More Tips For Dealing With Drug Addiction Cravings
The first post about dealing with drug addiction cravings offered a few great ideas. There were so many great ideas, they couldn’t fit on just one post! Here are a few more good ideas for helping you through a
drug craving.
Get Your Heart Pumping
Exercise does so many good things for the body. It starts pumping natural endorphins through your body, which give a pleasurable feeling. It also gets oxygen flowing better to your brain and muscles. Drug rehabs often have exercise programs to help a recovering addict get in touch with their body in a healthy way. If you have been to drug or alcohol rehab before, you probably know the benefits of exercise helping with sobriety.
Perhaps most importantly, exercise is a great distractor. When you really get your heart rate raised for several minutes, it gets tough to concentrate on much else. The next time you do aerobics or get on the treadmill, push your heart rate for about 10 minutes. Your breathing should be slow enough so you can still carry on a conversation, but you should be able to feel you are working your muscles. Once you get that going, just try to get emotionally consumed by something. It’s tough, and that’s why this really helps.
Call Someone You Trust Right Away
Sometimes, just hearing the voice of a person you trust can make all the difference. You know you can say anything you need to and they will listen. Talking to one of the people you trust the most can help you
calm your feelings. This could be a good friend, a past counselor from drug treatment, your support group sponsor, or family member.
They can help you find ways to get through your craving, remind you of your good progress, or just spend time talking with you while it passes. In our world of instant communication, this is a good reason to get
instant gratification.
Do Something Different Right Where You Are
Let’s say you are somewhat trapped in your location for a while for some reason. You can’t get a ride for a few hours, bad weather, stuck on a long subway ride, whatever the case may be. A real basic way to
change your mood is to do something you know will change it. You might have to improvise because of your location somewhat. The basic principle is this – feelings follow actions. You start doing something you like and the positive feelings will follow.
For example, you might not be able to play a game of football wherever you are. But you can read your football magazine, practice a few moves, tell a few stories (to whoever might listen) of the greatest football games you’ve ever been to.
In fact, planning for this situation is an even better idea. You have a small crossword puzzle, your extra notebook, your Gameboy, your extra sports magazine – a small collection of things you enjoy to take your mind off a craving wherever you are.
Don’t Be Caught Off Guard With Drug Cravings
The most important thing to remember is that drug cravings happen. After you go through drug rehab, understand that cravings can be a normal part of the recovery process. When you expect that they may happen, you won’t feel so surprised when they do. Having that expectation and a plan will help you get through your cravings more easily and with less risk of relapse. Know yourself and you will know how to get through your cravings.