Pretty much what the title says...

[splitimage]

In my experience, they can go away for long periods but flare up once in a while.

I've been sober a while now, and I think it was around the 5 or 6 month mark that I realized I wasn't feeling cravings anymore.


But I still get them occasionally, but they're much shorter, fleeting, and easier to dismiss.

In rehab, they kept telling is this phrase, "I want to use means I want to change the way I feel" which meant that when I had a craving I had to dig in and figure out what was really behind the craving.

I don't know if you've ever heard of the acronym HALT - Hungry, Angry, Lonely, Tired, but a lot of times cravings can be tied back to one of these feelings, so when a craving hits it's worth asking, when's the last time I ate etc.

Finally, if alcohol is your problem supplement, there are anti-craving medications that can be prescribed. There's Naltrexone, Campral, or off label use Gabapentin, which I understand can also be useful in marijuana withdrawal. They might be worth discussing with your Dr.

splitimage

Thanks splitimage. That helps a lot.

[bpcyclist]

Been addicted to everything almost. No cravings for maybe 12 yrs or so. They just went away, like it was another person or something.

Naltrexone is great for opiates. Some folks like suboxone but it never did much for moi.

Hugs.

[sarahsweets]

Can you share what you drug of choice is? I am an alcoholic and nictoine dependent. It took like a year for me to not want to drink. The firs like 6 months everytime I felt bad the cravings would kick in. Didnt matter if its was a bad day, a crisis, whatever. One bad feeling and I wished I could drink. At the 1 year mark I was the alcohol police carefully watching what others drink and how much and commenting on it. Judgy really. But it helped me through it if I could rant to my husband about it. Not long after a year because the substance was removed, the habit was broken and with AA I just didnt "go" to alcohol whenever I had bad feelings. I had other skills. The more time that passes the more abhorrent alcohol seems as far as choices go. Its been 8 years for me and If I were to relapse it would be a well thought out mistake. I am struggling with being a smoker. I know all the reasons why I should quit, that its terrible. No one in my family smokes. They either never smoked or quit. No one hassles me because they know what a crutch it is and part of me worries that if I stop some ***** will go down and I will drink. But maybe thats an excuse.

@sarahsweets Congratulations on the 8 years!
My primary drug of choice is oxycodone but I also smoke weed.

[~*glass_owl*~]

I've been sober for 6 years. Craving is only when you are actively drinking. I made the mistake of saying I had cravings at 5 years and someone corrected me. Nope, it's technically called obsessions or something past your first few days. If you do sobriety properly the obsessions should lift pretty quick. I however spent the first two years of my sobriety on the internet or playing video games (trading one addiction for another, yes technology is an addiction). I got an obsession with alcohol only because I quit the internet suddenly, everything facebook, tumblr, I mean everything. I'm still blocked from those sites and still sober. I'll probably leave here too.

[greentires4me]

Originally Posted by Anonymous43918

Pretty much what the title says...

I have cravings during stressful situations. And i have been sober 5+ years.

[karl7]

i attended AA a fair few years ago and found it great for subdueing any cravings that i had.....honestly after i shared at a meeting, i really did not feel like drinking.....but you have to attend AA meetings consistently for it to really help