Drug Cravings: Causes, Prevention and Mitigation
How to cope with your cravings
- When you have a craving you may experience physical symptoms, (i.e.) increased heartbeat, salivating.
- Cravings can be frequent and intense. They will lessen in frequency and intensity as your clean time lengthens and you become more active in your recovery program.
How to challenge euphoric recall and magical thinking
- One problem in dealing with a craving is to mistakenly make it worse rather than better. A craving lasts longer by focusing on euphoric recall and magical thinking or by being in high-risk situations.
- To remain clean/abstinent you need to challenge euphoric recall and magical thinking immediately.
- Tell on yourself by getting your thoughts out in the open honestly. Confide in your therapist, sponsor and sober friends.
When you have a craving take the following steps:
- Stop whatever it is you are doing immediately and remove yourself from the person, place, or situation that may have triggered the thoughts.
- While completing step one above, ask for help from your Higher Power.
- Short-circuit your thinking by challenging the ‘using’ thoughts. What will be the sequence of events from that moment until you are through your using cycle? Play the tape through to the end. How will it feel emotionally? Physically? What will you say to your family and employer?
- Contact someone — your sponsor or a friend in recovery and tell him or her what has happened. Nearly every person in recovery experiences cravings in some form or other.