Cold Turkey

[stillandagain]

I would like to help my PA H with his Cold Turkey
He is irritable, and withdrawing

should i be worried?

[Zachary]

Hello Stillandagain. I'm a recovering PA. I hope you don't mind that I'm the first to comment.

After I quit, I developed withdrawal symptoms. I was cranky, moody, argumentative and generally just a sullen jerk who was not pleasant to be around. My temper would flare and I'd go from normal behavior to anger to depression in minutes. These symptoms went away in time. I believe it makes between three weeks and three months for an addiction to be physically broken, that is for the body to stop depending on the chemical rush the addiction supplies. Unfortunately, this is the easiest part of the addiction to conquer, but it is the necessary first step towards health.

Be firm with your H. Let him know you know why he's irritable and you understand, but it's not right for him to take it out on you or anyone else. Remind him that you're supposed to be a team in this. Don't absolve him of the behavior, after all it's us PA's that got ourselves into this mess to begin with, but let him know that this is a natural step in recovery. Best of luck to you both.