Inpatient drug rehab clinicians across the United States have made enormous advances in the ways they help drug addicts achieve lasting sobriety. Most recently, clinics have begun to make the management of Post Acute Withdrawal Syndrome a top priority. PAWS is the leading cause of relapse among recovering substance abusers, and treating its symptoms is often critical for addicts to successfully engage their therapies.
PAWS almost always sets in as soon as the withdrawal of detoxification subsides. The symptoms include:
*Depression
*Anxiety
*Sensitivity to physical pain
*Loss of motor skills
*Memory problems
*Inability to think or focus
Many of these symptoms can make addicts look and feel as if they are still actively abusing drugs or alcohol. This has led many people to describe them as “dry drunks.” It has also unfortunately contributed to society’s stigma of addicts. People who observe PAWS sufferers with slurred speech or impaired movement often assume they are still actively using. This assumption can be extremely frustrating for recovering addicts who are earnestly trying to build productive, drug-free lives
Rehab specialists help addicts treat the mental and emotional difficulties of PAWS through additional counseling. Oftentimes, people who experience depression or paranoia post-detox also experienced these conditions chronically when they developed their addictions. Addressing these mental illnesses is often the most important part of addicts’ recoveries, as constant stress can make the avoidance of drug cravings all but impossible.
In some cases, rehab clinicians or other medical professional will prescribe medications to addicts dealing with PAWS. This can be risky, since people going through rehab have already displayed strong addictive tendencies. However, careful management of dosages can ensure that addicts use medication only for productive reasons.
Overall, the advancements made in recognizing and mitigating PAWS symptoms have made rehab clinics across the country even more successful at treating addiction. By reducing the effects of continued withdrawal, addicts can successfully complete their inpatient drug rehab treatments.