Craving – The desire for more of a substance or activity consisting of a desire to experience the euphoric (or other) effects, as well as the desire to avoid withdrawal.
Cravings are caused by both internal and external things that are connected to using drugs and/or alcohol (i.e. a habit of drinking when depressed and when depression occurs in recovery it causes a craving for alcohol)
Cravings will eventually diminish through a process known as extinction (pairing things that used to be connected to drinking and/or drug use with new behaviors)
Craving is normal in recovery (it doesn’t mean a person did something wrong or their program isn’t strong or working correctly)
Craving starts in the unconscious brain and affects thinking and behavior
Cravings are closely related with urges (physical desire) and obsession (constant and recurring thoughts)
Coping with cravings is possible and is an important step in ongoing recovery and relapse prevention
Cravings to use can be harder to handle when self-care has been neglected (sleep, proper diet, exercise, etc. are extremely important in recovery)
Knowing your craving triggers can help your ability to successfully cope with them