Cravings - Wanting to Use and Triggers
Not using is perhaps the biggest change in early recovery, and cravings, thinking about using, and triggers will happen to you.
Rather than be embarrassed about these cravings, or think that you have done something wrong, realize that all alcoholics and addicts, at some point in their recovery, will experience them but they happen more in the early stages of recovery.
Cravings Can Be Triggered A craving, especially one prompted by a trigger, can happen without warning, even when you have done all that you are supposed to do to ensure your recovery.
This can be upsetting, with many people believing that they have done something wrong.
The reality is that cravings, stimulated by random encounters, are not something that you can control.
While driving to a recovery supportive meeting, there is a song on the radio, or you pass a car that reminds you of your dealer.
Shopping at the grocery store, you smell the same perfume you wore in your use.
Watching television with your family, there is a commercial showing the sexy side of spirits.
In other words, it can happen even when you are doing all that you need to do and on the right path.
There is no typical timeframe for how long your craving will last because usually, you have given into it when it occurred.
But studies at the National Institute on Alcohol and Drugs estimates that most cravings last about 90 minutes if you do not fuel it with romancing or relapsing.
Just Don't Romance Use Romancing is making the use as pleasant as possible and only remembering the good times or viewing your use through rose-colored glasses.
Rather than romance your use, engage your mind and body in positive activities for the 90 minutes.
Some historically good recovery safeguards to use when a craving hits include:
You build on this experience the next time a craving hits.
Make Strategies for Coping with Cravings Unique to You Each time that you find alternatives to use when you have triggers and cravings, you are building a very personal set of relapse prevention strategies.
When your approach for coping with triggers and cravings is unique to you, then you are more likely to remember it and ultimately, more likely to use it.
There are strategies that work for all addicted people and being open to hearing about other people's methods for dealing with cravings is going to increase your knowledge of how to avoid a relapse.
Not all the methods will appeal to you; sitting in a boat in the middle of the lake, waiting for a fish to bite does not sound like a good plan for me, but it works wonders for a bunch of men I know, so I value it as an alternative to share with others.
Conversely, these same men can not see the point in writing a Pros and Cons of Recovery and Relapse, but it has helped me get through some rough times in my recovery, so it works for me.
Each time you find methods that help you get through the cravings, it can motivate you to continue changing, growing spiritually, finding alternatives to use, and with time, your cravings will get farther apart.
Rather than be embarrassed about these cravings, or think that you have done something wrong, realize that all alcoholics and addicts, at some point in their recovery, will experience them but they happen more in the early stages of recovery.
Cravings Can Be Triggered A craving, especially one prompted by a trigger, can happen without warning, even when you have done all that you are supposed to do to ensure your recovery.
This can be upsetting, with many people believing that they have done something wrong.
The reality is that cravings, stimulated by random encounters, are not something that you can control.
While driving to a recovery supportive meeting, there is a song on the radio, or you pass a car that reminds you of your dealer.
Shopping at the grocery store, you smell the same perfume you wore in your use.
Watching television with your family, there is a commercial showing the sexy side of spirits.
In other words, it can happen even when you are doing all that you need to do and on the right path.
There is no typical timeframe for how long your craving will last because usually, you have given into it when it occurred.
But studies at the National Institute on Alcohol and Drugs estimates that most cravings last about 90 minutes if you do not fuel it with romancing or relapsing.
Just Don't Romance Use Romancing is making the use as pleasant as possible and only remembering the good times or viewing your use through rose-colored glasses.
Rather than romance your use, engage your mind and body in positive activities for the 90 minutes.
Some historically good recovery safeguards to use when a craving hits include:
- Isolate the trigger that prompted the craving, remove it - the people you are hanging out with and their conversation - leave; the song on the radio is a reminder of your use, change the station, or the movie or TV show's content is too much of a cue to use, change the station.
- Call your sponsor, accountability partner or a trusted friend and be honest.
Tell them that you are having a craving and need a conversation that will distract you, not a lecture on why you should not use.
The call was your healthy side refusing to use.
- Do something physical.
Exercise will change the brain chemistry in helpful ways. - Eat something.
Being physically weak can trigger all kinds of reactions. - If stress has prompted the craving, learn some relaxing techniques.
There are excellent discs out on the net about relaxation or stress reduction, and some of them are free. - If you are at home and the craving hits at night and you cannot call, do not want to eat, all the shows are about hooking up and using, then read a book, take a shower or bath, take a bubble bath with the book, reflect on your life without drugs and alcohol, or remind yourself exactly what a relapse would cost you.
You build on this experience the next time a craving hits.
Make Strategies for Coping with Cravings Unique to You Each time that you find alternatives to use when you have triggers and cravings, you are building a very personal set of relapse prevention strategies.
When your approach for coping with triggers and cravings is unique to you, then you are more likely to remember it and ultimately, more likely to use it.
There are strategies that work for all addicted people and being open to hearing about other people's methods for dealing with cravings is going to increase your knowledge of how to avoid a relapse.
Not all the methods will appeal to you; sitting in a boat in the middle of the lake, waiting for a fish to bite does not sound like a good plan for me, but it works wonders for a bunch of men I know, so I value it as an alternative to share with others.
Conversely, these same men can not see the point in writing a Pros and Cons of Recovery and Relapse, but it has helped me get through some rough times in my recovery, so it works for me.
Each time you find methods that help you get through the cravings, it can motivate you to continue changing, growing spiritually, finding alternatives to use, and with time, your cravings will get farther apart.
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