drunk)
- Memory troubles
- Lack of emotional response or inability to feel emotions
- Fibromyalgia like pain
- Change or changes in appetite
- Fatigue
- Thoughts of suicide
- Homicidal Ideation
- Racing thoughts
"The Three Headed Dragon"
Addiction is defined as “a chronic relapsing condition characterized by compulsive drug-seeking and abuse and by long lasting chemical changes in the brain.” - MedTerms
The term relapse is the most significant in the definition of addiction. Mark Twain’s famous quote “Quitting smoking is easy, I’ve done it dozens of times” helps express how addiction becomes a physical and psychological disorder.
"The Three Headed Dragon"
The metaphor of the three headed dragon was first popularized by a therapist in San Francisco. The first head is physical. Addiction is a chronic illness requiring a lifetime of attention. The second head is psychological. Addiction is a disorder with mental, emotional, and behavioural components. And the third head of the dragon is spiritual. Addiction is an
existential state, experienced in isolation from others.
“Chasing the Dragon”
The term “chasing the dragon” is a term used by addicts in an effort to catch the first high they had on their drug of choice. “Because of the
unique reaction that the genetically addiction prone individual experiences to his drug of choice, he or she programs his or herself belief
system with the deep conviction that the substance is ‘good,’” writes Richard Seymour. “This is where self-help becomes intrinsic to recovery. Unless one deals with the third head, unless one changes the
belief system and effects a turning-about in the deepest seat of consciousness, there is no recovery…”
- “The Chemical Carousel”
by Dirk Hanson
POSSIBLE CAUSES OF PAWS
Addiction is defined as “a chronic relapsing condition characterized by compulsive drug-seeking and abuse and by long lasting chemical changes in the brain.” - MedTerms
The term relapse is the most significant in the definition of addiction. Mark Twain’s famous quote “Quitting smoking is easy, I’ve done it dozens of times” helps express how addiction becomes a physical and psychological disorder.
"The Three Headed Dragon"
The metaphor of the three headed dragon was first popularized by a therapist in San Francisco. The first head is physical. Addiction is a chronic illness requiring a lifetime of attention. The second head is psychological. Addiction is a disorder with mental, emotional, and behavioural components. And the third head of the dragon is spiritual. Addiction is an
existential state, experienced in isolation from others.
“Chasing the Dragon”
The term “chasing the dragon” is a term used by addicts in an effort to catch the first high they had on their drug of choice. “Because of the
unique reaction that the genetically addiction prone individual experiences to his drug of choice, he or she programs his or herself belief
system with the deep conviction that the substance is ‘good,’” writes Richard Seymour. “This is where self-help becomes intrinsic to recovery. Unless one deals with the third head, unless one changes the
belief system and effects a turning-about in the deepest seat of consciousness, there is no recovery…”
- “The Chemical Carousel”
by Dirk Hanson
POSSIBLE CAUSES OF PAWS
The root of PAW symptoms is as of yet unknown, but the syndrome may be in part due to persisting physiological adaptions in the central nervous system manifested in the form of continuing but slowly reversible tolerance, disturbances in neurotransmitters and resultant hyper excitability of neuronal pathways. Stressful situations arise in early recovery, and the symptoms of post acute withdrawal syndrome produce further distress. It is important to avoid or to deal with the triggers that make post acute withdrawal syndrome worse. The types of symptomology and impairments in severity, frequency, and duration associated with the condition vary depending on the drug of use. source
Links for Post Acute Withdrawal Syndrome (PAWS)
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