What is PAWS Anyway?

by A Women in Sobriety | Mar 24, 2015 | Addiction Articles, Recovery

Post Acute Withdrawal Syndrome

Ah, good old Post Acute Withdrawal Syndrome! Maybe you’ve heard of it. If not by that name, I bet you’ve heard of PAWS. If you’re anything like me, that acronym left you scratching you, wondering why people were talking about animal feet!

post acute withdrawal syndrome

Most women in recovery know Post Acute Withdrawal Syndrome all too well. It’s the reason we were a bit off the walls in early-sobriety. Well, okay, one of the reasons!

For those who aren’t familiar with PAWS, sit back and learn the in’s and out’s of post acute withdrawal. Being prepared and knowing how to best mitigate Post Acute Withdrawal Syndrome can be a HUGE help in early-recovery.

After all, anything that gives us a proverbial leg up is welcome. I hope you all enjoy and this helps!

PAWS Symptoms

Post Acute Withdrawal Syndrome symptoms can range from mild to serious. It’s important to remember two things when reading the following list. A) I’m not a doctor, but rather a recovering alcoholic with firsthand experience of PAWS. B) Everyone’s body is different. You may not get all the following symptoms (fingers crossed!).

Find a list of common Post Acute Withdrawal Syndrome symptoms below:

Anhedonia

this is when activities which used to be pleasurable no longer are. The best way I can describe it is like a strange form of apathy. I know I should be happy to be at the beach (because, duh, I love the beach), but I’m simply not.

Depression

depression as a result of alcoholism or addiction makes sense. I mean, many drugs are depressants and alcohol definitely is! I’m going to make a very unscientific claim here and say that depression is the number one side effect of prolonged drug use.

Anxiety

again, no surprises here. Being sober after using drugs and booze to medicate is scary! So it makes sense that anxiety is a common PAWS symptom. Sometimes post acute withdrawal anxiety is low-level and constant. Other times, it comes in sharp bursts known as panic attacks. Either way, trust me when I say it gets better!

Trouble Concentrating

I was convinced that I had ADHD in early-sobriety. It turns out I had no such thing. Prolonged drinking and drugging impact the frontal lobe, the area of our brain that controls concentration, pretty hard. So, it makes sense that I had trouble concentrating.

The frontal lobe also controls judgment, inhibitions, our emotions, and organizational skills. Watch out for trouble in all of those areas during Post Acute Withdrawal Syndrome!

Irritability

I was basically a huge mess in early-sobriety. While this was largely due to PAWS, it was also due to some of my character defects! One thing that straddled the fence between both was irritability. Watch out for this when you’re counting days. Trust me, it’s better to catch yourself before you say something stupid, than to make amends afterwards!

Mood Swings

ah, mood swings! These are probably the most recognizable aspect of PAWS. Your emotions in early-sobriety will often go a little something like this

10:00a.m. – I’m happy! OMG, life is so good!

10:01a.m. – This is so annoying, I can’t even deal right now.

10:02a.m. – No, I just need to chill. Life is really pretty amazing. I can’t believe how blessed I am!

10:03a.m. – I’m so angry! Someone stole my parking spot, don’t they know what I’m going through!

And listen, ladies, if you think I’m poking fun at you, think again. I’ve experienced the above scenario thought for thought…some are sicker than others!

Strange Sleep Patterns

another one of the most common symptoms of post acute withdrawal is disturbed sleep. It’s uncomfortable and, since sleep affects most other areas of our lives, has far reaching implications. It’s for this reason that many doctors recommend taking non-narcotic sleep aides in early-sobriety. Of course, that decision is ultimately up to each woman, her doctor, and a God of her own understanding.

Cravings

having drug cravings in early-sobriety is perfectly normal. In fact, it might be stranger if someone freshly sober didn’t have the occasional, or quite frequent, craving. Unfortunately, this doesn’t make them any easier to deal with! The good news is that the longer we stay sober, and the more work we do on ourselves, the less intense and frequent cravings become!

Beating PAWS

Now that we know the more common symptoms of post acute withdrawal, let’s figure out how to overcome it! The answer is surprisingly simple – take good care of yourself!

This can mean different things for different people, but there are some general guidelines on how to practice good self-care.

PAWS

First, eat healthy! Avoid processed food, high fructose corn syrup, and taking in large amounts of refined sugar. Stick to fish, whole grains, fiber rich foods, natural sugars, and fresh vegetables. Although this sounds tough (and expensive!), it’s actually pretty easy. Once you start feeling the benefits (thinks like increased energy, a better/more stable mood, and increased concentration), you’ll want to stick with it.

Second, practice meditation! There’s nothing better to keep you in the moment than practicing staying in the moment! That may sound a bit cliché and corny, but I promise it’s true. Plus, mediation helps alleviate mood swings, irritability, anxiety, and poor concentration.

Next, get plugged in with a support group. Support groups can range from twelve-step fellowships, to “rational recovery” groups, to group therapy, to plain old friends. They’ll do wonders for your overall mental health and cravings. A support group also fosters a sense of belonging that’s vital to long-term recovery.

Finally, do some work on yourself! Although this is one of the harder suggestions to implement, it’s also one of the most beneficial. Working on ourselves is the first positive step many addicts and alcoholics take. It’s the doorway through which we walk to freedom and recovery!

5 Meditation Tips for People with ADHD

by Fiona Stockard | Mar 5, 2015 | Addiction Articles, Recovery

By Tim Myers

Practical Tips for Meditation

How many people with ADHD does it take to screw in a light bulb? Want to Ride Bikes?

See, that’s the problem people with ADHD have when it comes to meditation. I have ADHD. I have NOT been able to sit still since my head first popped out.

Going to the movies is a problem. Sitting in church is horrific. Going out to dinner is fine…until they ask if I want dessert. Dessert? Dessert? I’ve been sitting in this wooden chair for forty-five minutes, you have nothing good enough to keep my butt in this seat one second longer.

Now, my sponsor tells me that meditation is crucial to my long-term sobriety…so I’m screwed, right? Nope, even an ADHD affected individual like myself can find the necessary tools to meditate.

With that in mind, here are five meditation tips for people with ADHD!

5) You Don’t Actually Have to Stop Moving!

Buddha is a liar! Meditation doesn’t have to mean you sit still! Boom! Take a walk, go for a bike ride, or draw. As long as your mind is focused on the right thoughts or actions, you’ll be able to slow down.

You can pray, focus on a negative situation, and then think about how to handle it based on AA principles. You can even journal as a form of meditation!

4) Use Music to Focus!

Find a song with 100% positive lyrics or pick your favorite song and interpret the words to meet your desired goal for meditation. If you’re bummed, find a song that speaks to motivation and the improvement of your mood. The song doesn’t have to have lyrics either. Let the mood of the music lead your thoughts and help maintain your focus.

3) Two Minutes is All You Need!

Start at two minutes. Can ya meditate for two minutes? Start at two and then move to three. The longer you meditate, the more you’ll ratchet it up.

ADHD peeps may not be able to sit still, but we do love a challenge!

2) Make it a Routine!

ADHD affected drug addicts do love routine. It helps us stay on track and get stuff done. Most people think we prefer to be scattered, but that isn’t true at all. Routine is our comfort zone and it saves us from stress.

Pick a time for meditation that you can repeat day after day. This will ensure that you’re practicing your mediation techniques each day. This then makes the connection between you and your higher power stronger. Routine will also make it easier to stay in one place. The more you do it the easier it is.

1) Make it Fun!

Recovery got easy when it became fun. We first started doing drugs because it was fun and made us feel great. Meditation can unlock a whole new world of recovery if you make it fun.

As soon as it becomes a joy to do, you’ll do it every single day. Meditating everyday will make your reflection time more potent and more powerful than any drug.

Meditation will change your life. There’s no wrong way to do, just do it. Period!

How to Gain & Keep Emotional Sobriety

by A Women in Sobriety | Jan 21, 2015 | Addiction Articles, Benefits of Sobriety

Emotional Sobriety: A Four Letter Word?

Ah, emotional sobriety! I’ve written about it before, I’m writing about it now, and you best believe I’ll write about it in the future.

That’s because this tricky little idea encapsulates, in my opinion, the rest of the program. Emotional sobriety is how we gauge how well we’re living. It’s how we tell whether we’re practicing spiritual principles in all our affairs.

It’s also super hard! Imagine going through life a serene, peaceful person. Sounds nice, right? Too bad it rarely happens! Now, that isn’t to say we don’t have minutes, hours, or even days of emotional serenity, but it usually doesn’t last.

So, how can we make it last? How can we stretch those minutes, hours, and days into weeks, months, and years? Perhaps that’s a questions best left to the old-timers. I’m taking a stab at answering it today though!

Practice Radical Honesty

It’s hard to be bent out of shape if you’re honest all the time!

When I’m practicing radical honesty, I don’t have any secrets to hide. I don’t have any regrets or anxious thoughts clouding my mind. Basically, when I practice radical honesty, I’m also emotionally sober.

It’s important to remember, though, there’s a fine line between radical honesty and being mean! Let’s say I’m sitting in a meeting and I don’t like what someone shared. Do I raise my hand and tear them to pieces? That’s being honest, right?

Wrong! It’s being selfish! Just because I don’t agree with someone doesn’t mean I have the right to act out. So toe that line, ladies!

Live on God’s Terms

This one might be kind of obvious, but here ya go. If I’m living life on God’s terms, rather than my own, I’m emotionally sober.

If I’m praying, meditating, doing daily inventories, going to meetings, reaching my hand out to struggling women, calling my sober supports, working with sponsees, and handling all of life’s responsibilities – I’m also living in emotional sobriety.

It’s that simple!

Rework the Steps

I’ve found the best way for me to live life on God’s terms is to dive back into step work. Remember, that’s just for me.

If I’m struggling to live the sort of life I should be living, I need to get back to the book. I need to get back to what twelve-step sobriety is all about! I accomplish this by reworking the steps.

Sometimes this takes the form of reworking my steps with my sponsor. Sometimes it takes the form of working the steps with a new sponsee. Sometimes it takes the form of going to twelve step-series meetings.

Whatever the form, the result is the same. I end up feeling better. I end up living healthier. I end up in emotional sobriety!

Seek Outside Help

Sometimes our problems (okay, okay, I’ll only speak for myself!) are so big that I need to seek outside help. Think things like being sober yet acting out on self-harm or an eating disorder. Think clinical depression, anxiety, or other disorders.

When I’m struggling with issues like these, emotional sobriety is impossible. Not only is emotional sobriety and stability impossible, but so it being a decent human being!

So, when dealing with these game changers, I need to seek outside help. It can be from a private therapist, a therapy group, a mental health facility, or even from a friend who’s specialized in any of the above areas.

Basically, taking these measures is how I address all my emotional needs. And, dear readers, once my emotional needs are in order, I’m able to practice that ever so elusive emotional sobriety!

Energy Drinks and Sobriety: Just Another Addiction?

by Fiona Stockard | Dec 22, 2014 | Addiction Articles, Sobriety For Women

The Hidden Danger of Energy Drinks

If you’re alive, you probably drink energy drinks. I know I do. Red Bull and Monster have become our generation’s morning coffee. It seems like everybody has one of those shiny metal bottles in their hand at some point during the day.

What about those in recovery, though? How do energy drinks and sobriety intersect? Why, in the rooms of recovery, does everyone seem to have energy drinks glued to their palms?

While I can’t answer those questions with 100% certainty, I can offer some educated guesses. Speaking for myself, a woman in long-term recovery, I like the energy that energy drinks give me. I mean, it’s in their very name!

Energy drinks work great. One in the morning gets me ready for work. One in the afternoon takes away that dreary and tired feeling. On the weekends, having an energy drink gets me ready to go out and have fun!

For women in recovery, though, energy drinks can be dangerous. We’re trying to stay free from all mind and mood altering chemicals. How do we reconcile that with drinking large amounts of caffeine?

I think the first point we need to address is the age old question – are energy drinks a relapse?

What are the pro’s and con’s of e-cigs?

Are Energy Drinks a Relapse?

While this may seem like a dumb question to some, it’s absolutely valid. Energy drinks contain super doses of caffeine and energy boosting vitamins. Caffeine is, technically speaking, a drug.

The answer to this question lies in checking our motives. Ask yourself the following questions:

Do you drink energy drinks for the energy and alertness they bring?

Do you drink them to chase that old jittery feeling?

Do you drink energy drinks because you’re uncomfortable in your skin and want to feel different?

What about as an appetite suppressant?

How many do you drink each day?

How many do you drink at once?

Do you sober supports, including sponsor, know about you energy drink consumption?

To put it another way, are we using energy drinks for their intended purpose or are we falling into old behaviors?

Depending on how we answered the above questions – energy drinks may be considered a relapse.

Learn the amazing places sobriety can take you!

Energy Drinks in Rehab

The debate surrounding energy drinks and relapse is precisely why they’re not allowed in most rehabs. Despite this strict no energy drink policy that treatment centers have, they’re still popular among patients.

Speaking from personal experience, everyone I was in rehab with drank energy drinks. I was no exception. Even though they were considered contraband, and we could get in trouble for even being in the energy drink and supplement aisle at Publix, we found ways to smuggle them in.

Does the responsibility lie on us, as patients who were breaking rehab rules? Does the responsibility lie on the staff for not monitoring us closely enough (though it certainly felt like they were!)? It’s probably a little of column A and a little of column B.

What I do know is that we were drinking energy drinks to feel different. We were using a substance to escape the restless, irritable, and discontent feeling that’s so common among those in early-sobriety.

Alternatives to Energy Drinks

Here we come to the crux of the problem with energy drinks and sobriety. They allow alcoholics to act out. They allow us a short-term escape instead of a long-term solution.

Instead of drinking energy drinks, why not try some healthy habits and behaviors? And ladies, don’t think I’m lecturing you! I’m saying this to remind myself to be healthier too!

Need energy? Try meditating and doing yoga. This always gives me a boost. Also, there’s nothing that increases energy more than drinking the right amount of water. Seriously, there’s nothing!

Need to improve concentration? Again, let’s try meditation and yoga. Not only do they give me energy, but they make me more focused and productive throughout my day.

Feeling restless and looking for a quick escape? Well, I don’t have an answer for the quick escape part, but I do have an answer for that restlessness. Try working steps and living by spiritual principles!

It’s not a quick escape, but rather the key to a life beyond our wildest dreams. Yeah, I’ll take that over an energy drink any day!

Sober life hacks? Okay, I’m interested!

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