Post-acute-withdrawal syndrome

Post-acute withdrawal syndrome (PAWS) is the prolonged psychological symptoms following a physical acute withdrawal from many drugs including alcohol, opioids, benzodiazepines, and barbiturates. It is caused by the brain adjusting from being addicted to a certain substance and can last all the way from a few months up to a few years. Infants born to mothers who used these substances during pregnancy may also experience PAWS.

The brain can have a hard time adjusting to changes following the physical detoxification from a substance, thus causing many psychological symptoms to occur including prolonged psychosis, anxiety or depression. PAWS can occur with symptoms persisting from months to years after cessation of substance use. In almost all cases drug-induced psychiatric disorders fade away with prolonged abstinence, although permanent damage to the brain and nervous system may be caused by continued substance use.