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Understanding Cravings

Cravings are time-limited. Even intense urges typically peak and subside within 15-30 minutes. The goal isn't to eliminate cravings (impossible) but to ride them out without acting on them.

HALT Check — Cravings intensify when you're:

  • Hungry — Basic needs neglected
  • Angry — Unprocessed emotions
  • Lonely — Isolation is dangerous
  • Tired — Exhaustion weakens resolve

Address the underlying state, and the craving often eases.

Immediate Techniques

Urge Surfing

Observe the craving like a wave. It builds, peaks, and subsides. Don't fight it—notice it:

  • Where do you feel it in your body?
  • What does it feel like? (tight, hot, restless)
  • Watch it change moment to moment
  • Remind yourself: "This will pass. It always does."

The 5-4-3-2-1 Grounding

When overwhelmed, anchor to the present:

  • 5 things you can see
  • 4 things you can touch
  • 3 things you can hear
  • 2 things you can smell
  • 1 thing you can taste

This interrupts the craving spiral and brings you back to now.

Delay and Distract

  • Set a timer for 15 minutes
  • Do something incompatible with using (walk, shower, call someone)
  • When the timer ends, reassess—the urge is usually weaker

Play the Tape Forward

Vividly imagine what happens if you use:

  • The immediate aftermath (guilt, shame, hangover)
  • The next day (consequences, hiding)
  • The long-term (relationships, health, goals)
  • Then imagine waking up tomorrow having NOT used

Call Someone

Connection is the opposite of addiction. Reach out to:

  • Sponsor or recovery friend
  • Family member who supports your recovery
  • Crisis line if no one else is available
  • Anyone—even casual conversation breaks the isolation

Trigger Management

Know Your Triggers

External triggers:

  • People (old using friends, dealers)
  • Places (bars, neighborhoods, specific homes)
  • Things (paraphernalia, certain music, smells)
  • Times (Friday nights, payday, anniversaries)

Internal triggers:

  • Emotions (boredom, anxiety, celebration, grief)
  • Physical states (pain, insomnia, hunger)
  • Thoughts ("just one won't hurt", "I deserve this")

AVOID When Possible

Early recovery: stay away from triggers you can avoid. This isn't weakness—it's strategy. You can build exposure tolerance later.

Reframe When Unavoidable

  • "This feeling is uncomfortable but not dangerous"
  • "I've gotten through this before"
  • "This is my brain lying to me"
  • "One day at a time—just get through today"

Harm Reduction

If abstinence isn't the current goal, reducing harm is still progress:

General:

  • Never use alone (fentanyl contamination makes this deadly)
  • Test your supply (fentanyl strips save lives)
  • Know your tolerance has dropped if you've had any break
  • Have naloxone accessible

Alcohol:

  • Alternate with water
  • Eat before/while drinking
  • Set a limit before you start
  • Avoid mixing substances

Stimulants:

  • Stay hydrated
  • Take breaks, don't binge
  • Avoid injecting (highest risk)
  • Watch for overheating

This isn't endorsement. It's acknowledging that people use, and dead people can't recover. Any step toward safety is worthwhile.

Building Resilience

Long-term recovery isn't about white-knuckling through cravings forever. It's about building a life where you don't need to escape.

Replace the ritual:

  • Addiction serves a function (numbing, excitement, connection)
  • Find healthy alternatives that serve the same need
  • Evening drink → evening tea ritual, evening walk, evening call with friend

Build structure:

  • Unstructured time is dangerous
  • Regular sleep schedule
  • Planned activities
  • Work or volunteer commitments

Process underlying issues:

  • Trauma, grief, mental health conditions often underlie addiction
  • Therapy helps address root causes
  • Recovery from addiction alone often isn't enough

Find your people:

  • Recovery community (meetings, sober friends)
  • People who support your recovery
  • Distance from people who don't

Celebrate progress:

  • Milestones matter (1 day, 1 week, 1 month, 1 year)
  • Recovery is hard—acknowledge your effort
  • Progress isn't linear—setbacks don't erase wins