PAWS, Post Acute Withdrawal Syndrome: When you come off of heroin and opiate drugs for good then remember, you're going to go through what is called PAWS, Post Acute Withdrawal Syndrome, the after effects from coming off of heroin and opioid drugs which includes depression, anxiety, sleeplessness and emotional ups and downs, exhaustion physically, emotionally and mentally as well.

Symptoms of PAWS (Post Acute Withdrawal Syndrome) can include moments of guilt, stress, anger and resentment towards others. And this can last anywhere from several weeks to several months or more after your last use of heroin or any type of opioid drugs during addiction, (long term use).

PAWS can affect your ability to interact with family members and friends, function effectively at work and regain emotional health. It can also affect your ability to make the right decisions in difficult situations. At times it can become difficult for you to concentrate, think clearly and solve problems as well. You can become angry and lose your temper for any little thing and lash out towards friends, family or anyone else around you, even when you don’t mean to.

PAWS can make recovery difficult but it’s all part of the recovery process, and everyone has to go through it in some form or another, when coming off of heroin and/or opioid drugs; some less than others as well. However, PAWS is not constant or continual. It comes and goes just as mood swings do. And there are things that you can do to manage and overcome episodes of PAWS and eventually begin to feel better sooner than most people do.

But it’s important to remember that PAWS is temporary and does not affect everyone in the same manner. Furthermore, it does not have to last for too long if you begin to take action to counteract the PAWS and help speed up the recovery process. It takes time for the brain and body to heal. But there are some things that you can do to help yourself feel better and much sooner as well. See below:
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​There are many things that you can do to help reduce symptoms of PAWS and begin to feel better, and much sooner as well, mentally, emotionally and psychically. For example:

Supplements to help reduce stress, fatigue, depression, anxiety, insomnia:

• Velvet bean helps with depression and fatigue
• GABA GAMMA helps with stress, anxiety and insomnia
• Ashwagandha helps with fatigue
• Passion flower helps with anxiety, depression and insomnia
• Valerian helps with anxiety, insomnia and sore muscles
• Hops capsules help to relieve stress and anxiety
• L-Theanine helps with anxiety and insomnia
• L-Tryptophan helps with anxiety, depression and insomnia
• Ginger helps with nausea and sore muscles
• DLPA DL-Phenylalanine helps supports a healthy, well-balanced mood and helps the body cope with stress

More otc meds and supplements for sleep: ZZZQuil, GABA Gamma, 5-HTP, Melatonin and Hylands Calm Forte (a combination of natural sleeping aids), and a combination of all of these can help you to get some sleep.
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Get some counseling: Talking to someone about how you feel, a counselor, a therapist for example, maybe weekly if you can, or twice per week. Counseling, therapy and going to meetings can help greatly as well. All of these things combined can help you to feel better mentally, emotionally and physically and much sooner as well. The rest is just a matter of time, rebuilding your health and working on your recovery plan daily. Whatever you do, don’t go back to using heroin, don't go back to using opioid drugs. Stay strong and keep moving forward one day at a time. You can do it.
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For those of you still struggling with heroin, you gotta hurry up and quit this drug for good so that you can move on with your life and create a new and better life for yourself, for your loved ones and for others as well, better relationships, better health, better finances, a better life, and more,… so much more!

Choose your quitting plan:
-with OTC meds, Imodium, Tagamet etc, 
-or with Kratom, a natural plant powder, 
-or with Suboxone, Subutex or Methadone, 
-or in a detox center or a rehab center,

Choose your quitting plan, whichever way works best for you and then do it - give it your best shot! You can do it! Then focus on staying clean, and then turn your life around. There is a much better life waiting for you once you remove heroin from your life, I promise! Don't want to leave anyone behind. Don’t give up. Keep on trying. You can do it!

One of the best ways to stay clean from heroin is by helping others to get clean and stay clean for good. Even if you never touched heroin in your life you can still encourage others to quit heroin and keep moving forward.

If you keep telling someone “you can do it” over and over again, then eventually it's going to sink in and eventually they're going to believe you and they're going to do it - they're going to start trying harder. It may take a few tries, but eventually they can quit this drug and stay clean for good. If you can help just one person to quit heroin, then you will literally save their life. And it will all be worth while in the end. Furthermore, helping others in any way that you can will help you to feel better as well, emotionally and mentally as well.
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One of the greatest lessons I learned in my life is that everything we do comes back to us in one form or another. We reap what we sow in everything we do. If you do good then eventually it's going to come back to you. If we do wrong then eventually it's going to come back to us as well. However, there is a way that we can cut down on the reaping for some of the wrong we may have done in the past. And that is to do as much good as you can, wherever you can, every chance you get. Make amends and restitution wherever you can.

Be kind to everyone who comes your way. Help others in any way you can whenever you have the chance to do so. Try to become a better person - a kind, loving, honest person and treat others with kindness every single day. And in doing so we can begin to cut down on some of the reaping we may have to do for some of the wrong we have done in our lives. Things will begin to change. Your whole life will begin to change for the best and everything you do will come back to you in one form or another. Do as much good as you can, while you can, not just for our sake, but even more so for the sake of others. 
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​Made a lot of mistakes in my life, drugs, women, lying, cheating, stealing. Lost my wife, my kids and more, and I will regret these things for the rest of my life. But I don't do those things anymore, and God help me I will never turn back again. But no matter how many times we fail, we can still get back up and try again. No matter how many mistakes you may have made in the past, you can still change and turn your life around. You can do great, great things in your life. It's never too late to turn your life around. Don’t give up, keep on trying. Keep moving forward full speed ahead. You can do it.

​​Sincerely,
Jorge (George) Fernandez 
Over 20 Years Clean from Heroin 
About Jorge (George) Fernandez
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