8 Great Ways To Handle Drug Cravings Like A Pro

During addiction treatment and recovery, you may face cravings. While using, your brain gets used to functioning with a substance, and, therefore, you may feel the urge to use drugs or substances again.  

These urges can be relentless. They can find you at your weakest point and try to persuade you that the change you've fought so hard to achieve isn't truly what you desire. If not dealt with properly, drug cravings can easily lead to relapse. 

Cravings are short-lived — lasting anywhere from two to ten minutes — and you can overcome them by using specific skills and tools.  

What Are Cravings? 

A craving is a strong desire for something or something to happen. Cravings for meals or sex, for example, are widespread. Similarly, people can also have a strong urge to use drugs and alcohol, especially when recovering from addiction.  

Cravings, as they relate to drug use and addiction, have several accepted definitions, including: 

• A state in which the individual is solely concerned with obtaining the substance 
• If given a chance, the desire to consume a substance 
• The psychological longing for the drug's effects 

Below are some strategies for dealing with cravings for drugs or alcohol when they arise. 

Accept Them 

Accept that desires are normal and inevitable. Everyone who has had a successful recovery has had cravings and probably still does. A pang of hunger doesn't mean you're doing something wrong or that you've failed or will fail. When you've been taking an addictive substance every day for years, it's natural to feel the temptation to use it again. Trying to ignore or resist the craving will only make it stronger. Accept that you have a desire to use; they are commonplace.  

Distract Yourself 

Remember that cravings don't endure forever. They usually only last approximately 10 minutes unless you pay attention to them. Find a strategy to distract yourself from your desire to use a substance. It could be working, reading, playing a video game, walking, talking to friends, or anything else that demands a lot of focus. You can't think about two things at once, and you can't stop thinking about something. Find something else to do with your time. 

Get a Hobby 

Hobbies not only foster character and delight, but they can also help quell a craving to use a drug. Boredom often triggers cravings as the mind seeks to fill what one perceives as a void or emptiness. A hobby provides an alternative to drug use. You can try anything to distract from your cravings — sports, cooking, arts and crafts, dance, hiking, fishing, or video gaming. 

Surf the Urge 

Rather than resisting the desire, surf it. Urge surfing is a mindfulness method based on accepting a craving for what it is rather than opposing it. 

When you feel a craving coming on, acknowledge it, accept it, and don't try to change it. To surf your urge, take a pause, close your eyes, and observe your thoughts and physical sensations. Urge surfing helps to verbalize your thoughts and feelings. 

Describe as many of your thoughts and experiences as you can until the urge passes. You may say something like: "I'm uncomfortable and considering using drugs" or "My palms are sweating, and my heart is racing." Cravings come in waves and will eventually pass. Accept their presence and ride them out. 

Practice Self-Care 

Self-care practices can help promote physical and mental well-being. Doing something for yourself like eating well and exercising will make you less likely to crave drugs and more able to refuse a temptation when it does emerge. 

Know Your Triggers 

During recovery, some people, places, and things will trigger drug cravings. Knowing your triggers might help you anticipate and avoid cravings. Make a list of all of your triggers and see which you can avoid. Recognize that some triggers are unavoidable, so prepare techniques for dealing with cravings that may occur. 

Reach Out to Others 

If you have a craving, go to a support group meeting to discuss it with other recovering people. If you feel tempted to use, contact your sponsor. If you don't have a sponsor, ask your group leader to recommend one. A sponsor will offer you suggestions and guidance related to dealing with your cravings.  

Remove Bad Memories 

Many therapists use memory reconsolidation to cure cravings by consolidating and eliminating memories connected with drug use. This method can help you have fewer cravings generated by environmental signals related to memories of drug use. 

Finding The Right Solution To Drug And Alcohol Addiction For You 

When you seek help for drug addiction, finding a detox program that works for you can be intimidating. Nevertheless, it is necessary that whatever you choose is in the best interest of your health. When you reach out to DetoxNearMe.com, you will be able to discover the best detox centers in your area. 

We realize that detox is not easy, which is why our primary goal is to make sure that your detox and drug treatment experience is as secure and comfortable as possible. Contact DetoxNearMe.com right away if you have any questions regarding what drug treatment entails and learn about the best options for you or a loved one. If you are currently struggling to manage your substance use disorder or cannot quit using, it's time to seek help now. 

Find out all of the available options by reaching out to DetoxNearMe.com today and discover the opportunities to get the help you need and deserve.