One of the hardest (and most recurring) obstacles to breaking free from an addiction is cravings. Learning how to successfully deal with cravings is an essential part of the Maintenance phase of the Transtheoretical Model of change. In this phase, we have implemented our plan to change our behaviour (action phase) and are enjoying continued success (maintenance).
In order to effectively deal with cravings, we must first learn exactly what a craving is, what induces cravings, and how to react to them. For the purposes of addiction, a craving is an intense desire to engage in the behavior you are trying to modify (alcohol, drugs, gambling, etc.). Cravings are a natural reaction to certain cues (people, places, things or thoughts) associated with your previous habit. It might not always be obvious but certain cues can bring on a craving when we least expect it. After two years of being heroin free, John (fictitious name) thought his days of being vigilant were over. He hadn’t had a craving in over a year, had no desire to use, and had clear pro social goals that he was actively pursuing. On his way to a job interview, he passed through a park where he had used heroin years ago. Before he knew it, John started experiencing a craving. The more he remembered his past behavior in that park, the more intense his craving got. Lucky for John, his craving disappeared as he redirected his attention to getting to his interview and quickly left the park.
An important thing to remember is that having a craving is a natural phenomenon and must be viewed as such. If for example you are deficient in vitamin C, your body might react with a craving for orange juice. The craving may be sparked from a TV ad for orange juice, having breakfast (where you would usually have orange juice), or other complex cues. A craving is the body’s way of letting you know that it wants something. Good or bad, the wanting can be from associations in your memory or environmental cues.
If for example you would manage negative emotions by using cocaine in order to numb the pain of the emotion. Negative emotions can be a trigger for cravings therefore it is important to use efficient emotions management skills. Your first task then, would be to identify all the thoughts and/or situations that could trigger a craving. Find your high risk situations. Once you have identified them, learn techniques to adequately deal with them. This is where having positive support from close friends can be of particular assistance. Let them help you identify your high risk situations and develop strategies for dealing with them.
When a craving does arise, many are tempted to try to resist it. In the case of a craving, resistance is futile. In fact, by trying to resist the craving, you are strengthening it. Try to resist thinking about someone you do not get along with. Identify one person; now try to resist thinking about him/her. The odds are that the more you tried to resist thinking about them, the more you couldn’t help thinking about them…and maybe feeling a little uncomfortable. It is the same with a craving. Cravings come and go naturally. If you view it as a normal feeling and don’t give into it, it will pass. Much like a panic attack, if you accept the feeling as being normal but uncomfortable, you will be able to allocate your attention elsewhere and weaken the intensity of the craving.
Furthermore, every time you successfully deal with a craving, you are weakening the intensity of the next one. In fact, like panic attacks, as you become proficient at dealing with them (cravings), their intensity and frequency will diminish. Giving in to a craving will actually have the opposite effect. It sends a message to the brain that you cannot resist from using and therefore increases the intensity and frequency of the next cravings. When that happens however, there is an opportunity for growth. You can analyse the situation, see what went wrong, correct it and prepare for the next time.
What is important to remember about cravings is that although they are unpleasant and scary, much like a wave or a dark cloud, they will pass if you let it. This is true of panic attacks too. You can achieve this by acknowledging the sensation without fuelling it. Redirect your attention elsewhere and your craving will begin to dissipate. One great way to learn how to do this efficiently is by regularly practising mindfulness meditation. This type of meditation teaches you how to let go of negative (or extraneous) thoughts and remain focused on the present moment. You can see an example of mindfulness meditation by clicking here.