Cravings

[dwmoeller]

Do the cravings for alcohol ever go away?

For example, it happened to me last night. I had finished mowing the lawn. I was hot and sweaty. I came into the house and a thought that boy, a beer sure would taste good. I immediately put the thought out of my head, went to the fridge and had a glass of rasberry iced tea. To tell the truth, the rasberry iced tea tasted good and was refreshing. After that I hit the shower and watched the Minnesota Twins beat Texas.

[Mountainman]

Do the cravings for alcohol ever go away?



I find this interesting
with my case I have sobered up a few times in my life
the time needed for the craving to be gone
seemed to be different each time
this time sober I thank God I have had no craving
since very early on
I had a terrible bottom this time
as they say in many cases it only get's worse

Dr Bob had cravings for a couple of years
yet
he did not give in to them

MM

[dwmoeller]

[QUOTE=Mountainman;31397]Dr Bob had cravings for a couple of years yet he did not give in to them

MM


I have been sober for 7 1/2 months now. I too have not given in to them. It's a matter of what you do with them when they come.

[schell08122008]

Thanks for sharing dm and mm. The first time around in sobriety my cravings were lifted by a spiritual experience. After over 5 years I became prideful and argumentive with my sponsor..I drink, I drugged like mountain man said...Things got really,really bad this time death was an option..I prayed I cried. Now after 2.5 years back in I still do get those cravings, obessions for alcohol..the smell, that cold beer on a hot day, the release of anxiety. Wow it just works...I know to drink just one is to die at this point..I always remember what I do have today and what I will lose, I remember my last drunk , I say a brief prayer and in the mist of this obession the desire is lifted. The cravings lessen with time..one drink is not worth what you will loose. Peace Schell

[captpaulge]

An old man , back when I was early sober, told me every day" Paul it takes time" You know as a newbie you did not want to hear that.
Today a number of 24's gone by, there are no CRAVINGs. Physically and mentally I look for other things. Coke, Root Beer, Coffee, or just a bottle of water. I have found out my body needs liquid all day. I used to feed it beer all day then scotch at night. I drink water like i drank beer, often. I do not have cravings anymore.
That said every once in a while I get that, I wonder what that tastes like. There are alot more mixed drinks than there was when I was a drinker. But I can easily tell myself, that it doesn't matter they are not for me.
I wish you all success as the days go by. Thanks for sharing your sobriety.

[Mountainman]

it is a simple thing shared by my Sponsor with me
but
it seems to work very well
before I went out the last couple of times years back now
my Sponsor shared with me
"we need not to entertain the thought of drinking"
I should have listened and took this to mind and heart
because at one point in time with a couple of years sober
I was driving by a local bar on the way home from work each afternoon

one day I looked at the bar and thought about drinking
next day drove by the bar and thought about a strong drink
I think that it was on the third day driving by
I turned into the parking lot at the last moment
was at the bar in no time
and ordered up a mixed double with a tall beer
there they were right in front of me
already paid for

a fool is one who fools himself -------------- yet again

I don't look at that bar more than once anymore
and do not go out of my way to sneak a look

there is nothing good in there for a drunk such as me
except
for
more pain for myself and friends and loved ones around me




"The Poison That's Killing You"

You said you were done
you said you were through
please understand and see
the poison that's killing you.

Before your time
it will make you feel old
it's taking it's toll
has such a strong hold.

Are you going insane
the devil wants that to be
his grip is on you
it's what he wants to see.

Complete destruction of
your family and home
is what he's after
the devil's on the roam.

It will happen sooner than you think
this will all come to it's ends
the poison that's killing you
will take away loved one's and friends.

Mountainman 06-12-05

[MajestyJo]

My sponsor told me that I can't crave something if I don't taste it. If I am thinking of it, it is because I am obsessing and not turning my thoughts over to my Higher Power. As I have shared before, my worst day was when someone put a vanilla bean in the coffee in the Recovery House that I went to. I was early in recovery, and I CRAVED a drink all day. I went to two meetings, talked to my sponsor, talked to counselors and did all the do things.

Another time when I was angry, my mouth was full of saliva and it tasted like raw alcohol. It was a physical memory. I spit it out rather than swollow it. I felt that I would have taken a drink I had swollowed it or it would trigger the same feelings as the earkuer incident. I never wanted to go through a day like that again.

I don't want to ever forget those memories. Any substance is an inanimate object until such a time as I make the decision to pick it up and injest it. Even if I hold it, it can't hurt me, it doesn't have the power. I do! I am powerless. Unless I surrender to my Higher Power, then I am empowered to do what I need to do for myself.

Thanks for sharing. Sorry I am late acknowledging your post. Two very busy days and now the body is trying to play catch up. I went a whole day without my computer. In the past, I would have been on it for hours to see what I had missed and to make up for lost time. It didn't happen, so I know the program works, when I work it. As it says in Step 12, practice these principles in ALL our affairs.

[marlene damore]

Dwmoeller - Great topic and great responses. I experienced obsession and even after many a 24 hours sober I every now and then experience cravings as used in your example. Not the same as that obsession at the beginning. In time that obsession was lifted as I came to believe in God. Those out of the blue cravings that sometimes come...are just thoughts. And they surprise me...like where did that come from and then question myself as to why I had the thought. No matter...this is alcohol....this is the cunning, baffling and powerful of it. Cravings are just thoughts whether it is our mind remembering that a cold beer would taste good on a hot day. Today I am able to recognize those thoughts and see it for what it is...just a thought. Give it to God and let it go. I have also found that I continue to pray the same prayer as I did at the beginning...one day at a time... thanking God for keeping me sober and asking God to remove the obsession to drink and drug again today. It is by staying on solid spiritual ground that protects us for the cunning, baffling and powerful of alcohol.
Seems that God is working for you too...you are able to stop and recognize the thought. Hope this is of service for you.

[MajestyJo]

Was going by what Joe and Charlie said on their tape. The mind is why I have this dis-ease. It is what tells me I don't have worry, what can one hurt! I get into the mind set, "I am not a really an alcoholic." I just joined my dad and my ex-husband because I didn't want to be left home alone. I was their drinking buddy. They had the problem not me. They staggered, they couldn't drive a car or walk a straight line. They became violent and aggressive. They passed out and had black outs. I didn't do any of that. They are a couple of drunks who couldn't hold their booze. I could drink them both under the table.

[Mountainman]

... spiritual condition. BB p.85, Into Action
What we really have is a daily reprieve contingent on the maintenance of our spiritual condition.


... spiritual condition was. 12&12 p.122, Step Twelve
It did not matter too much what our material condition was, but it did matter what our spiritual condition was.

[MajestyJo]

That was the difference for me. I was raised in the church. Went to Bible camp at 10, was saved, stole a glass of wine when I came home to see what I was missing. They could have, why couldn't I. I was baptized at 14. Was given valium at 16. Taught Sunday School from 15-16. Went to the city at 17. Dedicated my life to God at Youth For Christ. Sang in the choir. Met my husband at 19. My mom met him but died when I was 20. I was married at 21. At 22, it was good bye church, I'm busy, I'll go when it's good for me.

I came to AA and found the spirituality that I didn't find in the churches I went to. At five years sober, returned to the church for about two years. Quit smoking, I was truly clean, I went to church had communion on a Sunday morning, my amend to God and never went back. Mainly because of my disability, have no anger any more toward the church. I always maintained my belief in God. I always knew that Jesus loved me. It was the Spiritual connection that I was missing.

[saved1]

From Buddy T
There are some very real changes taking place in the brains of addicts driving their compulsions which have little to do with substances they are using or addictive behavior they are repeating. Addiction is much more than merely bad behavior and making poor choices.

Addiction Is a Chronic Brain Disease,it's More Than Bad Behaviors or Bad Choices.

Addiction is a chronic brain disease that is more about the neurology of the brain rather than the outward manifestations of behavioral problems and poor choices, according to a group of addiction medicine professionals.
In August 2011, the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) released its new "The Definition of Addiction (Long Version)," which, for the first time, extended addiction to include behaviors other than problematic substance abuse.
A group of 80 addiction experts worked for four years to arrive at the new definition of addiction, and concluded that addiction is about brains -- not alcohol, drugs, sex or gambling. It's about the underlying neurology of the brain, not about outward behavior.

Addiction Alters Brain's Reward System.

Addiction affects the brain's reward, motivation, memory and related circuitry to the extent that the addicted person's motivations are altered so that their addictive behaviors replace healthy, self-care behaviors.
The brain's reward system is also altered in such a way that the memory of previous rewards -- be it food, sex or drugs -- can trigger a biological and behavioral response to engage in the addictive behavior again, in spite of negative consequences, and sometimes even though the addict no longer finds pleasure in the activity.

Impulse Control Also Altered.

Addiction also affects the frontal cortex of the brain in such a way as to alter impulse control and judgment. This results in the "pathological pursuit of rewards," ASAM says, when addicts return to their addictive behavior in order to "feel normal."
The frontal cortex is involved in inhibiting impulsivity and delaying gratification. Because this area of the brain continues to develop into young adulthood, the ASAM experts believe this is why early onset exposure to substances is linked to the later development of addiction.

Characteristics of Addiction
According to the ASAM definition, addiction is characterized by:

•Inability to consistently abstain;
•Impairment in behavioral control;
•Craving or increased “hunger” for drugs or rewarding experiences;
•Diminished recognition of problems with one’s behaviors and relationships;
•A dysfunctional emotional response.

Other Features of Addictive Behavior
These conditions are also commonly present in addicted persons:

•External cues trigger cravings and addictive behaviors.
•Risk of relapse even after long periods of abstinence.
•Resistance to change despite increasing problems.

Impaired Control and Judgment Problems
ASAM says that behavioral manifestations and complications of addiction, due to impaired control, can include:

•Engaging in more addictive behavior than the person intended.
•Increased time lost from work or school.
•Continued use despite physical or psychological consequences.
•Narrowing of the addictive behavior repertoire.
•Lack of readiness to get help, despite admitting a problem.

Addiction Can Cause Cognitive Changes
Cognitive changes in addiction can include:

•Preoccupation with substance or addictive behavior.
•Altered sense of pros and cons of addictive behaviors.
•False belief that problems are not predictable consequences of addiction.

Addiction Can Cause Emotional Changes
ASAM believes emotional changes in addiction can include:

•Increased anxiety, dysphoria and emotional pain
•Situations seem more stressful than they really are
•Difficulty identifying and expressing feelings.

Why the New Definition of Addiction?

In the past, diagnosis of addiction has focused on outward manifestations of a person's behaviors, which can be observed and confirmed by standardized questionnaires. The new definition of addiction instead focuses on what is going on inside the person, in their brain.
The experts at ASAM hope their new definition leads to a better understanding of the disease process, which they say is biological, psychological, social and spiritual in its manifestation. Addiction can manifest itself in many behaviors beyond substance abuse.

The Implications for Treatment

Traditionally, people with addictions have sought and received treatment for a particular substance or behavior. This has sometimes resulted in the person substituting addictions -- what ASAM calls the "pathological pursuit of rewards" -- because the underlying cause was not treated.
The group suggest that comprehensive addiction treatment should focus on all active and potential substances and behaviors that could be addictive. ASAM was careful to point out that the fact that addiction is a primary, chronic brain disease does not absolve addicts from taking responsibility for their behaviors.

Just as people with heart disease or diabetes have to take personal responsibility for managing their illness, persons with addictions also must take the steps necessary to minimize their chance of relapse, ASAM said.
:undecided:
Sources:
American Society of Addiction Medicine. "The Definition of Addiction (Long Version). 15 August 2011.

[saved1]

Alcohol Withdrawal Symptoms Quiz
Are Your Symptoms Mild, Moderate or Severe?

The test is completely confidential and anonymous; your results are not recorded; and are available only to you. You are not asked for any personal identifying information.

This quiz is not intended as a substitute for a professional medical evaluation. It should only be used as a guide to determining if your alcohol withdrawal symptoms are such that you should seek medical attention before you attempt to quit drinking.

When answering the questions, be honest with yourself, only you will see the results of your test.
http://alcoholism.about.com/library/blwithdrawalquiz.htm

[saved1]

Recovery needs relationships!

The truth is that we have practiced being the way we are now for a long time.
Learning new and healthier ways of being in the world will also take time.

There are no secret shortcuts, magical insights, no hidden keys to happiness, no new ways of praying that will instantly unlock the mysteries of spirituality and make the changes come easy and fast. Recovery takes time.

If we could recover by ourselves, we would probably all be better by now.
If we could stay home and read books – even really good recovery books – and see change take place, we would all have been better a long time ago.

We have tried this. At least many of us have. It didn’t work.
There are several reasons why this doesn’t work. First, we learned how to be the way we are now in relationships.
The only place we can learn a healthier way of being in the world is in healthier relationships.
We got sick in community and we must also recover in community.
We need other people. :15:

[saved1]

Developing a Drug-Free Lifestyle to Maintain Abstinence At Home, at Work and During Leisure Hours.
The KEYS? (Supportive Friends and Family,Developing a Structured Schedule,Developing Larger Goals,Developing Spirituality) enhanced by relating to a power that is transcendent and greater than yourself. Need more? :cool:
http://alcoholism.about.com/od/support/a/lifestyle.htm?nl=1

[Upnorth]

Yes, the cravings go away, and they get shorter as time goes by, each time something happens that would normally get you drinking, and you continue to stay sober, you'll get stronger too. but, don't get too confident, he's aways there. Hang in there! It's worth it, you'll see.

[dwmoeller]

Yes, the cravings go away, and they get shorter as time goes by, each time something happens that would normally get you drinking, and you continue to stay sober, you'll get stronger too. but, don't get too confident, he's aways there. Hang in there! It's worth it, you'll see.

I think I understand what you are saying. As we get stronger, learn, and grow, we develop "weapons" to use against the cravings. The cravings go away and get shorter because we learn how to deal with them to stay sober. Also, as we grow on spiritual lines, we seek help from God and God is with us to help us when cravings come our way.

We need to always be on guard because like the devil, this disease called alcoholism/addiction, is like a roaring lion waiting to devour us.

[marlene damore]

dwmoeller - My experience has been that as I grow more spiritually fit ...as my relationship and seeking of God grows and grows...so do the attacks from the devil. I do not try to figure out cravings and thoughts of using when they arise as I once did. Or old ideas and thoughts to do the wrong thing. And those thoughts do come! Sometimes the thought to do the wrong thing or thought to use is so vivid and strong...even at times seemingly justifiable. Those times the choice so clear and I am forever grateful for awareness and having the tools for the solution for the right choice...the only choice. Opportunities to do good.
And then there have been times...in my experience...out of the blue...the choice is not so clear...subtle...there lies another lesson in the meaning of cunning, baffling, powerful. Sudden thoughts so powerful leaving me off balance scrambling to think. I have learned to just stop and be still. It is God's grace saving me and carrying me through for the good...His power not my power. Today I know that I am sober by the grace of God.
Just as I love what you said in your post..."we develop "weapons" to use against the cravings." Just another thought is to put on the armor of God every day. My confidence is in God.

[dwmoeller]

Marlene,

Thanks for sharing. Feedback helps alot in the process. I like what you said, "Sudden thoughts so powerful leaving me off balance scrambling to think. I have learned to just stop and be still. It is God's grace saving me and carrying me through for the good...His power not my power."

I need to learn to just stop and be still and to let God's grace and power carry me through.

Thanks,
Dave

[rjm]

Yeah, I stacked three cords of firewood a few days ago and sweat like a bugger in doing so. The thing is l kept hydrated throughout the day and it helped control the urge. Would someone who is allergic to peanuts have a pb+j sandwich just because they were feeling a bit hungry? I truly accept the fact that to me alcohol is poison. The odd craving will come and go, this is our burden. My higher power helps me through the tough times. Sometimes I find myself saying the serenity prayer over and over until the urge passes. I also always have a good selection of non alcohol beverages in the icebox. Thanks for sharing this topic, it is a constant in many of our lives and one that is not discussed enough.