Managing Cravings: Tips & Tools
Crow’s Nest Ranch will offer outpatient services to our Lake Tahoe community so to assist those who need additional skills and support in retaining their long-term sobriety, like managing their cravings.
Cravings can be one of the most difficult aspects of changing our relationship with alcohol and other drugs (AOD). A craving is a strong urge to drink alcohol (or use) and can result in a multitude of both physical and emotional effects. They come via a sudden longing, a physical agitation in the body, a situational desire to numb or elevate our mood, or some ruminating thoughts we can’t seem to shake are all immediate triggers that result in cravings.
While we don’t experience strong cravings forever, our brain (especially in early recovery) will send these little cues from time to time. In fact, much of our habitual use is learned behavior. Our brains are trained to repeat adaptive behaviors, and they have mistakenly identified mind-altering substances as helpful for our survival. So when you become triggered by your senses it is followed by a strong urge to use. This is our brain trying to signal to us to use again.
The cool part is that in sobriety and in learning new behaviors, we can anticipate cravings ahead of time and that the more cravings we deny the closer we get to unlearning our negative traits by replacing them with positive practices. Each time we beat a craving, we’ve made a great victory on our path to recovering the way we think. However, rather than “white-knuckling” through a craving, we can build a toolbox of helpful practices to distract and relieve us when we’re in the middle of a strong one.
Remember, cravings are always temporary and we will get through it.
Here are some useful tools to battle those cravings:
• Set a timer for 20 minutes and “play the tape forward”
• Go outside, get some fresh air, take a walk and make it long
• Movement of any kind from dancing in your kitchen, doing some yoga, going for a run, hike, snowshoe adventure, a split board adventure with your dog, or anything that gets you physically active
• If you are in a triggering situation, just leave. Excuse yourself and leave.
• Call your support system, a sponsor, or even someone you know will answer and just chat about the weather, their day, or even a new movie
• Journal about what you are feeling and why you want your sobriety
• Create something with your hands - draw, paint, fold paper airplanes, make a cutout collage even
• Clean your house
The goal here is to manage cravings by participating in something that helps redirect our attention, even for just a few minutes. Doing this will help us get through a craving and don’t get us wrong it will be HARD at first. However, just like your first time doing anything, you will continue to get better in handling these cravings and mastering your ability to retain your sobriety for long-term success and happiness. You can do this.
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Crow’s Nest Ranch is a project made possible by all of our combined efforts. Big victories are made through the contributions of many people. Together we can do this. Thank you for your support. This project is established with 501c3 Charity Smith Nonprofit Foundation (EIN 87-0636433) as our fiscal sponsor.