Cravings?? Are we sure?

[Thankful]

I've been reading how so many people who have been AF from anywhere between 2 days and 2 months+, are still stuggling with cravings. I only mention this because the mind can play serious tricks on us. It is possible to change our way of thinking. If we just look at this issue at another angle, maybe it can help.

You have to remember that when you've had your last sip of alcohol, physical cravings only happen for a short while. A day? Maybe two? It's the mind games that continue to make you feel like you are having cravings when maybe it's really a habit that you just need to change. Perhaps it is more of an "urge" to want to drink vs an actual "craving". And we can control urges more than we can control cravings. It's mind over matter.

Crave - is a strong desire for something

Urge - is a strong impluse to do something

I don't like the word "craving" because I think people think it's something they can't fight off. And that's a dangerous way to think when it comes to AL. If someone thinks they can't fight a craving it's easy to give into it. But if they realize that it's an urge, they can change their way of thinking.

We have to stop letting ourselves think that there is this mysterious "craving" that our body really needs to have statisfied. In my opinion, that is simply not true. It's just sneeky AL trying to get back in our lives.

Again, this is just my opinion and I would like hear how others feel about it. Even if you disagree. Maybe I'm the only one who thinks like this. Maybe it's just symantics and I'm over thinking the whole idea. But when I changed my way of thinking, my "cravings" went away. Things just got easier and my focus on what needed to be done was much clearer. So I just hope that this can help anyone out there.

I think a healthy discussion on this can really help some people out there who are really struggling. So please post your thoughts.

Love, Me
:l

[KateH1]

Cravings?? Are we sure?

This is weird.........I have been thinking a lot about this! I agree, at least for me it is an "Urge". And, yes I do think that knowing this, makes staying AF.......much easier!

[poohbear]

Cravings?? Are we sure?

I do have to agree whole heartedly with this. I do believe that after our body is done detoxing it's our brains that are then creating the urge telling us to drink, and yes we have to change our way of thinking to stop these so called urges from convincing us that the cravings are the ones that are calling us out to drink. Anyway hope that makes sense and if you don't mind I am going to save this so I can refer back to it when my brain is 'urging' me to drink

thanks

Pbear

[tlrgs]

Cravings?? Are we sure?

very good point ..thankful.yes it is mind over matter and i guess this is why. i still i have some problems ever so offend . and that is why it is easyer for me to just write my thoughts down and work threw it.
thankx great post

[flyinhigh]

Cravings?? Are we sure?

thankful i am thankful you posted this thought...i agree and will incorporate the new language into my thought process.

i have chocolate cravings, that i will satisfy.
i have sexual cravings, that are always satisfied.
i have food cravings, which i always attend to.

BUT

i have an urge to run naked down the street screaming, but i stop and think rationally.
i have an urge sometimes to pack a bag and run away, but i stop and gather my senses.
i have an urge to hold up a liquor store, but stop and regain my wits.

So you see, i completely agree.
with cravings, sometimes we need to tend to them.
with urges, they are normally an illogical idea that springs into our mind.

thankful, thank you.

[tea]

Cravings?? Are we sure?

Great way of thinking, control our thoughts, will try BUT easier said than done in my case anyway, a craving/urge consumes me, consumes every part of me, I literally have to FIGHT and FIGHT dirty... ie, give my money to a neighbour so I can't go to the shop, only, I STILL went and begged for CREDIT - oh the shame.... cringing still thinking about it and that was months ago, in fact it was November 2007... very hard one this but will and do try to do the mind over matter thing. Thanks for the thread, it reminded me that I control ME...

Lxx

[lushy]

Cravings?? Are we sure?

I think you are right on Thankful.

[barebones]

Cravings?? Are we sure?

hmm good topic, i do respect and understand where ur coming from.

i guess urge and craving is both the same to me, but a lot of time i think black and white because of my mental illness, but bare with me, i do dabble in trying to see grey sides.

ive been told that the chemicals in alcohol changes chemicals and changes little things in our brain, it actually takes a long while for ur brain to change back to when it wasnt effected by alcohol. hense reasons being that people should take campral for a year to get over the cravings and urges to drink. its not just a pychological thing its a actual imbalence and change of certain nobes or what she said that changes in the brain, sry she is my pdoc, she seems to know alot about drugs and the brain it seems.

on the phycological side to the addiction is that if worked on is that u can control ur thought pattern. with alcoholics its not just an addiction its a obsession and that can take time. But for the brain it takes time to heal and regain to a normal state.

here is another way of thinking of it. ur body is shouting for sugar a craving and then comes the urge which then comes ur thinking will i or wont i subcome to the pattern. we know like alcohol it effects the brain, and we know that we have sugar levels, our body is telling us somthing that its missing. so for the sugar craving our urge is right, because our body needs it. but with alochol yes our body and brain is missing somthing thats because it has changed so ofcause the carving is there and then the urge is there but where that stops is then we have to think will i feed that urge because our body craves it or wont i. not sure if im making sense. im just trying to break it down a bit for u to see that cravings does come before a urge but its then up to us to change our thinking in our response to it. only bit we have control is in the saying yes or no, cravings and urges is the body reacting to somthing it wants, u have no control over that.

sry if not making sense and droaning on, im trying to make sense in my own head.

anyway ill stop there. im just putting across point from a long term user and is a alcoholic.

[Beck]

Cravings?? Are we sure?

Thankful,

I agree with you. I usually refer to the urge to drink as "AL calling" - and I know that I can choose not to respond. At 56 days AF, it is a matter of good and bad choices.
Beck

[Thankful]

Cravings?? Are we sure?

Great thoughts here. Thank you!

Flyin ~ love your post. That really is the point.

Quotes by barebones

with alcoholics its not just an addiction its a obsession and that can take time.
only bit we have control is in the saying yes or no, cravings and urges is the body reacting to somthing it wants, u have no control over that.

Yeah, this is kinda of what I was trying to say. But by changing how we think, it can certainly help and I wanted people to consider that option instead of just thinking they have no control at all because it's a craving or an urge.

I don't mean to make it sound easy people, because I know it's not. I certainly do not want to undermind anyone's struggle. Hell, I still struggle and I'm scared of when is the shoe gonna drop.

Good thoughts people. Would love to hear more.

[Shikakai]

Cravings?? Are we sure?

poohbear;301137 wrote: I do have to agree whole heartedly with this. I do believe that after our body is done detoxing it's our brains that are then creating the urge telling us to drink, and yes we have to change our way of thinking to stop these so called urges from convincing us that the cravings are the ones that are calling us out to drink. Anyway hope that makes sense and if you don't mind I am going to save this so I can refer back to it when my brain is 'urging' me to drink

thanks

Pbear

Very true... it's our minds playing tricks on us!

Great thread, OP :goodjob: