Coping with drug and alcohol cravings is a major component of changing problematic addictive behavior, so much so that the DSM5 added craving as a diagnostic criteria for substance use disorders.  It is next to certain that any change in habitual behavior will at some point result in urges or cravings for the old behavior.  Who hasn’t experienced a craving for something salty or sweet when trying to eat healthier?  Below we discuss 10 tried and true methods that help people manage drug and alcohol cravings.

Many of us who end up in treatment for substance use issues struggle with trauma. Some treatment centers employ trauma-informed care and are able to help, others are less sensitive.

Finding the Right Rehab Facility

If you’re struggling with trauma, dealing with those emotions will be an important part of your recovery process. That means your facility of choice will need to be equipped to help you work through those past hurts.

Many times people argue that using drugs is a victimless crime, that those who are using are not hurting anyone but themselves. Depending on whom you ask, that couldn’t be farther from the truth.

Hurting your family, friends, and people you may never meet by doing your part in funding organized criminal organizations is not driven by innocence. The purchase of illegal drugs and the victims of crimes associated with the manufacturing, distribution, sale and use of these substances are staggering.

Even a casual drug user that “pops a molly,” smokes marijuana, or uses cocaine may think they are just having a good time and not hurting anyone. But the trail of violence that precedes them enjoying that substance is rather horrific.

We’re lonely.

That is, Americans are lonely, especially younger generations, says Cigna’s 2018 U.S. Loneliness Index. It’s no surprise that being lonely has detrimental effects on mental and physical well-being. The feelings can stem from a multitude of reasons, such as grief following loss, divorce, separation, or miscarriage. Not only can loneliness increase the risk of depression, suicidal thoughts, heart conditions, and other illnesses, but it can also trigger or worsen addiction.

Scare tactics about the impact of addiction are common, but the science speaks for itself.

If you’re of a certain age, you probably are familiar with the famous “This is your brain on drugs” PSA. In the 30-second spot that aired in the 90s, a man holds up an egg (“This is your brain”) before smashing it into a frying pan (“This is your brain on drugs”).

The idea of drugs damaging the brain has long been used to try to prevent people from using drugs, or to get them into treatment. While there is truth to the scare tactics, the full picture is much more interesting — and concerning.