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Post-Acute Withdrawal Syndrome (P.A.W.S.) and the Recovery Process

The two stages of withdrawal symptoms are simply acute and post-acute. The acute withdrawal stage involves the physical symptoms that usually only last a few weeks.

Post-acute withdrawal syndrome (P.A.W.S.) involves less physical symptoms and a more psychological and emotional manifestation of withdrawal. Long term drug or alcohol abuse damages the nervous system and produces psychological stress. The chemicals in your brain fluctuate as it improves causing post-acute withdrawal symptoms. These symptoms are signs that your brain functioning is moderately returning to normal.

P.A.W.S. is simply defined as, “a set of persistent impairments that occur after withdrawal from alcohol, opiates, benzodiazepines and other substances.”

Post-acute withdrawal syndrome symptoms include:

Depression

Mood swings

Overwhelming feelings of guilt

Pessimistic thinking

Lack in ability to concentrate or focus

Increased sensitivity to stress

Blocking or numbness of memories and feelings

Sleep disturbances

Social anxiety and trouble with interpersonal skills

Lack of motivation or initiative

Intense cravings

Memory loss

Putting on a façade (looking good on the outside but feeling awful inside)

Feeling lethargic or little enthusiasm in daily activities

Difficulty multitasking and completing simple tasks

Unrealistic expectations of self and others

Surviving Post-Acute Withdrawal Syndrome

P.A.W.S. can last from six to 24 months after the last use. It may sometimes feel like you’re taking two steps forward and then five back. Awareness, along with a healthy support group of fellow recovering addicts who understand what you’re going through is suggested to get through these difficult periods.

Don’t be so hard on yourself. Give yourself a break. Realize that you are not alone and that no one recovers overnight.

Stimulate your mind with reading or cognitive exercises.

Try to keep a healthy balance in your life. Be careful not to do anything too extreme. Only work 40 hours a week. Never obsess over working out or physical fitness.

Always keep your recovery first. Try not to sweat the small stuff, instead focus on what you need to do for your recovery. Never put anything before your recovery. After all, anything you put ahead of your recovery you will lose.

Remember, P.A.W.S. is not permanent. Feeling this way is only temporary. Your brain will recover. It just takes time. Be patient and continue to do the right thing. Recovery is possible.

For more information: Dealing with PAWS

Read 14112 times Last modified on Thursday, 01 May 2014 18:25

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Overcoming Social Anxiety in Recovery

Most drug addicts and alcoholics say they grew up feeling like they didn’t “fit in” before they even picked up a drink or a drug. They felt less than, or just uncomfortable and out of place. Using drugs and alcohol filled that hole in the soul and made them feel like they were part of something at last.

This is an illusion. Drugs and alcohol actually heighten fear and anxiety. In some cases, drug abuse and alcoholism can make a person feel nervous or anxious most of the time.

The progression of the disease leads many addicts to a world of isolation. An intense fear of people and social settings is developed. Drug addicts generally come into recovery with extremely low self-esteem driven by a hundred forms of fear.

Social Phobias: Walk Through the Fear

Overcoming fear of social situations is possible. Talk to other recovering addicts and alcoholics who understand what you’re going through. Develop a support network of friends who you feel you can be yourself around without being judged. Surround yourself with people who have what you want.

Go to “recovery friendly” places, like coffeehouses, meetings, and other sober social spots. Check on the bulletin board at your local meetings and clubhouses for upcoming social events and activities. Sign up for a sober sports team, or volunteer at your home group to do service work.

Get a phone list at the meeting and dial the numbers. Set up coffee dates or ask for a ride to the next meeting. 12 step programs are about giving back, so healthy people in recovery have no problem reaching out their hand to the new person who is struggling.

Most 12 step meetings offer commitments specifically designed for newcomers, like making coffee or greeting people at the entrance of the meeting. These are good examples of service work that will help you give back, but also put you in a position to meet others.

Tips for overcoming fear of social situations:

Limit caffeine intake. Caffeine is a stimulant so drinking too much of it causes nervousness and anxiety. Drink caffeine free tea or juice instead.

Get enough sleep. Sleep deprivation can create anxiety. Being well rested can help keep you calm in social settings.

Replace negative thoughts with positive ones. Negative self-talk influences the way you see yourself and the way you think others see you. Positive affirmations create positive energy and reduce stress in social settings.

Get out of yourself and help others. The best way to build self-esteem and self-confidence is by helping others. You will begin to feel good about yourself and whatever fear you’re experiencing won’t seem as significant.

Getting comfortable in your own skin does not happen overnight. Recovery is a process. Sometimes you have to go through awkward and uncomfortable situations to grow. The idea is that you remain willing to walk through these fears and difficult times.

Read 5420 times Last modified on Thursday, 01 May 2014 17:50

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Defining Codependency

Codependency is an excessive psychological or emotional dependence on a person. Typically a codependent person attaches themselves to those suffering from an illness, whether it is emotional, mental, or physical.

Many times codependency, or codependent, is used to describe someone who is dealing with a person who suffers from drug addiction and/or alcoholism.

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Where can I get help for Codependency? CoDA: Co-Dependents Anonymous

There is hope and recovery for codependency, but you have to first admit there is a problem before you can fix it. Find Codependents Anonymous Meeting now: CoDA Meeting Locator.

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The Importance of Health and Nutrition

Health and nutrition are critical in the recovery process and can increase your chance for long term sobriety. The connection between the mind, body and spirit plays a critical role in reinventing yourself.

Alcoholism and drug addiction deprive the body of the essential vitamins and nourishment that your body needs to function properly. Long periods of restricting and neglecting your diet causes an imbalance and can lead to serious gastrointestinal problems such as constipation, diarrhea, an inability to properly digest foods, as well as a suppressed appetite.

Learning how to properly nourish the body is an important and beneficial tool for your personal recovery. Following a healthy diet can reduce cravings and decrease mood swings. Eating properly teaches a recovering addict how to care for and respect their body.

What does a healthy diet consist of?

Balanced meals at regular times daily are extremely important for a person new in recovery. Your diet should consist of foods with dietary fiber, complex carbohydrates, and protein.

Recovering individuals have a difficult time focusing, or concentrating on a particular thought or idea. This is because drug use and alcoholism depletes dopamine levels in the brain. Eating foods high in protein can improve concentration and memory capacity.

Foods high in tyrosine, an amino acid used in synthesizing protein, are crucial for mental preparation. Foods such as meats, poultry, seafood, and tofu are high in tyrosine. These foods promote alertness and mental activity.

Healthy Nutrition Tips:

Caffeine and sugar can intensify mood swings, so reduce or eliminate both early in recovery

Consume different types of vegetables

Enjoy plenty of fruit

Eat wholegrain or sourdough breads

Use breakfast cereals that contain bran, oats and barley

Eat less starch, especially potatoes

Take a multi-vitamin, recovering addicts lack many essential vitamins (find a supplement that includes: vitamins A and C, B-complex and zinc)

Establishing and maintaining a balanced diet, along with regular exercise and relaxation aid in restoring an addict to health.

Importance of Exercise in Recovery

Exercise detoxifies, as well as strengthens the body and mind. When your heart rate is elevated your body release endorphins, which can reduce stress.

Drug abuse involves negative thinking and a distorted perception of reality, so changing these thoughts into healthy ones involves positive action. Physical activity focuses your energy and quiets urges to use drugs and alcohol.

When we are physically active we have more energy throughout the day, and our thoughts are more positive and optimistic. We start feeling better about ourselves, which in turn creates positive thinking and an improved perception of ourselves.

The Mind and Body: A Balancing Act

The disease of addiction involves an obsession of the mind, so it is important to find a healthy balance in fixing both the mind and the body. Individuals who are early in recovery should be careful not to focus too much on fixing the outside, as it is easy for a drug addict to transfer addictions.

Look at your recovery as a pie chart. Consider the mind, body and soul as equal pieces of the pie. Anytime one piece is too big or too small, it’s time to do something different. Finding this balance will enhance your recovery and increase your overall well-being.

Read 11857 times Last modified on Thursday, 01 May 2014 18:15

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It’s safe to assume nobody wants to be dredging up the past, but recovering from addiction requires you as an alcoholic and/or addict to take a serious look at your past when embarking on your journey in sobriety. When working on the 4 th step inventory in particular, it can be overbearing when you are overridden with memories you haven’t recalled for some time. Mentally revisiting these occasions can be enervating, so it’s crucial to remember that it’s all part of the process. Looking back at your life isn’t supposed to be torturous but rather get you in a better frame of mind so that you can live at peace with yourself in a restored sanity.

Related: 4 th Step Inventory Spreadsheets & Instructions

About The 4 th Step Inventory

Each person’s walk during the recovery process is their own because everybody reacts differently. It may take you quicker or longer than another alcoholic and/or addict when it comes to reaching and completing the 4 th step inventory. However, it shouldn’t matter; you shouldn’t be comparing! When an individual hits their 4 th step inventory, a thorough searching and fearless moral inventory is conducted. The 4 th step involves a great deal of work where you end up taking a good, hard, honest look at your resentments in a new light, the causes and the conditions that explain why you have them, and above all else, the truth behind the role you played in them. Fears and relationships are also addressed in your inventory. Decision making is taken a look at while your past is viewed right before your eyes. Do your best not to live in what you cannot change.

The Power Of Resentments

You may not have realized it when you were actively picking up the bottle and/or headed to grab the drugs, but living with resentments brought you right to your substance. Being able to see the people you resent as “sick” and seeing the part you play can help you come out of it. The frustrating part for you may be when you have to put the pen on paper, becoming willing to do the work, and experiencing whatever feelings may arise as a result. Now that your substances are no longer numbing you, feelings are bound to come and you are going to experience them. Having feelings is nothing to be ashamed of. It is completely normal to have feelings because it’s part of the human experience to display and process emotions.

This Too Shall Pass

You may conjure up memories you haven’t considered in a while since the 4 th step inventory work is known for dredging up the past and it may be painful but rest assured pain is temporary. Keep in mind, “This too shall pass.” Recovery is a process and it may seem like it’s tough to deal with now that you don’t have the aid of alcohol and/or drugs to lean on for support. However, now you have healthier coping mechanisms in recovery by working your program and reaching out to actual people who have experience with the same disease as you for support. This ultimately can help to develop an understanding of how you should be living, which is trusting that better things are well on their way as long as you continue to follow through doing the next right thing.

Are you still feeling stuck in the midst of active addiction to alcohol and/or drugs? Contact The Watershed and begin the process of your recovery today. Call now at 877-975-4837.

Read 3008 times Last modified on Wednesday, 27 July 2016 13:18

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Quitting smoking in general can be difficult, but add on the fact that you’ve also quit drugs and alcohol, it can seem impossible. If you are tired of being a slave to cigarettes, vape, dip, and any other form of nicotine, we think we can help.

What if we told you that you could quit smoking too? That you could be free from the obsession of nicotine and live a happy life clean and sober from all substances? Here is an excellent 3-part blog series on how to quit smoking in recovery.

These quit smoking blog series include the following:

How to prepare quitting smoking

What to expect

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How to cope and get through the tough parts

How To Quit Smoking In Recovery

Step 1: Quit Smoking In Recovery: Getting Prepared

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We are excited for you as you embark on this new journey in recovery. Please feel free to share in the comment feed below your experience.

Read 3003 times Last modified on Monday, 11 April 2016 15:13

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