A Few Tips For Dealing With Drug Addiction Cravings
Cravings are a normal part of getting and staying sober. It happens with both alcohol and drugs, and it can be fairly unpleasant. Suddenly, just getting that one hit or having one beer sounds more appealing than just about anything you can think of. Your body may almost be hurting or aching for it. And your mind, it can hardly focus on anything else. As I said, this is a normal part of recovery. Since you are nearly guaranteed to face this problem as a recovering addict, it’s important that you know how to handle it.
Go Somewhere Safe With Safe People
Your craving may have something to do with where you are or who you are with. Even if it doesn’t, a change in scenery can shake your mood up a little. Might just be enough to distract you or make you feel different emotions. At the very least, it will give you something purposeful to focus on and do. Action is a good way to bring about change, no matter how small.
Goal For Sobriety Is Short Chunks of Time
Don’t worry about your goal of staying sober for your birthday next year or for five years straight. Think about the next hour, fifteen minutes, five minutes. Whatever you have to do, keep it small and short-range. You may lose confidence if you strive for too much right now. But five minutes – you can do five minutes. And five minutes after five minutes eventually adds up enough to get you through your craving.
Bring Up Bad Reminder Of Relapse Consequences
If you have to, start reminding yourself about how strapped you were for cash when you were using drugs. Remind yourself about having no car to drive in the winter because you wrecked it during your DUI crash. And you had a suspended license back then. Remember what your marriage and family relationships were like when you were high every day. This can be really painful, but it can also snap you back into reality. Giving in to the craving can do more than just waste an afternoon. It can produce all kinds of life-wrecking consequences.
Your Drug Treatment Experience Can Help You Deal With Cravings
If you are sober after having an active drug or alcohol addiction, it’s likely that you have been through some form of drug treatment or in a self-help group. These experiences can help you through these cravings. Cravings come and they go, it doesn’t mean that your entire world of sobriety is coming to a permanent end. Do whatever you can to get through them – that’s the first step.
After the craving fades, make sure you beef up on time with your sponsor, exercise, healthy eating, staying away from certain people, or whatever you need to do to keep you from being vulnerable. And if you do give in to the craving, it’s not the end of the world. Drug treatment can help you start again. Your support group sponsor can help you start again. You can always start again with sobriety.