Why Do Cravings Happen and How to Manage Them

Recovery is a difficult process, and one of its main challenges is handling cravings. They can be overwhelming and difficult to manage. However, by understanding cravings and how to manage them, you can avoid relapse and be successful.

What Are Cravings?

Cravings are intense urges to use your drug of choice. They can occur even after you’ve been abstinent for a long time. Often, they are triggered by something in your environment, or by stress or negative thoughts. In the early stages of abstinence, they can be triggered by withdrawal symptoms.

Why Do Cravings Occur?

One of the main reasons that cravings occur is alterations in your brain that happened during your addiction. Using substances causes a release of dopamine, which gives you the high that you experience. Over time, the brain becomes accustomed to this dopamine release and doesn’t respond to natural pleasures that would otherwise cause a release of dopamine. In simple terms, your brain has come to expect drugs or alcohol and doesn’t let you feel pleasure without them.

Another cause is conditioning. You became conditioned to using drugs or alcohol in certain situations, perhaps when you were stressed or anxious, or when challenges occurred in your life. When you experience those situations again, cravings occur because drugs or alcohol were your “go to” remedy.

The good news is there is neuroplasticity. Neuroplasticity is your brain’s ability to reorganize itself and recover normal pathways that allow you to feel pleasure without drugs or alcohol. Additionally, over time, you can be unconditioned to use drugs or alcohol in triggering situations.

Identifying Triggers

One of the first steps in reducing cravings is learning to identify what triggers your cravings. Understanding common triggers can help you to identify your own, but you also need to be aware of what’s happening when you experience cravings. Once you identify your triggers, you can work on avoiding them.

Common triggers include:

• HALT – Hungry, angry, lonely, tired: Any of these states make you less able to deal with stress, which can lead to cravings.
• Negative emotions can make you want to do anything to feel better.
• Stress is one of the most common triggers.
• Depression or anxiety, which may have led to your addiction originally.
• Feelings of isolation, which many people experience in recovery.
• Difficulty with relationships.
• Certain places or people that you associate with drug or alcohol use.
• Activities that you associate with drug or alcohol use, like attending sporting events or gambling.

Ways to Manage Cravings

Several strategies can help you manage your cravings and avoid relapse.

Understand That Cravings Are Normal

Cravings are a normal part of recovery. You don’t need to feel guilty, or like a failure. Those feelings will just exacerbate your cravings. Just accept that you are having cravings and use a coping mechanism to deal with them.

Get Away from Triggers

If you are at a place or with a person that you know is a trigger for cravings, leave the situation immediately. This is why understanding your triggers is important. You can try to avoid them, but if you find yourself in a trigger situation and feel cravings, the best thing to do is get away.

Find a Distraction

When you feel cravings, don’t dwell on them. Do something to distract yourself. Go for a walk, exercise, find someone to talk to, run an errand, read a book, or go to the movies. Choose something you enjoy and that doesn’t involve triggers. If you focus your attention on your cravings, they will get worse and put you in the relapse danger zone. Get your mind on something else.

Fight Negative Thoughts and Emotions with Reason

If negative thoughts or emotions are the cause of your cravings, talk yourself through them reasonably. What’s behind your negativity? Is anything realistically that bad? Are you catastrophizing? Focus on what’s good in your life and what you’re grateful for. Fight the negativity with positive thoughts. If a real problem is causing negative thoughts and emotions, focus your thoughts on how to fix the problem with positive actions.

Engage in Regular Physical Activity

Exercise is a distraction, but it’s also a way to feel better. When you exercise, endorphins are released that boost your mood. Physical activity can also reduce stress and anxiety. Make exercise a part of your daily routine, whether it’s bike riding, going to the gym, playing tennis, or just walking in your neighborhood or at a park. You’ll feel better mentally and physically, which can keep the cravings at bay.

Mindfulness

Mindfulness means living in the present moment and fully experiencing what is happening to you in that moment. Doing so keeps you from worrying about the past or the future. For example, if you’re eating an orange, simply eat the orange and enjoy it. Focus fully on the pleasurable taste, texture, and aroma. Let your senses be fully engaged. It takes a conscious effort to learn mindfulness, but you’ll find that doing so relieves stress and reduces cravings.

Play the Tape All the Way Through

If you’re feeling tempted to give into your cravings, knowing that you’ll feel better temporarily, play the tape in your mind through to what comes after using. In other words, consider the consequences. You’ll feel guilty, ashamed, and like you’ve gone backwards instead of forward. It’s not worth it.

In Closing

Cravings are a natural part of addiction recovery. They are not your fault. Addiction changes your brain, and it takes time for it to rewire itself. Understanding your cravings and how to manage them can keep you away from relapse and instead moving forward toward the fulfilling and healthy life that you deserve. Bridges of Hope can provide you with resources to help you manage your cravings and navigate recovery. Reach out to us today. We are here to support you.