Mental Cravings vs. Physical Cravings

[j-vo]

Hi all,
I've been on MWO since last Sept. pretty consistently on the mods board. Before that, I just read, listened and learned, and I've learned loads!

Since my modding hasn't worked the times I've tried (I just basically ended up where I'd left off and worse), I've decided I'm not going to waste anymore of my precious time/life trying to have something I just wasn't meant to have or to do (I wasn't meant to be rich either, damn it!).

Today is day 11 for me AF. And yes, I feel great - no doubt about that. Puffiness in my face is gone, I don't feel the dull pain in my liver, and just overall better.

I know the mental and physical cravings are separate entities, but then I question if they are, hence, my question:

Will kudzu and all the supplements recommended such as L. Glut help my mental cravings or just physical - I would think Kudzu is more physical, but after a week or so the alcohol is out of the system, so would it even make sense taking Kudzu or the L. Glut if my plan is to have no alcohol?

I struggled on my way home from work today. I can't remember the last time I saw the sun here in the north (USA), I was tired, hungry and that would have been a time I would have stopped for a bottle of whatever. I see my progress in that I didn't stop whereas I wouldn't have thought twice about that last year. But I struggled with the fact that it still would be so nice sitting at home and drinking to let go of this ugly feeling. Yes, I'm paying attention to my triggers thanks to these threads!

Thanks for your thoughts.

[Cinders]

Mental Cravings vs. Physical Cravings

J-Vo,

Kudzu did nothing for me anyway, so I don't take it.

L-Glut does help with the sugar cravings I get when I go AF. Those seem to last a long time, more than a week. Or perhaps it is just me. When I can't drink, I eat.

The mental cravings have to get better over time, though. Lord I hope so.

Love,
Cindi

[A Work in Progress]

Mental Cravings vs. Physical Cravings

Actually, J-Vo, most scientists will tell you that there is no genuine difference or distinction between "physical" cravings and "mental" cravings. The usual definition of "craving" is:

a strong desire or sense of compulsion to take the drug

Cravings are experienced as insistent thoughts about alcohol, very strong desires to drink alcohol, and sometimes as typical anxiety symptoms, including elevated heart rate, respiration, a sense of fearfulness that something awful will happen, a sense of feeling unable to concentrate on anything other than the fear or desire to drink...

All of these phenomena are both "mental" AND "physical." Our brains, which of course are physical organs, create our thoughts, our desires, and our impulses; and our thoughts and emotions contribute to the anxiety symptoms that feel "physical" to us. When we experience a "trigger" or reminder about alcohol, our brains take note, and begin to generate discomfort (a feeling of urgency and anxiety in the midbrain) and thoughts about drinking, and a strong desire to drink (because we know that drinking will immediately relieve the build-up of discomfort). When this happens, we have a choice. If we choose to keep our attention focused on the thoughts of alcohol, we actually increase our own discomfort, and the likelihood that we will cave in to the demands of our brains (and our minds) to drink some of the fluid that the brain "knows" will feel good... for a little while. But if we choose to use our frontal lobes to switch our attention elsewhere, and to control the impulse to drink, then eventually the midbrain will settle down, our anxiety will lessen, and our capacity to resist our cravings will get stronger.

If kudzu helps you, it does so in a way that is not yet understood, but that is clearly BOTH physiological and also "mental." Calming our biochemistry also calms down our thoughts and impulses. It's also true that learning and using (non-pharmaceutical) methods of calming our thoughts and impulses quiets down the biochemical reactions that are creating the sense of urgency.

[j-vo]

Mental Cravings vs. Physical Cravings

Cinders - I hope you're doing better than last week, and yes, I believe it'll get better with time!

WIP, thank you for sharing all of that. I will be rereading this so I can break it down to comprehend it. I thought there was a connection with the physical and mental, but didn't know how one related to the other. Still so much to learn.

[j-vo]

Mental Cravings vs. Physical Cravings

So the more adept we are at changing our thoughts to something else, the less we will crave. The longer we do this, the more programmed our brains become, thus less anxiety.

Sometimes I feel as though it's like losing a loved one. At first, if the loved one suffered, the immediate thoughts are of that person's last months, weeks, days with us. We remember that so much in the beginning and how they suffered. Then our thoughts start to remember the good things, and the pain gets less and it gets easier. The memory lives, but the hurt goes away. And it takes years for that pain to dissipate. So something we've done for many years can't be expected to go away so quickly. We miss our beloved bottle. We want it back. The memory of it is too fresh in our minds in early recovery.

[A Work in Progress]

Mental Cravings vs. Physical Cravings

j-vo, I think you have captured it very well. It truly is a type of grief... we should never pretend that we are not losing something that we did not want to lose. None of us (none that I know of, anyway) come skipping and dancing into the process of giving up alcohol... but over time, we begin to realize that the "loved one" that we have lost was truly not such a wonderful "person" to have in our lives. Like giving up a partner who was abusive...

You are exactly right. It takes time for our brains to learn new patterns, to think in different ways, to generate new pathways, to adjust the biochemistry....

[KateH1]

Mental Cravings vs. Physical Cravings

V-Jo,

As for the Kudzu and L-Glut, I did take those as well as Gaba and B-Complex. I do believe in my case, they did help. I only took the Kudzu for the first 2 months and the L-Glut for about six months. These supplements are not magic, but they do take the edge off. Retraining our minds and changing our entire mindset is crucial to living as a non-drinker. The bottom line is that we have to learn to live with our own thoughts and feelings....period. IMO, if we try to turn to other drugs, even prescription drugs to mask these thoughts and feelings, we are still in the same place. We just have to tough it out! It sucks, but it is just the way it is.....yes, I know what you mean, I often refer to AL as my abusive Ex-Lover......it is definitely a love/hate relationship.

And, Yes! It does get much, much better over time! But, for me the time needed to really get past the times of High Anxiety and strong cravings was about 6 months. So often I believe people give up and give in too early! Their expectation is that they will not have the cravings after a few days or even 30-60 days. V-Jo you sound like you really understand this process!! Good for you and I wish you much success!

Another thing that helped me was sticking close to those with long term success, people like Chief and Star, and our dear wondering friend, Satorie and many others here. I wanted their straight up no BS coaching! I needed it! I am grateful for the year of sobriety that I now have, and today is so much easier and life is leaps and bounds better than last year at this time!!

You CAN Do it!
xxx Kate

[KateH1]

Mental Cravings vs. Physical Cravings

LOL...WIP! We were cross posting........yep....we have the same EX!!

[j-vo]

Mental Cravings vs. Physical Cravings

Kate,
I will look to you long term abstainers for strength and faith that it will work, and I know, not without much learning, relearning, and time. Thank you for your great reply and honesty. You're right. I don't think we give it enough of a chance. And I'm sure everyone's different with the amount of time it takes to get to a place of peace, more daily confidence and actually doing things more naturally. Now it such a constant obsession that I hope it's not creating a barrier for my new pathways to form! Wow. I've got a lot of work ahead. Congrats, Kate, on your year! That is so awesome.

[j-vo]

Mental Cravings vs. Physical Cravings

I need to capture more WIP! I'm reading Moments of Clarity, a book based on approximately 40 people's experiences and the moment that they realized that "this is it. I surrender. Can't go on like this any longer." Very inspiring stories. I can't get enough of success stories. And WIP, Kate, and so many here, you are inspirations. I'm in awe of you all who have come so far. I hope to be there with you someday.

[Sunbeam]

Mental Cravings vs. Physical Cravings

Hi j-vo,
Good for you, making a wise choice for yourself. This is such a great place to learn all you need to know to get your life back. You deserve it!

[veritas]

Mental Cravings vs. Physical Cravings

J-vo, I have only recently started L-Glut. I know more or less when my cravings start and there are many triggers that are unavoidable. It's still early days, but I'm quite impressed with the results. The cravings do not disappear, but they become managable enough that I can reason through the desire to drink.

When I bough the L-Glut, a young man came to help me. I found the L-Glut in the sports section of a large pharmacy. Once I had told him what I was looking for, he smiled and told me that he sometimes uses it to help him with chocolate and sweet cravings.

[ezzmae]

Mental Cravings vs. Physical Cravings

L-Glut is what you take for sports injuries isn't it? I have a weak knee joint and I have been taking this for months now. I also don't get any real strong cravings for drink. Sometimes I might look at my husband icy-cold beer and think, wouldn't that be nice. Then I get a cold non-al drink from the fridge. I was wondering why I wasn't having any cravings and I guess now I know.