How to Get Through PAWS (Post Acute Withdrawal Syndrome) 

I never want to forget how awful my PAW symptoms are because I have to use this experience as motivation to never have to go through it again.

There's literally one way to get through it. You have to move!! Walk, run, gym, just physical work. I've been through withdrawal more than I can count and the times I was forced to work (labor intensive) paws ended very quickly. When I had off time and laid around, it literally didn't end. If you exercise, you WILL get out of paws. The energy does come back.

I am 33 days clean. I am working a program and I have a great sponsor. Ryan got me through so many hard times. Chronic relapses, suicidal thoughts, complete rock bottom. You will be forever loved my friend. You touched so many lives.

The doctors in the UK don’t ever mention PAWS! It should be made clear to recovering addicts, I thought I was going mad when I first started experiencing the symptoms.. after a lot of googling and researching I finally found out about it

RIP Ryan You have saved my life. You were and will forever be a Saint.

RIP bro u was a good soul x

Gone but never forgotten. R.I.P, Ryan 🙏🏽

Thank you man for all your wonderful help! God bless you and to my brothers and sisters trying to kick this hellish drug stay strong and soon it will be all worth it, I have 4 months clean first time I've been sober in years! It is possible and the withdraws are horrible but think of the pain as a right of passage. One love guy, I love you all :)

Man. The Paws is brutal. The 5 days of physical withdrawal is a picnic compared to the full on anxiety and misery that comes after. The cravings and restlessness are so intense that I feel like either using or topping myself. I've always suffered with depression so for me it's just magnified when I come of heroin.

Thank you man,PAWS is a living hell thank you again for your help,you guys a GODSEND!

Thank you you are still helping people you helped me❤

1 year clean. Stopped subs and opis. Your channel helped alot. Thankyou for caring.

I'm sorry to hear about Ryan's passing, god bless.

I just got 6 months clean after detoxing from methadone, oxycodone, klonopin, and phentermine. I am in PAWS now. Went through it a couple of times since being sober. It is scary. You feel like shit physically mentally and emotionally. But it does go away. I feel the same things that triggered my addiction triggers the PAWS. Isolating, change, stress, but once you recognize what's happening and that it is temporary it's not as scary. It does make it tough to get through the day sometimes. I still get the fog too. It comes and goes. Stay around people who understand and reach out. You are not alone...:)

the thing I have is low energy and lack of motivation to do anything. :/ I'm 10 days clean from h. So I know it's really early. and I know it will get better. just trying to stay strong for everyone around me that wants me to get clean. I want this so bad for myself.

Hey Ryan I finally did it m8, you helped me so much m8, I know you would remember me / your Aussie friend, RIP you incredible human, much love.

right at 4 mos. now. been a struggle! i know now, that "paws" is my "re-schooling" in MERCY! the pain of withdrawal subsides when.. you reach back and grab the hand of another soul that is hurting worse than you ! if you don't believe that, try it! who ever you are, where ever you are.... YOU CAN DO THIS! It's a decision! it's a yes or no!

I have PAWS. 5 months off prescribed opiates now. Can't sleep, no energy and arm burns cold. Brain Dr said 1 -2 years. I am alone, it is very hard but I am determined

RIP, we love you so much

Ok thanks for the information but Ryan you truly you are God sent man thanks

RIP Ryan. Thank you

I just happened upon this and I'm in tears this man has passed away. This seems like such an amazing channel. Is anyone keeping it up or did everyone move to a different channel?

I've got just 3 weeks under my belt after 12 years of my pain meds. The PAWs are killer... a day feels like a week.

Shit first time seeing your videos and I find out you passed away about 5 years ago? RIP RYAN. The good ones always leave too soon. Sad to hear. He looked like a great human being.

Im 2 months sober from 5 years daily use of weed and I still have these symptoms. I feel numb and foggy and I can barely communicate and look people in the eye. Even with people I’ve known my whole life. It really sucks, I never used to be like this. I was happy and energetic. I quit to get rid of these symptoms but they persist. I’m exercising every day, meditating, staying positive. I feel like I fucked myself and I’m permanently stuck like this. I want my personality back and my inner child back. I wish I never chose to smoke weed.

Damn it's almost hard to watch his videos now knowing that he isn't here with us anymore. You can see he was totally ready to devote his whole life to helping ppl like us. Not saying that's the only reason that his death is sad but the reality of this whole addiction thing is that "we" (as addicts) are still fighting an uphill battle as far as the stigma of an addict is concerned.. we can't afford to be losing any of the few that are clean but still have our backs and want to help us. Most ppl feel we should all just be eradicated. "Just line em all up and shoot em, problem solved" are things I've heard different ppl say on different occasions and as bad as that sounds some ppl actually say worse. Which is why we have to have eachothers backs because not too many others care too. Anyway.. R.I.P to this young man and in the mean time like I said we've gotta have eachothers backs cuz we really are all we got. Everyone struggling with addiction no matter it be you or a loved one. I wish you the best of luck and hope you get thru it. I'm currently goin thru the same thing.. I've considered the vivitrol shot but some of the possible side effects of that scared me away from it. But at this point I'm willing to try anything. Does anyone have or know someone that has experience with vivitrol that can possibly put my mind at ease a bit? Any little bit of info will help. And again everyone in the mean time good luck. I love all of you

RIP brother

can someone answer me please,what if you had paws after 3 months sober and relapsed,does it come back,because I didn't know what was going on with me at first,just felt overly sad and irritable,racing thoughts and I relapsed,I didn't find out about paws until after I googled it after relapsing,chose of drugs,alcohol,does anyone know if paws will come back because I don't feel sad or irritable anymore!

Thanks for the video. One month totally clean. I used a slow taper method to get off of subs to the point I put one strip diluted in alcohol/water and then microwaved the alcohol off. What was left was about 30ml and then I just used one drop/day. Then after 2 weeks of that I just jumped off. Going through some PAWS now....low energy, depression, incessant yawning, etc. The yawning is the worst to where tears are rolling down my face. I also have cravings but those are getting less and less. I refuse to take suboxone ever again. It was causing long-term chronic pain. It is good to know that what I am going through is normal post-subs.

I'm going through this at 3 and a half months. What is really pissing me off is not getting good sleep. I feel a bit crappy most of the time but some days I feel great. I'll tell you what I've noticed that does help. After I have done a few hours of walking I feel more relaxed and can feel the endorphins. I've spent hundreds on health supplements which hasn't performed any miracles.

since I been on subutex for 2 months and in a taper...could I get paws? was at 4mg tried to go to 2mg and it's not working...do you think it's to big of a jump???? thank you for all ur help

Exercise and weightlifting have been crucial to my recovery. I'm almost 3 months off sub. Yes I still have cravings and they're a bitch. I've almost given in to calling a buddy, but have continued to refrain. Therapy helps as well.

I'm on day 32 and I woke up with nauseated stomach muscle aches chills irritated bladder and just felt like 💩. And I stoped talking 2 mg of suboxone 😖 32 days ago 😖.

I was clean for 2 weeks i felt great i got sick was then placed in the hospital for 1 week for an unforseen illness got pumped with pain med for the whole week every 4 hours went through another round of withdrawals which was 2x harder and this time i feel like shit i am 8 days clean i feel like running back to the emergency room for pain meds omg

I am 2 months and 16 days alcohol free... first month I felt optimistic second month not so much BUT now I am awful it's scary I have anxiety anyway hence the reason I stopped drinking I feel similar anxiety as after a binge I'm so sick of feeling so anxious it's terrifying I am so scared this is now my normal state :( which defies the point of quitting alcohol

I have 22 days clean from Pain Pills.I am still very restless(mostly in my legs).Still not getting much sleep.Is the normal? This happens every time I get clean.Thanks.

I been clean for a week and it felt like I couldn't be happy. I dropped some acid and it reset my brain and i feel great now.

Straight fatigue !

I'm 10 months in after my methadone treatment was completed. I'm still extremely mentally foggy. I feel like I got the worst ever in history.

I'm almost 10 months clean from 11 years of suboxone. I don't really suffer the mental withdrawal but since about 5 months ago I've been so physically sick. Mostly severe stomach problems and Nausea. Just had a colonoscopy and endoscopy and results were negative. My doctor can only assume it's paws. I'm strong in my recovery but these physical symptoms are hard. I only pray it gets better. Thanks for reminding me about diet and exercise.

Can this happen with nicotine withdrawal? I’d assume yes because it’s a stimulant and a dopamine agonist.

Paws is no joke! Rip Ryan

Trying to feed myself is like the hardest thing. I just have no desire for food or to get off the couch. Im only 8 weeks clean from sub. Sweating, Chills, Tachycardia, and suppression of appetite are still very...Strong for me.

Exercise helps. Thanks for the note to just do more of it, even when I feel like a slug. I just ordered some L-Phenylalanine ( an amino acid that gave me some energy.) The biggest problem is anhedonia. It all seems to come in waves. Sometimes I feel good but then I go days of feeling really depressed and like I can't care about anything. Dry sauna also really helps me with endorphins, but I am away visiting family and can't get to one for weeks and PAWS hit me pretty hard.

I'm feeling PAWS from Valium. And I only took it a few days a month. Sweating, anxiety, depressed and shaking. I failed a drug test for Valium, even though it's been almost one month since I took any Valium.

passion flower extract! it really helps a lot

I’m in search of a long distance sponsor I’m 2 weeks sober from fent and have no desire to turn back but feeling so alone with no one to relate to my struggles is adding to daily difficulties. 29 year old male ! Help! God bless

I was only on 2mg clonazepam (benzo) daily for 1.5 years, got off in may 2017 last year but still going through brain fog/ breathing problems/ gut disturbances/ panic disorder and in a constant fight flight mode with hypervigilance everywhere I go/ noise and light sensitivity/ exrreme mood swings and irritability leaving me suicidal/ extremely numb and apathetic towards other peoples feelings and life situations (this is probably one of worst symptoms)/ anger outbursts/ brain wont stop with thoughts/ brain zaps every now and then/ low fatigue and low energy. Anyone else been on alcohol/ drugs for a short-ish period like me and still suffering from paws after more then a year? Would love feedback xx keep going everybody xx

Thats where i messed up, i was 2 months clean and i just started feeling like i was getting mini withdrawals again so i thought it would be okay to grab one 20mg OC ( really low conpared to what i used to snort) and now im in it worse going through heroin withdrawal.... =( (i started snorting and smoking it not slaming)

If Ryan has passed, I offer sympathy. First time here. Just heard of PAWS today. I'm flatlined out on no fap hard mode, day 10. Tired, sore, sick, sober 10 years, unmotivated, anhedonia, lonely, depressed.

For some reason, even 5 or 6 months after being clean, I would still wake up feeling my heart racing & have cold sweats throughout the day. Every thing I looked up about PAWS was mainly about the mental aspect of withdraw, so I thought something may have been wrong with me. Have you heard of anyone else going through that?

how can we write in to you?

6 months off 7 yrs methadone.....paws has crippled me...drs act like I’m making it up....it’s like I was great for like 2 months and one day it’s like I woke up mentally ill.....2 months of pure hell...it’s like I can’t handle basic functions ..I feel mentally incapacitated...everyone acts like I’m looking for an excuse to use...I will die before I ever use again...but I won’t lie I’d rather be physically ill then feel like this..it’s like life is pointless

i was prescribed methadone for many years, just this year went about 6 months clean, the longest i have ever been, but after all this time still did not really feel normal, could not function normally still after all this time. Very discouraging to the point where i said, fuk it....

Hey Ryan, are you healed now?

Day 5 off 1 mg off methadone. Was at 150mg. Feel tired that I don’t even wanna get out of bed. Insomnia all night. Ugh

3 months clean and I just don't have any motivation right now.....but guess 3 months from the past run of 5 years is no time.....

I was at six months and still felt freshly sick, it was horrible.

NIACIN B12 GOOD GOOD NUTRITION CAN HELP - STOP THE SUGAN AND JUNK FOOD

It can last Years. Even permanent in some cases. I have it and i hope it's not permanent

Rip

Does marijuana helps with paws?

Hi i wanted to know i have multiple sclerosis and im a diabetic. I get saver migraines. I take 60mgs of morphine i want to stop taking them. But i am nervous because last week i tried not taking it for a day and i felt like i was gonna die. I even called 911. How can i go about getting off? But i would like is there anyway i could be pool ut to sleep and whatever the drs got to do so i dont suffer the withdrawal part?

Last time I had PAWS, I had back pain for months. Now it's happening again and my whole body jerks when the back spasms happen. Also dropping things, tripping over things, horrible aim like with laying things down and turning off light switches. No energy ever. I have a perfect diet but no change. My heart beats really hard too. When I stand up I get headaches and dizziness. Mental fog is horrible. It's like i'm half asleep all the time. I'm only at one month off so I expect this to keep going for many more months as it's going now.

I feel like Brad. I use to be a mature boxer . I am not lazy but . No energy

I got the paws muchies and I’m blowing up like a balloon. :/ I’m sure it will even out. I’m eating vegan too and taking. Ashwaghanda.

OMG R.I.P WHAT HAPPENED?? CAN ANYONE TELL ME???????????????

Ryan why dont you answer my question . . I am on day 20 not taking sub . I feel like dead . I did do take blood test .

Got paws from ssri

I feel like 6 to 9 months is the longest for most people. Some less

Drink water in excessive amounts

@1:00 being tired, foggy, not feeling great could be directly attributed to not being healthy, poor food intake, caffeine side effects and on and on. Therefore what they are experiencing might not be PAWS.

Mild???

I think going to the doctor is not a good idea for some people especially those of us that were discontinued off of long-term prescribed benzodiazepine use I have been in pause for over a year now I still cannot feel any joy I have a multitude of symptoms and I’ve been to the doctor several times and all they wanna do is prescribe more meds that make everything 1 million times worse especially acathisia sometimes people do not need more medication they just need to white knuckle it and try to get through each and every day and pray to God that their brain and bodies heal

Take supplements.

oh sure, the doctor is going to help. Doctors know next to nothing about health. Most won't even tell you 100% ban all sugar, dairy, toxic oils, wheat.