Dealing With Urges and Cravings

It’s pretty normal to battle urges and cravings during recovery – but that doesn’t mean that they have to win! The good news is that cravings and urgings do decrease in strength and frequency over time. In the meantime, here are a few proven strategies to help amp up your defenses and prevent relapse. 

• Delay and distract. When you get an urge or craving, the goal is to delay it, so it eventually passes. One way to do this is to find a healthy distraction. For example, you can go for a brisk walk, cue a funny YouTube video, run up and down the stairs, scroll social media, color in an adult coloring book. Start a running list of some possibilities – and have that list some place accessible when an urge or craving strikes. 
• Know your triggers. Is it a beer or wine commercial or song on the radio or driving past an old haunt? Make a list so you know your triggers and then do your best to avoid and escape them. Just the simple act of refocusing your mind away from your trigger can help lessen any cravings or urges. 
• Accept and understand. A big part of recovery is learning to accept discomfort – and this includes the way you feel when you get an urge or craving. Remind yourself that it’s normal and that it will pass and that the discomfort is a small price to pay for lasting sobriety. 

Relapse Prevention at Complete Harmony

Preventing relapse and ensuring lasting sobriety means creating long-term strategies to deal with urges, cravings, negative patterns, emotional duress, poor self-esteem and more. We help our clients change behaviors from the inside out with proven holistic treatment approaches to addiction. To learn more about our alternative relapse prevention program, call today: 866-930-4673.

Practicing Anti-Drug/Drink Activities

A big part of staying sober and avoiding relapse is gaining a sense of control over your cravings. To help switch your focus away from drugs or alcohol, addiction experts advise creating a list of “anti-drug” and/or “anti-drink” activities. These simple actions are meant to serve as healthy distractions and to fill your time by giving you positive things to do.

According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), the people who are most successful at staying sober do two anti-drugs/ drinks in particular: go to counseling and join a self-help group. 

Here are a few more suggestions from SAMHSA that might work for you:

• Chew gum when you crave a drug or drink.
• Call your self-help group sponsor or a friend instead of going to places where you might use. 
• Watch movies.
• Shoot some baskets with friends.
• Read an inspirational book.
• Keep pictures of your children in your pocket as motivation to stay away from alcohol and drugs. 
• Join a faith organization that supports recovery. 
• Find a volunteer position that keeps you busy and away from others who use. 
• Pray or meditate.
• Practice mindfulness.

Take this list of ideas and add a few of your own. The more anti-drugs/anti-drinks you have the better, notes SAMHSA. Consider brainstorming with your addiction counselor or peers to come up with activities that align with your personal interests and individual recovery goals. 

Relapse Prevention at Complete Harmony

To prevent relapse and ensure long-term sobriety, it’s crucial to have long-term strategies for dealing with physical and psychological cravings, negative patterns, emotional duress, poor self-esteem and more. Our holistic approach to recovery helps clients change behaviors from the inside out; rather than just putting a bandage on addictive tendencies. To learn more about our alternative relapse prevention program, call today: 866-930-4673.