The desire to use the substance that led you into a rehabilitation center is the major challenge you will face when undergoing treatment and even after the treatment. This is normal even when you go for months without using the substance or a few days after quitting. Everybody feels the urge to start using the substance again at some point. However, this is not an excuse to relapse.
Naturally, what leads you into a rehabilitation center is a substance that starts by changing your brain circuitry and neurons physically.
It interferes with the following brain parts:
- The reward center- The high feeling you experience after using the substance is connected to the external cues. These include situations, places, and people and they become the factors that trigger the desire to use the substance.
- The motivation center- The substance becomes important than your healthy choices. That’s why you keep using it even when you know its negative effects on your health.
- The control center- The high reward and motivational levels associated with substance use make the brain forget the negative effects it causes. This makes learning from past mistakes or controlling impulses harder.
What’s more, using the substance longer increases its tolerance. Once tolerance builds up, avoiding withdrawal takes precedence over seeking the high feeling. Cravings are caused by the desire of the body to avoid withdrawal symptoms. Here are some of the best ways to ease substance cravings.
Distractions
One thing you will learn from the professionals at the luxury rehab center (find it here) that you join is that cravings are mental activities that tend to disappear after some time. The only time they won’t disappear is when they are entertained with attention. To avoid paying attention to your cravings, distract your mind with healthy activities. Such activities include exercising, watching movies, reading, knitting, and even cleaning. Engaging in such activities will direct attention away from cravings and promote your overall well-being. You can also prepare and eat a healthy meal when cravings strike. However, emotional or binge eating has its dangers. So, be careful.
Mindfulness
A study conducted in 2015 revealed that exercising mindfulness is a great way to reduce cravings. Some of the techniques that are incredibly effective in this include exercising meditative awareness when eating, check-ins with body feelings, paying keen attention to how you do yoga postures and breathing. Engaging in traditional meditation sitting instead of eight sessions is also an effective way to reduce cravings. The study revealed that mindfulness training reduces cravings by up to 20% on a short-term basis. However, its promises are more when done over a longer period.
Urge Surging
This is a practice where an individual focus on a craving until it disappears. This approach is aimed at getting you in tune with the craving. As such, you learn to recognize the way your cravings manifest themselves and the duration they take to dissipate. Here is how you do urge surging in a luxury drug rehab or at home:
- Pay attention to your body, particularly the part that feels the cravings. Note how the cravings feel like.
- Pick a part of the body where you feel the cravings more and describe how that part feels. Does it feel hot or do you experience tension there?
- Describe all parts where you feel the cravings until they dissipate.
Identify Triggers
Identify what triggers your cravings. You can even write them down. This is a great way to help you avoid the triggers thereby preventing cravings. For instance, you could be living near a former dealer. Such a person can be your trigger and the best way to avoid the urge to use the substance is avoiding where they live. If it’s impossible to avoid the area where they live, go there with a trustworthy person. If your trigger is a group of individuals, cut ties with it. Instead, spend your time with people that won’t make you vulnerable to your triggering situations. If things like certain music, clothing, or paraphernalia act as your triggers, replace them or do away with them.
Exercise
Research has shown that patients with substance use disorders can use exercise to form positive connections while reducing anxiety and depression. Exercise plays a great role in recovery because it compels the body to release endorphins. These are hormones that make the body feel better while changing bodily sensations. Nevertheless, patients should start exercising gently especially when experiencing muscle weakness or fatigue.
Get Help
Some cravings can be too hard to resist without assistance. Fortunately, you can reach out to friends, family, or even a therapist from a luxury alcohol treatment center. What’s more, be honest with others. That way, they will be ready to help you whenever you reach out to them when cravings strike. In case you need help check this website.
Challenge Yourself
When cravings strike, try to challenge your thoughts. This is a great way of releasing frustration as you rationalize your mind away from your desires. For instance, ask yourself whether there is evidence that you will die if you don’t use the substance. You can also ask yourself; who said that quitting will be easier?
Remembering the Consequences
One reason why people seek help in luxury drug treatment centers is to deal with consequences. To deal with cravings, remind yourself of these consequences. You can even write the negative consequences down and make them easy to access whenever cravings strike. For instance, you can have notecards in your purse or wallet and reach out for them whenever cravings strike. This will remind you of things that you don’t want to experience again.
Cravings form a normal part of the journey to sobriety. That’s because the body and the brain are used to having a regular supply of the abused substance. Regaining sobriety requires time after making the decision to quit. However, knowing how to ease cravings can make the journey to sobriety bearable. Professionals at most luxury drug rehab centers, such as ashwoodrecovery.com teach coping mechanisms to their patients.Try these mechanisms out until you find or come up with an effective system for reducing cravings. That way, you will easily focus on ways of leading a new, sober, and healthy life.
