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PAWS
Oct 17, 2015 7:24:33 GMT -5
Post by JoeY on Oct 17, 2015 7:24:33 GMT -5
i functioned very well up till my last two years of drinking then things started to sideways on me. had to go through it all though had to hit my particular bottom.
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PAWS
Oct 17, 2015 7:46:38 GMT -5
Post by jeyu0422 on Oct 17, 2015 7:46:38 GMT -5
JoeY,
Same here. I wasn't ready to quit until I knew that alcohol had me. If I hadn't quit when I did it would have been 'till death do us part', probably sooner rather than later.
The good thing about the forum for me is that it has given me the opportunity to think my way through recovery rather than react through it; not that I have always chosen that path. Many of us face similar circumstances in the process of recovery. Knowing what to expect and seeing how others have navigated the same waters has been of tremendous benefit to me.
Mark/Jeyu
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PAWS
Oct 17, 2015 9:04:06 GMT -5
Post by JoeY on Oct 17, 2015 9:04:06 GMT -5
my thoughts are that we are of some help to those still struggle with it all- to show that there is a light at the end of the tunnel and not to give up hope.
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PAWS
Oct 17, 2015 11:15:50 GMT -5
Post by Deleted on Oct 17, 2015 11:15:50 GMT -5
my thoughts are that we are of some help to those still struggle with it all- to show that there is a light at the end of the tunnel and not to give up hope. I've been doing some research on opioids, and during a Google search with the string "former addicts say opioids the worst" I found an article on PAWS. Huh?? Anyway, I read the article and this snippet jumped out and bit me: Sack says that most addicts know about PAWS from their experience of quitting and then relapsing because they felt terrible, they just don’t have a name for it. “I felt mostly good for the first five months, then I really felt sort of down and fatalistic,” Parrish says. “I knew I would never drink again, and that was OK, but I felt like I would never heal.” She says it took about four months of feeling “sad and lost” for her to begin to feel like herself again. “In those four months I had episodes of contentment, but felt mostly just down.”
That describes EXACTLY what I went through. There's a lot of really good stuff in the article for anyone who wants to learn more about this crummy syndrome. www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/02/12/post-acute-withdrawal-syndrome-addicts-alcoholics_n_4775009.html
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PAWS
Oct 17, 2015 15:26:35 GMT -5
Post by jeyu0422 on Oct 17, 2015 15:26:35 GMT -5
PJ, Good article. Thanks for sharing it. Mark/Jeyu
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PAWS
Oct 17, 2015 15:41:08 GMT -5
Post by JoeY on Oct 17, 2015 15:41:08 GMT -5
great article
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PAWS
Oct 17, 2015 15:53:16 GMT -5
Post by Deleted on Oct 17, 2015 15:53:16 GMT -5
PJ, Good article. Thanks for sharing it. Mark/Jeyu You're welcome, Mark.
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PAWS
Oct 17, 2015 16:59:56 GMT -5
Post by yvan on Oct 17, 2015 16:59:56 GMT -5
Hi all. I never heard about PAWS when I used to go to AA. I learnt about it on the forum. Without knowing, I would have relapsed over and over again or I would be dead by now, or, if just stopping drinking was the end of the story, I would still drink from time to time and stop when things start getting out of control. I remember very well my last episode of PAWS. I was exhausted physically, mentally dead and no motivation anymore for anything. It was PAWS because there was nothing to make me feel this way, quite the opposite, everything to be well. I started thinking that I had an illness, obsessive thoughts as well that we can experience with PAWS. This last episode was about four months ago. It seems now that PAWS belong to the past and I have completely recovered. It is the price we have to pay and a reminder of the damages we did to ourselves by abusing alcohol for too long. All alcoholics should know about PAWS, and that drinking again even for a short period of time stops the healing process and we have to start all over again. My friends don't accept that, or as they say, two years, where's the point to suffer if you are sober or PAWS is just theories from books. Time heals and knowledge about recovery has been so important for me, both have been my strength. We fight for good days ahead, we just have to be patient and be certain because we know those good days will come. For me, living sober has to be a life with no regrets at all about alcohol. I had thoughts sometimes while having PAWS, thinking why me, why can't have I a drink like others do. I used to drink mainly to escape and when PAWS hit me hard, escaping with a drink was tempting sometimes but instead of finding a temporary relief, I knew if I drank, there was more suffering to come. That thought was scary enough to stop me and the answer was always the same. I am an alcoholic and I can't stop after one drink.Those thoughts like PAWS all together have gone from my mind and from my life. That's the true end of the story. What amazes me, living sober is still like a rebirth, a complete new way of enjoying life and enjoying my life. What I live and feel now exceed all my expectations. It's simply wonderful.
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PAWS
Oct 17, 2015 17:35:36 GMT -5
Post by jeyu0422 on Oct 17, 2015 17:35:36 GMT -5
Yvan, In alcoholism, as in most things, knowledge is empowering. Most people would appreciate being able to predict the future. PAWS seems to be common enough to be considered predictable. I agree that the forum can be a very important source of knowledge and therefore power. When I quit drinking, I thought PAWS belonged to big DOGS. I learned the difference here. I'm glad to see that you are doing well. Mark/Jeyu
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PAWS
Oct 18, 2015 6:06:57 GMT -5
Post by yvan on Oct 18, 2015 6:06:57 GMT -5
Hi Mark. You're right, the forum is an important source of knowledge. PAWS is a good example and others topics here helped me a lot, topics that are never discussed in the meetings I used to go. I did like the fellowship at the beginning, but after a while I needed more, alcoholism is a huge topic, people in AA share their own experience (in my meetings anyway), after a while I heard the same stories over and over. I didn't like anymore the pressure from some people telling me I must have a sponsor or I will relapse. I haven't been to AA for almost a year, every time I meet some members, no change, same people telling me I must go back to meetings and I should have a sponsor. When I say to them I have a life, I am busy and I don't want to be told everyday I can't have a drink, I know I can't, more than that, I don't want to, ever. I am very well, I am happy, my life is good. There is a life after alcohol and there is a life outside AA. Don't need to go to meetings, I love the knowledge about alcoholism and Internet is great for that. They don't get it. You'll relapse and we'll see you again. What can I say! See you soon. I am glad you feel better. I believe with those episodes of PAWS we learn a lot about ourselves and every time we come out stronger. This strength stays with us and added to more strength, we become stronger and stronger. Well, we are strong, that's what I wanted to say. Lol. Take care. Yvan.
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PAWS
Oct 18, 2015 6:47:31 GMT -5
Post by JoeY on Oct 18, 2015 6:47:31 GMT -5
Hi yvan, this is one of the reasons that AA would not work for me. i did not want a life where i lived in fear of alcohol and to me that what they were trying to drum into everyone's head. no sponsor ='s relapse. don't follow the steps='s relapse. to me that is a formula for relapse. i've gone to many AA meetings and i'm all the better for having done so but it was only a step in my particular journey to get where i needed to be.
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PAWS
Oct 18, 2015 7:17:06 GMT -5
Post by yvan on Oct 18, 2015 7:17:06 GMT -5
Hi JoeY I was the same. I became convinced that not having a sponsor, and not doing the steps, I would relapse. That thought was disturbing me and as soon as I didn't go to the meetings anymore, I felt free and more responsible of my journey. I needed to follow my own path and listened to my heart. I understand some people need AA all their life, I know some who have been to AA for 20-30 years, they are happy with that, after all, anything that helps us to live our lives sober is what matters. We all are different, that's what some people in AA don't get. The funny thing is, I made friends in AA, four of them still go, 3-4 times a week, they relapse very often, at the moment they all are struggling. I told them about the forum, they don't want to know, I don't insist.
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PAWS
Oct 18, 2015 7:44:56 GMT -5
Post by JoeY on Oct 18, 2015 7:44:56 GMT -5
AA is perfect for some and i'm all for anything that works for anyone. for some all they want is to quit drinking and nothing more and i find nothing wrong with that. back in 1980 i did have a sponsor and it wasn't till years later that i realized he was white knuckling it. when he drank he got violent, started fights, made home life miserable for all those around. he still was an a-hole but he wasn't getting fights or getting arrested when he wasn't drinking so his AA meant his sobriety. could i live like that? no way.
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PAWS
Oct 30, 2015 0:11:16 GMT -5
Post by Sam on Oct 30, 2015 0:11:16 GMT -5
I wanted to highlight this thread that Mark started as I feel it is a very important topic, PAWS could cause a relapse yet it is not discussed often enough.
Knowing about PAWS helped me a great deal, it made me understand that stopping drinking for someone like me whom had a drinking problem for 3 decades was just the beginning, I needed to understand that rough days were ahead so I could handle them and not reach for a drink, I can't begin to tell you how difficult it is/was to go through PAWS, but being educated about it and knowing what to expect made it just a bit easier.
My experience with PAWS is it's a result of my mind trying to adjust to functioning without the alcohol. I fed my body alcohol for so many years that my body could only function with alcohol, my brain got the ultimate off course as it was used to it, my mind was expecting alcohol everyday, and when I said no more, it went haywire....that's PAWS.
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PAWS
Oct 30, 2015 20:01:59 GMT -5
Post by angelina1512 on Oct 30, 2015 20:01:59 GMT -5
Hey Sam,
you are right PAWS is so very important and it should be discussed. When I first heard about it I didn't know what it stood for, I think it was blue who explained it and I actually looked it up. I couldn't believe it. I think reading about it helped me not relapse in the first few months. Knowing that it was something made me stop and think twice about picking up the bottle again.
Now I am 20 months tomorrow I think, I am a lot smarter. Also tomorrow I am three months not smoking and just knowing about these things has also helped me in fighting wanting a cigarette. so yes I think everyone trying or still trying to give up the drink should really read about PAWS, jot down a few things that stand out for them and then when it does hit, it won't be the bottle that is bought or picked up.
giving up drinking goes a lot further than just not drinking. Good to see you Sam.
tutu/Angelina
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