I have a friend who is struggling maintaining her sobriety. She says it's tough to achieve a life balance.
Struggling with addiction is so hard you're a good person for listening to her. Is it drugs or alcohol?
Thank you. It's alcohol. She spent some time in a treatment setting to get started on the path to sobriety, but now that she's out, she's having a tough time.
Let her know you'll be there for her during thoughts of relapse. Is she attending AA classes? I know those help a lot.
She isn't, but I'll definitely pass on the suggestion! She said the first physical effects of withdrawal were tough, but the second stage, PAWS, might be worse!
Can you tell me what PAWS means? Hopefully she has an AA sponsor!
PAWS stands for post acute withdrawal syndrome. During this stage recovering addicts usually experience emotional and psychological symptoms. It's due to their brain trying to regain normal function. 
That's sounds unbelievably hard to deal with! The fact you know this means you care a lot for your friend! Thank you for sharing!
Thanks for listening! I think when something takes over your subconscious and tries to get you to fail, abstaining is incredibly difficult! I'm hoping this stage passes quickly for her!