Hey. I'm glad that you feel that your t has helped you through some pretty tough times :-)

You said that (regarding your cravings):

> i think it might be b/c im so down right now, and so fed up with everything!

You might not feel like he understands your cravings...
But could you talk to him about feeling down right now, and feeling fed up with everything?
Because it sounds like the cravings are a response to that and thus even if he doesn't understand the cravings...
He might be able to help you process what it is that is resulting in your feeling down / fed up.

Is he okay with helping you on that kind of stuff?

Um... Regarding your initial question...

I think that urges to use are strongest in the time that we first give them up. Because it is habit / routine. Like how I used to have a j when I first woke up in the morning, and first thing before sleep at night. It took a long time for me to get over craving that (mostly out of habit) at those times.

But then over time the habit breaks its hold... Then my most severe cravings were when I felt... Hungry, angry, lonely, tired. That kind of stuff. I think I learned somewhere that those kinds of feelings were more likely to result in cravings. Unfortunately (I think) those features are really unavoidable features of the human experience. We can't avoid the feelings but it can help us deal with the cravings to know that when we feel like that we are more likely to crave but that the cravings will cease if we take care of the feelings (by eating or sleeping or whatever).

Now... I get cravings (pretty intense) at times. Mostly... When I'm feeling anxious / depressed. What I've kinda learned is that when I have cravings... That means I'm having some trouble with feeling anxious depressed. Like if I crave vegemite then I know I'm having some trouble with getting my vitamin B / salt intake requirements met. What helps me deal with the cravings is to try and deal to the feeling. Mostly that means... To talk about it.

I guess I'm trying to say that in response to your initial question... I'm not sure that the cravings ever go away completely. But I am sure that they become more managable as we learn the 'message' that the cravings are 'telling us' (ie that one is feeling depressed / anxious and one really wants the feelng to cease). In a way 'cravings' are messages from your body. After a while... I do think that the cravings get less intense as you learn other ways of coping with / dealing with the feelings that prompt the cravings. Doesn't matter so much (IMO) whether your t can understand the cravings or not... So long as your t can help you figure ways to deal with the feelings.

So I guess that is why I ask... Can he?

This is just what I've figured for me in my experience and I appreciate others might have different experiences... So just take what works for you and ignore the rest :-)