Cravings are identified as intense, sometimes relentless urges that claw at the back of your mind during recovery. They’re a normal and even expected part of the journey. However, understanding why cravings exist and their triggers is critical to managing them through coping mechanisms.
Think of it this way: addiction alters how your brain functions. It creates new pathways and changes old ones centered on getting that next fix. Let’s dive into the science behind it all.
The Science of Cravings
Addiction isn’t a weakness or lack of willpower. Instead, it is a change in your brain’s wiring. Drug and alcohol use hijack vital areas—the ones that control your motivation, reward system, and decision-making.
Over time, using creates a strong association between the substance and feeling good. Your brain learns to crave the reward. At the same time, it “forgets” all the negative impacts of addiction, and this is what makes it harder to stop.
The result? Cravings. They come in two primary forms. The first is your brain’s way of chasing that reward, that rush of feel-good chemicals. The second, sometimes even stronger, is your body and mind desperate to avoid withdrawal symptoms.
While the physical withdrawal period may eventually ease, the psychological cravings can persist far longer. But this doesn’t mean you’re trapped. There are ways to manage cravings, including medications.
Mind you, these aren’t magic “fix-it” solutions, but they can be powerful tools. Drugs like Vivitrol block the pleasurable effects of opiates, reducing the reward factor that drives cravings.[1]
Others, like Entacapone and Rivastigmine, target different brain receptors involved in addiction, potentially lessening those insistent urges.
How to Combat Cravings and Triggers By Developing Coping Mechanisms
You understand why you’re getting cravings, but what are you supposed to do in the heat of the moment? There are short-term survival tactics and long-term strategies for making cravings less powerful and more manageable. These include:
Mindfulness
Think of mindfulness as turning your attention inward. Pay attention to your body and your thoughts without judgment. Notice the physical sensations of craving: the tension, the restlessness. Don’t fight the feeling, but observe it. This shift in focus can help weaken a craving’s grip.
Distraction As A Coping Mechanism to Combat Triggers
Cravings thrive on intense focus. Redirect your attention to something engaging and healthy. Clean, read, watch a silly movie, break a sweat—anything that distracts your mind. Be prepared—have a go-to list of distractions ready when cravings hit.
Urge Surfing
This technique involves facing the craving head-on but without giving in. Focus on a specific part of your body where the craving feels strongest. Describe the feeling—is it heat, pressure, or tightness?
Then, shift your focus to another area and do the same. Continue until the craving begins to fade. It won’t disappear overnight, but urge surfing can teach you how cravings rise and fall.
Short-term fixes are undoubtedly helpful and have a place in addiction recovery. But what can you do to prepare for the rest of your life away from substances? That’s where long-term solutions come into play.
Know Your Enemy
Triggers are the people, places, things, and even feelings that send a jolt straight to your craving center. Write them down and be brutally honest. If certain friends, locations, or even a song are strongly tied to your past use, you may need to create some distance—at least for now.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
CBT is a powerful tool for addiction recovery. It helps you recognize automatic thoughts that drive cravings, the “I need this” or “I can’t handle this” tapes on repeat in your head. With Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, you’ll learn to challenge these thoughts, replacing them with realistic and self-supporting ones.
Support System
Talking to someone you trust about your cravings can make all the difference. They offer a listening ear and a reality check and can help you spot patterns in your triggers. This isn’t a matter of weakness; instead, it is about being smart and using every resource available.
Challenge Your Thoughts
Cravings are sneaky, disguising themselves as truths. Learn to question them. Is the “I’ll only use once” thought really realistic? What’s the actual evidence backing up the “I deserve this” idea? Don’t get tricked by your brain.
Remember, it’s OK to need help. Therapists and support groups are there for the long haul, teaching you skills so cravings lose their power and you gain control.
What Are Triggers and How Do We Develop Coping Mechanisms?
Triggers are those seemingly unrelated moments or cues that can derail your recovery and set off intense cravings. Think of them as hidden signals that send your brain into overdrive. They might include sights, smells, or stress.
The reason triggers are so challenging to manage is that they’re deeply personal and formed through your unique experiences.[2] Your brain creates a complex network of associations between your addiction and various people, places, situations, and emotions.
Even those seemingly forgotten or insignificant. When you encounter something in the present that resembles those associations, it sends a mental alarm, making your brain believe it’s time to seek the familiar reward of the substance. But while triggers are unique to you, there are some common culprits:
- Past Trauma: Unresolved pain can leave you vulnerable. Your brain may have linked substance use with numbing those emotions.
- Negative Memories: Even minor failures or embarrassments can act as triggers if they tap into your need for a substance to cope at the time.
- Stress, Anxiety, Overwhelm: When life gets tough and leaves you feeling overwhelmed, your brain may seek the familiar comfort of the substance.
- Relationship Problems: Conflict or old hurt within relationships can fuel an adverse emotional reaction, sparking cravings.
Thankfully, there are healthy coping methods to combat triggers and cravings. With the right plan, you stand a better chance of getting ahead in your recovery. Try these:
- Keep a Journal: Note when cravings strike. What were you doing, who were you with, what were you feeling? Patterns will emerge.
- Be Honest: Don’t ignore something because it’s uncomfortable to face.
- Think Small: Even subtle things, like a specific song or the smell of a particular food, could be linked to a more profound trigger.
Think of your brain as a creature of habit. Right now, it has a bad habit of craving the substance. Add to that the powerful emotions driving those cravings, and it’s doubly problematic. But your brain is also capable of change. That’s the whole basis of recovery.
Clear Life Recovery Can Help You Understand Triggers and Coping Mechanisms
Cravings might be normal, but they don’t have to define your journey. If you’re struggling with cravings, triggers, or any other aspect of addiction recovery, Clear Life Recovery is here for you. Contact us today and let our experts help you build a healthier future.
Sources:
[1] https://www.vivitrol.com/opioid-dependence/why-vivitrol
[2] https://www.healthline.com/health/triggered
