by: Matt Boyle
A common hurdle that many addicts have to face after leaving rehab is dealing with cravings for their substance of choice. Whether it’s alcohol, heroin, methamphetamine, or another substance, many recovering addicts all struggle with the familiar pangs and urges to use again, despite the negative consequences they know will ensue. While the worst instances of cravings will dissipate after the first few weeks of recovery, addicts must learn how to cope with cravings for the rest of their life if they want achieve long-term recovery. Cravings can occur when recovering addicts return to familiar people and places or find themselves in stressful situations or moments of boredom. In rehab, individuals will learn methods of coping with these cravings. Here are several methods for curbing cravings in your day to day life following rehab.
Keep the Brain Busy
When the mind wanders it tends to fall into familiar patterns and modes of thinking. Unfortunately, if you’re a recovering addict that means your brain automatically wants to turn to substance use when it’s unsure of what to do or stressed out about a situation. However, you can combat this type of thinking by simply distracting your brain from this fixation. Cravings feel powerful at the time but they are entirely mental, meaning you can make them go away by devoting more brain power to something else.
Find some kind of mental activity or process that can successfully occupy your brain for a short period of time. Although cravings can happen at any time, they usually come and go within a short time frame. If you can find a simple way to occupy your mind when it’s fixated on substance use, you will find that cravings will dissipate or disappear for the moment. There are plenty of ways you can do this, but here are some examples:
When At Home
- Take Out the Trash/Clean Dishes/ Do Chores
- Play a Mobile Game on Your Phone (CandyCrush/Sudoku etc…)
- Go for a Walk
- Listen to Music
- Call a Friend
- Volunteer
When At Work
- Go for a Walk
- Focus on Completing One Task at a Time
- Have a Conversation with a Coworker
- Read an Article
Keep the Body Busy
Exercise is one of the most underrated options for addiction recovery. Research has shown that individuals who regularly engage in physical exercise are less like likely to use and abuse illicit drugs, and that exercise offers special protective neurological effects against someone ever developing a substance use disorder in the first place. Why is this the case? Well, exercise can work wonders on not only your physical health by reducing stress and strengthening your heart, but also your mental health and self-esteem, factors that are heavily linked with substance abuse. In one Danish study on the effect of regular exercise for recovering addicts, the results showed that all participants felt more energy, better quality of life, better body image, and reduced drug intake.
Regular exercise during addiction recovery also plays additional roles beyond the positive mental and physical aspects. Having a regular exercise routine is a form of providing structure to someone’s life. For some addicts, there is the sense that their lives feel unmanageable or out of their control. Creating fitness goals can give addicts a structured routine that provides a sense of accomplishment and takes up time that may have been taken up substance abuse otherwise. Some excellent physical exercises you can try include:
- Hiking/Running: Great option for those who live in scenic areas or want to see more of their city. Doing exercise outside increases dopamine and Vitamin D levels.
- Team Sports: Playing competitive games that get you physically moving is a great form of exercise. Sports like basketball, football, soccer, and baseball are great at getting your blood running and building bonds with others.
- Swimming: Moving through water is highly therapeutic, excellent for your heart strength, and is a great low impact activity if you are not ready for more rigorous forms of physical exercise.
- Weightlifting: With weightlifting, exercise becomes a regular way to chisel your body and attain the kind of muscle mass you want. Heavyweight lifting can be an effective form of stress relief but newcomers should be careful and use proper technique.
Avoid Triggers
This one may seem obvious, but it can be difficult for some to avoid the same situations and environments that originally lead to their substance abuse. Friend groups, areas around town, and activities are not all simply replaced and for some this will mean cutting off friends or moving to a new location. You simply cannot hang around people who do not support your sobriety or who actively encourage you to engage in substance use again. Even just hanging around people consuming substances can be enough of a trigger for you to relapse.
To avoid triggers, you may have to replace friend groups, activities, and your living space to create a pro-sobriety environment. Don’t be afraid of this step. You can look up local AA, NA, or Al-Anon meetings in your area to potentially connect with other recovering addicts.
Talk it Out
Experiencing cravings is entirely normal and not something you should ever be ashamed of. If you feel urges to use again it may be beneficial to reach out to your sponsor or to a trusted individual and talk to them. Going back to the first point, sometimes just having a quick mental distraction can be all it takes to cope with a momentary craving. A short chat, an in-depth conversation, or even a long discussion can help provide you with the outlet you need to overcome a craving or simply let it pass. You can also seek out support groups in your area, including 12 Step and SMART Recovery groups.
Remember Your Long Term Goals
While in rehab you may have been asked to prioritize your long-term recovery goals and to write down all the things in your life to stay sober for. If you experience cravings following rehab, you should take a breath and remember all the benefits you will reap from maintaining your sobriety. From better happiness and health to better relationships and career prospects, you should always keep in mind all that you have earned and all the rewards you have yet to reap from staying sober.
Seek Professional Help
Lastly, if you feel that cravings and urges have become unmanageable you should consider contacting a professional addiction counselor or therapist, or possibly enroll in an intensive outpatient program. Sometimes staying sober can be the hardest part of recovery, which is why clinical professionals have made so many options available to assist you in your recovery. Through these types of programs, you can receive direct support multiple times a week in the form of direct advice, the chance to express your feelings, coping tools and methods, and more.
BIO
Matthew Boyle is the Chief Operating Officer of Landmark Recovery, a growing chain of drug and alcohol rehabs in Oklahoma. Matthew graduated from Duke University in 2011 Summa Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree and has worked in the healthcare industry ever since, creating a holistic treatment model that supports patients in the pursuit of achieving lifelong sobriety.
Copyright secured by Digiprove © 2018 Linda Girgis, MD, FAAFP
