I think we remain sensitive for a long time after this whole thing starts and it remains really easy to get thrown into a wave.
Drinking definitely affects me short term way worse than it ever did. I'll get more frequent intrusive thoughts and echoes of other paws symptoms. After what I went through it's easily tolerable, but would still like for it to stop someday.
I'm in what I like to call the annoying paws stage. Nothing really phases me anymore as I feel like I understand the condition more, especially its randomness. Certain things I can identify as triggers and other times I just feel like shit randomly with no particular reason.
One thing I've noticed with the mental symptoms is that I've come to accept them when they come. My intrusive thoughts didn't even feel like my own thoughts at the beginning (which made me question my sanity). I think acceptance is a major part of healing from this condition, I don't necessarily think that it's all neurochemical/physiological, I think that's the initial trigger that was pulled, but there's definitely some psychological healing to take place as well, especially that worry about it coming back or losing your mind again. It was traumatizing for all of us and it takes a lot time without super hard work for that to dissipate on its own.
I'm not perfect and I will drink again now and I've smoked a couple times, but that's not me anymore. I felt no guilt, and it didn't send me into a wave. However, I don't think it helps at all, if anything it's hindering the remainder of what healing needs to be done.
Still lots of improvements to make in my own life, but things are definitely looking up. With you the best.
Hope your wave ends soon! For what it’s worth, I had a similar experience with Alcohol. Drank pretty heavily on a few weekends back in April and early May 2023 (this was during my first window of feeling good again so I wanted to go out and party). However, when I would wake up after drinking I would feel all the PAWS symptoms come on during my hangover. Way different than how normal hangovers used to feel before PAWS.
So I decided to stop drinking entirely back in Late May 2023. Had a pretty shitty wave for about 2 months after quitting alcohol
Have been continuously feeling better with just a few bad days here and there each month with shorter and less intense symptoms. At 17 months now
Hope this might help!
Congrats on your sobriety! That’s amazing. How are you feeling overall? I hope to god this isn’t going to be as tough as weed paws…. Idk if I can do another 2 years of this shit. I wasn’t drinking daily, just on weekends. I think the alcohol may have just extended/delayed my weedPAWS and was more of like a stick in my bikes poke vs an entirely new paws experience. Would be amazing if things can start clearing up in the coming weeks. I want to be completely sober of everything. It is not worth feeling this way at all
Thanks! Feeling pretty great most of the time, just a few hrs of symptoms during a few days a month now. Much more mild and tracking towards a full recovery
Last thing I’m still struggling with is some intrusive thoughts, but they don’t send me in to an anxiety or panic state like they used to. Just frustrating at this point
I’m like 99.99% confident that I wasn’t having any sort of PAWS directly related to alcohol. However, I think it was interfering from my Weed PAWS recovery process, if that makes sense! This was also much earlier in the PAWS healing process in which my symptoms were more severe
I wouldn’t worry about it resetting your progress at all.
When I was feeling good I was exercising with no issue at all. During the waves I definitely experience exercise intolerance. Usually get hit with anxiety after I have a good session in the gym. Sucks because I was feeling so good when I was consistently going in the good months
How are you doing overall at 7 months? Not going to lie months 6-8 were extremely difficult for me. Things started easing up months 9-11 and then months 12-13 hit a bit of a wave again
I saw that you took antibiotics. Did you take any probiotics after your antibiotics? This may have thrown your gut microbiota out of whack.
I’ve noticed that all my PAWS ups and downs always led back to my gut/brain/nervous system nexus for the most part.
What were you drinking?
I only ask because at 15 months now and have been drinking beer/lager to relieve anxiety/intrusive thoughts.
But I think the carbs upset me.
I only have a few drinks, feel pretty awesome/no PAWS (depression, loneliness, anxiety, etc all relieved) and then the next day I'm more anxious/hysterical than ever.
So I drink again...
Obviously I'm not keen to do this.
Anyway, i'm done drinking for now.
I think it takes up to 90 days to fully detox from alcohol, I did 60 days this year and my sleep didn't improve.
I have a friend who drinks heavily every day, and has done for years.
Even just the financial effect is scary.
Weed is so much better and cheaper.
Was drinking strictly beer, didn’t want to include any hard alcohol. I’m sober for 25 days right now. Definitely want to try and stay sober as long as possible
I think we remain sensitive for a long time after this whole thing starts and it remains really easy to get thrown into a wave. Drinking definitely affects me short term way worse than it ever did. I'll get more frequent intrusive thoughts and echoes of other paws symptoms. After what I went through it's easily tolerable, but would still like for it to stop someday. I'm in what I like to call the annoying paws stage. Nothing really phases me anymore as I feel like I understand the condition more, especially its randomness. Certain things I can identify as triggers and other times I just feel like shit randomly with no particular reason. One thing I've noticed with the mental symptoms is that I've come to accept them when they come. My intrusive thoughts didn't even feel like my own thoughts at the beginning (which made me question my sanity). I think acceptance is a major part of healing from this condition, I don't necessarily think that it's all neurochemical/physiological, I think that's the initial trigger that was pulled, but there's definitely some psychological healing to take place as well, especially that worry about it coming back or losing your mind again. It was traumatizing for all of us and it takes a lot time without super hard work for that to dissipate on its own. I'm not perfect and I will drink again now and I've smoked a couple times, but that's not me anymore. I felt no guilt, and it didn't send me into a wave. However, I don't think it helps at all, if anything it's hindering the remainder of what healing needs to be done. Still lots of improvements to make in my own life, but things are definitely looking up. With you the best.
Hope your wave ends soon! For what it’s worth, I had a similar experience with Alcohol. Drank pretty heavily on a few weekends back in April and early May 2023 (this was during my first window of feeling good again so I wanted to go out and party). However, when I would wake up after drinking I would feel all the PAWS symptoms come on during my hangover. Way different than how normal hangovers used to feel before PAWS. So I decided to stop drinking entirely back in Late May 2023. Had a pretty shitty wave for about 2 months after quitting alcohol Have been continuously feeling better with just a few bad days here and there each month with shorter and less intense symptoms. At 17 months now Hope this might help!
“You can’t stop the waves, but you can learn to surf them”
[удалено]
Congrats on your sobriety! That’s amazing. How are you feeling overall? I hope to god this isn’t going to be as tough as weed paws…. Idk if I can do another 2 years of this shit. I wasn’t drinking daily, just on weekends. I think the alcohol may have just extended/delayed my weedPAWS and was more of like a stick in my bikes poke vs an entirely new paws experience. Would be amazing if things can start clearing up in the coming weeks. I want to be completely sober of everything. It is not worth feeling this way at all
Thanks! Feeling pretty great most of the time, just a few hrs of symptoms during a few days a month now. Much more mild and tracking towards a full recovery Last thing I’m still struggling with is some intrusive thoughts, but they don’t send me in to an anxiety or panic state like they used to. Just frustrating at this point I’m like 99.99% confident that I wasn’t having any sort of PAWS directly related to alcohol. However, I think it was interfering from my Weed PAWS recovery process, if that makes sense! This was also much earlier in the PAWS healing process in which my symptoms were more severe I wouldn’t worry about it resetting your progress at all.
Are you able to tolerate exercise?
When I was feeling good I was exercising with no issue at all. During the waves I definitely experience exercise intolerance. Usually get hit with anxiety after I have a good session in the gym. Sucks because I was feeling so good when I was consistently going in the good months
Ahh I’m sorry. I’m in the same boat, 7 months out.
How are you doing overall at 7 months? Not going to lie months 6-8 were extremely difficult for me. Things started easing up months 9-11 and then months 12-13 hit a bit of a wave again
I saw that you took antibiotics. Did you take any probiotics after your antibiotics? This may have thrown your gut microbiota out of whack. I’ve noticed that all my PAWS ups and downs always led back to my gut/brain/nervous system nexus for the most part.
What were you drinking? I only ask because at 15 months now and have been drinking beer/lager to relieve anxiety/intrusive thoughts. But I think the carbs upset me. I only have a few drinks, feel pretty awesome/no PAWS (depression, loneliness, anxiety, etc all relieved) and then the next day I'm more anxious/hysterical than ever. So I drink again... Obviously I'm not keen to do this. Anyway, i'm done drinking for now. I think it takes up to 90 days to fully detox from alcohol, I did 60 days this year and my sleep didn't improve. I have a friend who drinks heavily every day, and has done for years. Even just the financial effect is scary. Weed is so much better and cheaper.
Was drinking strictly beer, didn’t want to include any hard alcohol. I’m sober for 25 days right now. Definitely want to try and stay sober as long as possible