Drug Rehab Exchange: Every Substance Abuse Treatment Program in the Country

NAV
Loading

Why After Being Clean for Months Am I Suddenly Hit With Cravings?

 




Just when you thought the worst was behind you, suddenly you were hit with strong physical cravings for your drug of choice. This can be a scary and stress-provoking occurrence. Understand these sensations so you stay strong.

Typically cravings occur at some point before your 18th month of sobriety.

Research indicates it takes that long for your brain chemistry to heal following an addiction to drugs or alcohol, therefore “phantom craving” can occur throughout that time period.

Stress can bring it on or make it worse.

If you are under more stress than you have been dealing with recently, it is possible that your brain and body are yearning for an escape by way of drugs. Check your daily life and see if you can reduce your stress levels to quickly bring these cravings under control.

The mind creates the symptoms.

People who lose a limb report having phantom pains and itches where the limb used to be. They can see the limb is gone but it doesn’t stop the invisible limb from itching or hurting. Your cravings are happening in the same way. The actual physical need for the drug is gone, but you are currently experiencing a “phantom desire” for them.

The good news is it won’t last long.

If you give in to it now, you will be back at square one within a day or two, because your brain and body will immediately revert to its addicted state. If you wait a few days, this too shall pass.

Stay busy and spend time with sober friends.

Sitting at home suffering is not going to help. Get out with friends, do something productive and know that as soon as your brain realizes you are not going to give in, it will stop trying to trick your body into phantom withdrawal. It will be weaker each time, until it never happens again.

Related Video: Triggers and Cravings










How Do You Quit Drugs and Alcohol

PALS is Exclusively for the Parents of Drug Addicts and Alcoholics
Fitness after Drug Addiction: Getting healthy once you are sober
Recovering Alcoholic Explains his Disease Progression
Staying Sober and Coping With Pressures to Avoid Drug Taking Relapses
Why After Being Clean for Months Am I Suddenly Hit With Cravings?
An Opiate Addict Explains Life After Relapse
Why Yoga Works for Sobriety
After the Drug Relapse
Recovering from Drugs: 5 Steps to Admitting a Drug Addiction
Inhalant Abuse: Q&A With a Huffing Addict
After Rehab: What if I Need Anxiety Medication or Other Valid Prescriptions?
Drug Tests and Rehab: What Will They Do If I Fail?
I’m An Addict. I Admitted It. Why Do I have to Keep Going to Meetings?
Withdrawing From Narcotics In Jail
Drug Rehab and Honesty After Relapse
Drug Rehab Conversations: How Do I Talk to My Family About My Drug Addiction Before Rehab?
Three Days: Withdrawing from Opiates
Opiate Addicts in Recovery: What If They’re Given Pain Medications During Medical Emergencies?
What is Life Like After Rehab?
How Do You Build Trust After Getting Clean?
My First 12-Step Meeting
What Happens When 12-Step Rehab Meetings Aren't Enough?
Detoxing for Rehab
How Do I Explain Rehab To My Kids?
How Can I Prepare for Drug or Alcohol Rehab?
What is Rapid Detox?
Vitamins and Detoxing
Exercising During Detox
Effects of Smoking Marijuana
Working Your Program While Working a Job
Holiday Help With Sobriety
Cutting Ties With the Old Life
Staying Sober at Functions
Telling Family Members About Your Drug Use
How Does a Suboxone Program Work?
How Does a Methadone Program Work?
What is it Like to Withdraw from Benzodiazepines?
What is Withdrawal from Opiates Like?
What is Residential Rehabilitation for Substance Abuse?
Who Attends Intensive Outpatient Rehabilitation?
Physical and Psychological Dangers of Bath Salts
How are Drugs Smuggled Into Prisons?
Are Bath Salts Addictive?
Why is Quitting Drugs So Hard? Part 2
Why is Quitting Drugs So Hard? Part 1
How Hard is it To Stop Smoking Marijuana?
How Do You Quit Using Drugs Cold Turkey?
How Do You Quit Taking Psychiatric Drugs?
How Do You Quit Drinking Alcohol?
Drug Use Screening Kits - Testing People For Drugs
Common Symptoms Of Opiate Withdrawal
Can You Stop Using Drugs With Hypnosis?

Substance Abuse and Your Life

What is N-Bomb and How Can It Hurt Me?
What are Medical Marijuana Cards?
Will the Police tell me if these are drugs I found in my house?
How to Force Him Into Rehab
Behaviors That Indicate That An Addict Is Still Sober
I Found Evidence of Drug Use in My Teenager’s Room. Now What?
Narcan Effectiveness: Can I Use Narcan to Save Someone from An Overdose?
Avoiding Relapse: 5 Activities for Bored Teen Addicts
What Are Alaska’s Medical Marijuana Rules?
Arizona’s Medical Marijuana Rules
California Medical Marijuana Rules
Oregon’s Medical Marijuana Rules
Washington’s Medical Marijuana Rules
Maine’s Medical Marijuana Rules
Enabling Addiction: 6 Things That Permit Addiction Behaviors
Illegal Drugs Testing: 4 Mistakes That Can Ruin Drug Test Results
Teen Drug Addiction: Give your friends time to understand that your child is a drug addict
What are the Signs of Meth Use?
Q&A With Justin, A Meth Addict
Rehab Family Day And What I Learned
Choosing your Battle with Your Adult Child Addict
Drug Addiction Recovery and Family Turmoil: Why do we still fight now that he is in recovery?
Parenting a Drug Addicted Teen and Getting Past the Self-Blame
Drug Addiction Education: How Can I Learn More About Addiction?
Living with A Drug Addict and Taking Back Control
Heroin Addiction: In My Small Country Town? Is My Son A Lost Cause?
Steroids In Schools
My Son Was A Drug Addict, But I Was The One Who Almost Destroyed Our Relationship
There’s an Addict in the Family: How Much Do You Tell The Children?
In Drug Court, What Happens if I Break the Rules? Will They Lock Me Up?
Drug Search: The Cops Want to Search My House For Drugs and My Kid is an Addict - What Should I Do?
My Boyfriend’s a Recovering Drug Addict. Should I Dump Him?
How Can You Get Arrested for DUI Without Drinking, Drugging or Driving? Believe it or Not, You and Everyone Else are at Risk for This Happening
Lessons My Teenage Addict Taught Me
What’s It Like to Sign Someone Into Rehab?
Should I Kick the Addict Out?
Drugs In The Suburbs And The New Path To Addiction
What Does Letting Go and Letting God Mean?
What Can I Expect When I Visit Someone in Rehab?
An Honest Q&A with a Recovering Heroin Addict
What’s the Difference Between Crack Cocaine and Powder Cocaine?
How Is Drug Addiction Supported?
Talking to An Addict About Rehab
Synthetic Marijuana Is Losing Its Popularity Among Teens
The Difference Between Enabling and Empowering An Addict
Gift Ideas For A Recovering Addict
Is Adderall Addictive?
What are Psychedelic Mushrooms And Are They Illegal?
Who Does My Drug Use Effect?
Reasons To Go To Residential Rehab
Is Marijuana Addictive?
What Counts as Drug Paraphernalia?
Earning Back Trust
Am I Addicted?
Can I Lose My Car if it is Used in a Drug Deal?
Tips For Giving A Drug Test
How is My Love One Paying for Drugs?
What Does Crack Cocaine Do To The Body?
What Are the Signs and Symptoms of Crack Cocaine Use?
Do People Still Take LSD?
What is Doctor Shopping?
Talking to Your Loved One About Huffing
What Are the Signs That Someone is Huffing?
Problems With Ecstasy Use
Is He Injecting Drugs?
Is My Loved One Using Drugs?
What is Med Seeking?
Where Does My Loved One Hide Drugs?
Is Drug Abuse Grounds For Divorce?
Substance Abuse Amongst the Homeless
Risky Business and The Dangers Of Drug Use During Pregnancy
Babies Sentenced to a Life of Drugs, Addiction and Jail House Side-effects
Will You Gain Weight When Quitting Drugs?
What Legal Medication Can You Take to Quit Drugs?
What is the Average Wage for Drug Abuse Counselors?
Relapses and How To Know When They Arrive
Quitting Alcohol Cold Turkey - Is It Dangerous?
Is Rehab Necessary? Alternatives For Quitting Drugs
How Quitting Drugs Can Change Your Life
Drug Overdoses And Their Staggering Annual Death Rates
Top 10 Reasons for Substance Abuse