Learning how to manage your cravings is an important part of addiction treatment. Cravings are upsetting and sometimes even distressing for those who are in recovery from addiction. What makes recovery harder is that a person can experience cravings long after they have abstained from using substances. As much as we wish it so, cravings cannot completely vanish. The mechanism that causes cravings is simply too deeply ingrained in our biology. On one hand, it’s a vindicating fact that lets people know it’s not their fault that they experience these cravings. The fact they can never truly go away, however, can be hard to accept.
Learning how to manage your cravings is possible for anyone. It takes admitting that you need help and accepting it from a professional. For cravings, in particular, people find help at addiction treatment facilities such as Painted Desert Recovery. With compassionate and knowledgeable staff, clients find the tools they need to manage their cravings. It takes time and specialized treatment, but you will eventually be able to successfully manage your cravings, even if it’s hard to do so now.
Why Do People Experience Cravings?
Everyone experiences cravings of one sort or another in their lives. At its core, it’s a survival trait. A dehydrated person may crave a juicy piece of fruit to encourage them to intake water. Someone missing a vital nutrient, like iron, may crave a leafy green salad. These cravings are an alert from your brain to your body that lets you know when something important is needed. However, cravings get a little more complicated when it comes to certain parts of our brain.
Things that are pleasurable, such as substances, touch on the reward centers of the brain. Substances bathe the brain in chemicals that override and warp these pleasure centers. Behavioral addictions achieve the same effects by flooding the brain with constant “hits” of dopamine, a neurotransmitter known as the “feel-good” hormone. Over time, the brain comes to crave these substances or behaviors because they feel good. People may understand how this feels when they crave sugary or high-calorie foods. There is an urge to consume these foods because they feel good when you do so, even when you know they aren’t good for you.
Substance cravings are often triggered by settings and events in which you previously used drugs. For example, a person recovering from alcohol addiction may have a craving for alcohol while inside a bar. If there is an opportunity to engage in substance use, a person is likely to experience a craving. That is why clients are advised to avoid places and people where substance use is common as a way to avoid triggering a craving. Stress can also play a role in cravings. Constant stress can impact the prefrontal cortex, which controls executive functions, such as concentration and judgment. With the function of the prefrontal cortex diminished, it becomes more difficult to manage your cravings.
What It Means to Manage Your Cravings
Learning to manage your cravings means accepting that you will have cravings. As mentioned before, it can be hard to accept that cravings will always be a part of your life. However, it becomes easier once you understand that it doesn’t make you a bad person. It simply is a part of recovery, and that’s okay. Once you gain some self-confidence, it becomes easier to manage your cravings.
Cravings are usually short-lived. They occur in a flash and can sometimes be overwhelming. However, they pass quickly. Once you understand that they don’t last forever, you are better prepared to resist the craving. Many people find success in changing their environment to lessen the chance of cravings. Identifying what may personally trigger you is a good way to help manage your cravings. In Alcoholics Anonymous, members learn the H.A.L.T. method to prevent relapse and manage cravings. When someone doesn’t allow themselves to get too Hungry, Angry, Lonely, or Tired, they are better equipped to resist cravings.
Another important thing to remember is that you don’t have to learn how to manage your cravings alone. Professional help exists and is widely available for those who want assistance in managing cravings.
How You Can Learn to Manage Your Cravings
The best place to learn how to manage your cravings is through addiction treatment at an addiction treatment facility. These facilities, such as Painted Desert Recovery, offer comprehensive treatment designed to give clients the best chance of success. The staff at Painted Desert Recovery will not guide a client into recovery without also teaching them ways to stay in recovery. Part of that is learning the skills needed to manage your cravings.
Group therapy is a common way for clients to speak with fellow peers and draw wisdom from others. Learning how others manage their cravings can give you an idea of how to manage your own. Trauma-based therapy is also important for those who struggle with trauma. Some trauma triggers can also trigger a craving from the desire to soothe pain in the quickest way possible. Trauma-based therapy gives clients the skills they need to cope with these triggers without needing substances or unhealthy behaviors.
Painted Desert Recovery also recognizes the importance of nurturing personal growth and fulfillment. Hobbies are encouraged because a person who is busy having fun has little time for cravings and other addiction triggers. With a bustling local sober community, clients find support and encouragement that promotes a long-lasting recovery. Cravings may be a part of life, but with the right support and treatment, anyone can learn how to manage their cravings.
Learning how to manage cravings is an important part of addiction treatment. Cravings can be a distressing part of recovery, and it takes willpower and skill to resist them. That’s why clients learn how to manage and resist their cravings in a safe place at Painted Desert Recovery in New Harmony, Utah. With qualified mental health care professionals on staff, clients have access to scientifically-backed holistic treatments designed to help them gain the confidence and skills needed to maintain and protect their recovery. Cravings can be difficult to experience, but they can be overcome. If you or a loved one is struggling with addiction, seek help by calling (844) 540-0353 today.
