Craving Bad and have PMS

[Tessmom47]

I have been clean for 24 days, minus two day's I used. I am supposed to start my period and am feeling very anxious and shaky. Anybody else feel this way around their period. I would love a vicodin right now.

[CATUF]

Read up on PAWS, because you're in prime territory for it to hit.  
See http://www.tlctx.com/ar_pages/paw_part1.htm

I quite soooooooooooooooooo many times when I was in the all-by-myself recovery mode, and had no idea why I usually relapsed at 25 to 30 days.  I know know that I was just getting hit with Post-Acute Withdrawal Syndrome.  

PAWS passes in just a day or three, and the thoughts and feelings you get during that period don't actually spell the end like them seem to at the moment.  

I view my addiction as an entity, a nasty wild beast with long, hard claws and big, sharp teeth.  Each time I hit PAWS (it cames to me in roughly 30 day cycles for maybe the first year), I viewed it as the Beast being pushed closer to completely off of me.  It is aware and it wanted to hold on to its prey (me), so when it felt itself being pushed from its feeding ground, it tried to hold on to its position.  It didn't like having been pushed away from my heart in the first place, and it kicked and screamed each time it was pushed further.  

Just don't feed the Beast and it will be pushed off eventually.  Never feed the Beast and it will stay off.  Don't pity the Beast, don't play with it or even think kind thoughts of it.  Keep it locked in a strong cage.  No matter how cute acts, no matter what tricks it does, no matter how it whines to be feed and promises to be good, remember that it wants its teeth and claws buried in you heart so that it can make you (and everyone who loves you) suffer while it feeds until you are dead.

While the Beast was being pushed off, I had to start actively working on recovery; work that must continue no matter how long the Beast is locked up.  I used to think that work was too big of a burden, but now I see that it's really the easier and softer way.  Recovery may not always be easy, but it's a walk in the park compared to living in active addiction.  

CATUF
1709

[dominosarah]

Congrats on your clean time!!!  You are doing great......Its been so long since i have had PMS i really dont have any good advice for you, just wanted to give you a much deserved pat on the back~~~~~~~sara