| Cravings don't cause relapse. If cravings were all it | | | | temporarily. |
| took for recovering alcoholics/addicts to relapse, no | | | | Cravings don't cause relapse. You can have cravings |
| one would ever acquire any long term sobriety. | | | | and still not use. Cravings are not intolerable. Cravings |
| Cravings are however, a common and typical | | | | don't last forever. If you don't use, they will go away. |
| experience in the recovery process. In an addiction | | | | Cravings usually hit their peak after a few minutes |
| context, a "craving" or an "urge" is a strong yearning | | | | then begin to subside and go away. Cravings are |
| for something to alter one's mood. Although cravings | | | | usually pretty strong in early abstinence, but as you |
| are very common in the early days of abstinence and | | | | practice using abstinence skills in fighting the cravings, |
| are usually experienced more intensively and | | | | they continue to decrease in intensity and frequency. If |
| frequently during the detox process, they can persist | | | | you act on them by using, you keep putting yourself |
| over the long haul, or stop then return periodically. | | | | back in the early abstinence stage, where cravings are |
| Cravings can involve physical and psychological | | | | most frequent and most intense. |
| emotional symptoms. | | | | There are several important reasons to develop your |
| Physical symptoms, like "shakes", racing heart, rapid | | | | conscious awareness of triggers for cravings. If you |
| breathing, might be accompanied by obsessive | | | | are aware of your own particular cues, you can |
| thoughts about needing the chemical to not feel the | | | | minimize the probability that you will experience |
| physical symptoms. Defense mechanisms serve the | | | | cravings, by avoiding those cues (e.g., bars, drinking |
| purpose of making it "ok" in the newly recovering | | | | using friends, drug houses). When you cannot avoid |
| addict's mind to use. "Denial", an example of a defense | | | | cues, you can practice new skills for dealing with those |
| mechanism, is seen as an integral part of addiction and | | | | cues, like stress management for anxiety, or |
| serves the purpose of distorting reality to the addict so | | | | assertiveness for relationship conflicts. Awareness of |
| that s/he can continue to use in the comfort of not | | | | your cravings and the cues that may set them up can |
| fully recognizing the extent of their problem. | | | | help you develop the skills you need to meet life's daily |
| Common examples of defense mechanisms (including | | | | challenges. Accomplish this, and you will reduce the |
| denial), paired up with ambivalent feelings about quitting | | | | probability that you will experience cravings after initial |
| could sound something like these examples: "I don't | | | | detox. If you do have cravings, they can be |
| have to do this; I can quit tomorrow", "I'll just drink/use a | | | | successfully handled if you can break them down into |
| little and not get drunk/loaded", "It's nobody's business | | | | small manageable pieces. |
| but my own", "I don't really have a problem", "Just a little | | | | To successfully manage cravings, you must deal with |
| to take the edge off", or, "Nobody will know". | | | | each craving as it occurs, doing whatever is |
| Obsessive thoughts about the chemical, along with | | | | necessary to keep from acting on this urge to drink |
| psychological defense mechanisms and ambivalence | | | | use. Do that one day at a time, one hour at a time, one |
| about quitting could be a deadly combination. | | | | minute at a time, one craving at a time. Make yourself |
| Perceptual and psychological cues can trigger cravings. | | | | a list of craving management tools and keep it close |
| Perceptual cues could involve intentionally or | | | | by. |
| unintentionally being around old using friends, places, or | | | | Although cravings, defense mechanisms, and |
| things. They could involve smells or music that has | | | | ambivalence, can be a deadly combination, especially in |
| been associated with your using. Cravings could be | | | | early recovery, relapse is preventable. Most recovering |
| cued by accidentally finding a long lost stash in a | | | | persons have ambivalence about abstinence in early |
| pocket of an old housecoat. | | | | recovery. Ambivalence and defenses, unfortunately, |
| Psychological cues generally involve uncomfortable | | | | can last well into established recovery. Even the |
| emotional states. Cues that could trigger cravings might | | | | combination of cravings, defenses, and ambivalence |
| involve feeling angry and frustrated and remembering | | | | does not have to lead to relapse. |
| that you used to use alcohol and/or other drugs (AOD) | | | | Wanting to stay clean and sober is necessary but |
| to chill out. Psychological cues could involve being | | | | insufficient to prevent relapse. Learn and practice the |
| restless, bored, and lonely, and remembering that | | | | skills you need to accomplish your recovery goals. |
| drinking at the bar seemed to fix that-at least | | | | |