Post Acute Withdrawal Syndrome is the number-one reason for relapse during drug addiction treatment. It not only affects people’s recovery efforts while they stay at their clinics – it can cause people to experience unbearable cravings years after they complete treatment. Here a few of the PAWS symptoms people experience during drug addiction treatment.
*Continued drug cravings
*Insomnia
*Sensitivity to physical pain
*Lack of focus
*Lost ambition or direction in life
*Impaired motor skills
*Slurred speech
*Depression
*Constant guilt
*Paranoia
*Feelings of hopelessness or purposelessness
*Schizophrenic behavior
*Inability to think or reason effectively
*Emotional numbness
*Constant overreaction to small stressors
*Panic attacks
*Rage and aggression
Many of these symptoms begin immediately after detox – a process rife with withdrawal symptoms of its own. Some of them last for one to two months, while others flare up intermittently for years.
When people experience PAWS during their clinical drug addiction treatment, it becomes extremely difficult for them to focus on their therapies. Even people who eagerly want to engage their counseling sessions cannot focus when they suffer constant mental anguish and uncontrollable cravings. The symptoms which occur later in life also make it difficult to maintain sobriety and healthy habits.
Because PAWS is so dangerous and widespread among recovering addicts, rehab specialists have begun to make its mitigation a top priority in their treatment programs. Some doctors use medication to help people endure this condition. People who suffer from co-occurring mental illnesses can often find relief through careful dosages of anti-depressants and other medicines designed to balance hormone levels.
Spiritual practices are also a common method for addicts to deal with painful PAWS symptoms. Appealing to a higher power helps them find purpose in life and gives them the strength to work through their pain and successfully engage their treatments. PAWS is a frustrating condition, but it can be treated and overcome with help from a drug addiction treatment center.
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