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Recovery is a difficult process. When entering recovery you may spend some time in an in-patient facility and be very routine and scheduled, but eventually you must get back to the real world. Hopefully when you do you will be better equipped to handle whatever life throws your way, but there are some things that no one can prepare for in life. If you are in recovery and someone passes away then it may be tempting to deal with the pain by going back to your addiction. Death is a stressful occurrence and stress is very likely to lead to relapse if the person is not prepared. If you experience grief and loss during recovery there are some things that can help you cope and stay strong in the recovery process.

Additionally, grief is not limited to death. Any situation that causes you to feel overwhelmed and helpless can result in trauma, even if no physical harm occurs.

When grief and loss does occur in recovery, your subjective emotional experiences determine how you feel about the given event. This can produce many emotions and reactions. The symptoms of traumatic shock are different for everyone, but include shock, disbelief, anger, mood swings, fatigue, fear, muscle tension, insomnia, and many more. Each person will experience this type of trauma differently. Unfortunately this is when many turn back to their addictions in order to escape what is happening. This does not really create an escape, but does dull the pain that is being felt. This is not helpful, especially if you are trying to stay away from your addiction of choice. As part of recovery we must face traumatic events head on in order to be able to move forward. Fortunately, once the trauma is resolved than it no longer holds the same importance it did.

To deal with these traumatic happenings we must explore them. This is often done as part of individual therapy. While the current grief and loss or traumatic events should be the focus as the past needs to stay in the past. Many will also need to work through the trauma that lead up to addiction. There are a few basic tips that can be applied to all situations, but specifics will need to be discussed with your support system and therapist.

One way that all trauma can be helped is by focusing on the positive. Trauma, grief and loss in the past has likely made you stronger and taught you various lessons. Though these were tough lessons to learn, you will never need to relearn them. Take the strength inside you and use it to create long term recovery. Learn to take care of yourself. Part of recovery is putting your needs first. This does not mean you should isolate yourself or be completely selfish, but it does mean that your personal care and well-being must be moved to the forefront. Dealing with trauma can be exhausting so you need to practice good self-care. Take time to relax and unwind each day. Also make sure you are getting some exercise. Trauma often brings on depression and this can be combatted with self-care, rest, talking it out, and if necessary, medication.

No matter what, remember that if you do stumble you can get back up and start again. As long as you do not quit you can end up successful. The key point to remember is that once the trauma is resolved it does not hold the same importance as before. You are free to move on in life and recovery. So don’t let your life’s trauma continue controlling your life, get started today.

CLICK HERE to get a Free Confidential Addiction Rehabilitation Assessment.

This part-three of a three-part series about how to manage cravings.

In parts one and two of this series, we talked about cravings and identifying triggers. Now, let’s talk about what you can do to work through cravings when they happen so you can avoid a relapse.

10 Things You Can Do To Manage A Craving When It Happens

1. Call one of your friends in recovery. Talk to them about what is going on. See if they can meet you for a cup of coffee so you can be in the company of someone you trust until the craving passes.

2. Get involved in a task that takes your mind off the craving. Cleaning house is a great option. When you throw yourself into a project (no matter how big or small), you will get your mind going in a different direction. Before long, you will see that the craving has passed.

3. Turn on some music. That being said, make sure it is music that doesn’t remind you of the past when you were using drugs or alcohol or engaging in your sexual addiction. Listening to the wrong music can actually make your craving worse. Take the time to make a playlist of uplifting music that you associate with recovery and empowerment so you can crank it up when you are having a weak moment. Music is a great way to get your mind off the craving.

4. Go for a brisk walk. Walking is an awesome meditative exercise that gets the endorphin’s going. It will put you out into nature and get you out of your head. Walk for at least thirty minutes. You will work off your nervous energy and before long, you will notice the craving has passed.

5. If you are a spiritual person, pray. Ask the God of your understanding to remove the craving from you. In addition to asking your Higher Power for relief from the craving, give thanks for all that is going good in your life.

6. Make a gratitude list. Take the time to write about all the things in your life that you are grateful for. Really think about it – don’t just rush through it. Remember that you have so many beautiful things in your life that you appreciate. Remind yourself that all of those things could be taken away from you in an instant if you give into that craving.

7. Help someone else. This is a great way to get out of your head and into action. Maybe you have a friend who has been talking about cleaning out an overstuffed closet. Call them up and tell them you are going to come and pitch in. Being of service to someone else will help you push past that craving and make it to the other side.

8. Watch your favorite television show or get into a good movie. Cravings typically don’t last very long. If you turn on the TV and get involved with a good program, by the time it is over, the craving will probably have passed.

9. Keeping a journal is a great way to connect with yourself and do a self-assessment. You can write about how the craving feels and what led up to the craving itself. Journaling helps you realize things about yourself and your life that you might not otherwise see. You may have a greater insight into why you are suddenly experiencing a craving, so you can be mindful of how you can avoid a similar situation in the future.

10. Meditation is a beautiful spiritual practice that can help you find relief from anxiety, depression and – you guessed it – cravings. Though it may be uncomfortable to sit quietly with yourself at first, meditate anyway. Try to mediate for at least thirty minutes. You will experience a sense of calm, tranquility and relaxation by the end of your meditation time and you will find that magically your craving has dissipated.

Remember, cravings are a normal part of the recovery process. You don’t have to give into them. When you work through a craving, you will experience a victory in recovery. The next time you have a craving, it will be much easier to navigate.

CLICK HERE to get a Free Confidential Addiction Rehabilitation Assessment.

This part-two of a three-part series about how to manage cravings.

In part one of this series, we explained what cravings were and highlighted the fact that they are a normal part of the recovery process. In this portion of the series, we will explain triggers in greater detail.

Understanding External Triggers

External triggers are things happening outside of yourself that prompt you to experience a craving. Remember, a craving is an intense, urgent, or abnormal desire or longing to use drugs or alcohol.

Here are some examples of external triggers:

Going into a convenience store and seeing someone buy beer may trigger you to want to drink alcohol.

Driving down a street where you used to score drugs may prompt you to have a craving for that particular drug.

Listening to music that reminds you of a time when you used to use drugs or drink alcohol can trigger you to want to get high or drunk.

Seeing a person you used to drink or drug with can cause a craving.

Money can be a trigger for some people.

These are just a few examples of external triggers that can bring about an intense craving. This is because seeing or hearing certain sights or sounds can trigger the brain to have a memory associated with drugs or alcohol. These memories will cue the brain to want to experience the sensations it once did when it was intoxicated or high on certain drugs.

Internal Triggers Are Powerful Mechanisms

While external triggers are things that happen outside of your body, internal triggers happen inside the body. Internal triggers are emotions, thoughts, memories, and sensations you experience within yourself. They can be just as powerful as external triggers.

Here are some examples of internal triggers:

When you have a memory you have of a time when you had fun while you were under the influence of drugs or alcohol. You might experience a craving.

Depression can trigger you to want to get high or drunk to escape intense feelings of sadness.

Anxiety can motivate you to want to use drugs or alcohol to calm the experience of panic or distress.

Low self-esteem can make you want to get high or drunk so you will feel better about the way you interact with the world.

Internal triggers are like external triggers. They trigger a memory in the mind that brings about a craving. Although it might seem more difficult to avoid internal triggers because they seem to have a mind of their own (literally!). You can change your mind and think about something else when the trigger arises.  

Avoiding Triggers Keeps Cravings At A Minimum

You can experience cravings when you are feeling good because you want to celebrate how well you have been doing. Conversely, you might find that cravings are the most powerful when you are feeling depressed or when something tragic has happened in your life. You might even feel cravings for no particular reason at all. Whatever the situation may be, the best option you have for avoiding a relapse is to avoid triggers as best you can.

By identifying triggers, you can keep cravings at a minimum. For example, if you associate a particular person with getting high or drunk, stay away from that person. If going to the ATM is a trigger for you, only get cash from the bank. You know you will be triggered by beer at a convenience store, pay for your gas at the pump and don’t go inside. If depression is a trigger for you, do what you can to take care of your mental health so that you can ward off depression. When certain memories cause cravings, change your thoughts.

It is better to do what you can to manage your life so that you can avoid cravings at all costs. However, if you do experience a craving. There are certain things you can do to overcome them and keep your recovery in check.

Be sure to read Managing Cravings In Recovery – Part Three to learn how you can overcome cravings when they happen. 

CLICK HERE to get a Free Confidential Addiction Rehabilitation Assessment.

This part-one of a three-part series about how to manage cravings.

Cravings – A Simple Definition  

No matter how long you have been recovering from an addiction to drugs or alcohol, you will have to deal with cravings from time to time. In early recovery, cravings are the strongest. However; cravings can manifest themselves at any point in your sobriety. Knowing how to manage cravings is the key to successful, ongoing recovery. By accepting that you will have cravings, you can be much better equipped to deal with them when they happen.

Before we talk about cravings in greater detail, let us first define what a craving is. According to the most widely accepted dictionary definition, a craving is “an intense, urgent, or abnormal desire or longing for something.”

When you suddenly have an overwhelming desire to use drugs or drink alcohol, you are experiencing a craving. Cravings are usually fleeting experiences that pass rather quickly. To avoid relapse, you have to ride the craving out and get to the other side. If you give into the craving and reintroduce mood or mind-altering substances into your body, you will have to start the recovery process all over again.

Cravings Are A Reality In Recovery

Although you would rather do without them altogether, it is important to recognize that cravings are a reality in recovery. Drugs and alcohol have a profound impact on the brain. The fact is, your body loves the feeling of intoxication and euphoria. For years, you fed your body chemicals that caused you to feel high or drunk. Your body wants more of this feeling, so it will alert you to continue to feed it with more chemicals through cravings.

Although they are very uncomfortable, cravings are a normal part of the recovery process. Many people feel ashamed when they have a craving because they feel that it is a sign of weakness. This is not true. Cravings are nothing more than a biological response to the absence of drugs and alcohol.

Just because you have a craving doesn’t mean you have to act on it. If you do, you may experience some temporary relief, but shame and guilt are sure to follow. Plus, if you give into the craving, the craving will be that much more intense next time – and there will be a next time. You have to learn how to resist the cravings.

Cravings Are Usually Triggered

A craving can seem to come out of nowhere, but there is usually something that triggers a craving.

Although you do have the power to resist cravings, it is much better if you can find a way to avoid them. While this isn’t always possible, there are some things you can do to keep cravings at a minimum. One of the ways to do this is to identify your triggers.

Triggers are internal and external cues that cause a recovering person to crave drugs or alcohol. These are very powerful response mechanisms that exist in the brain and trigger a desire to return to chemical substances.

Be sure to read Managing Cravings In Recovery – Part Two to learn more about triggers. 

CLICK HERE to get a Free Confidential Addiction Rehabilitation Assessment.