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When the cravings hit
Unless you have experienced cravings I don’t think anyone can really imagine how intense they can become. It is like a powerful force gets inside of your body and literally drives you to pick up the substance you so desperately want to quit. No amount of willpower seems to be able to stop these cravings until you learn how to handle them. It doesn’t matter what your drug of choice is whether it is alcohol, drugs, food, chocolate, sex etc. You do not rest until you have had the fix and sadly the cycle repeats itself all over again. |  |
Eventually cravings become so severe that they end up being constant, never giving you a moment of peace unless you are asleep. Many people will also dream about the substance they crave. You can always spot the people who really understand what intense cravings feel like because they give an empathetic response while the others have that blank look as they think or express verbally “why don’t you just stop” as though it was so easy. I remember being told by a medical professional that food cravings were not the same as other cravings … they did not exist!
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| Well I can tell you that I was addicted to chocolate and suffered from severe cravings that were relentless. At rock bottom I never got any break from the cravings. They drove my whole life as I went from one binge to the next throughout the day. I doubt I ever went longer than an hour before I was stuffing food into my mouth again. My whole day revolved around planning which shop I would go to in order to replace my chocolate supplies. |
So to those people who dismiss the power of food cravings, I would say please listen to those people who have experienced them. I know you can not begin to imagine what it must feel like, but perhaps you could accept what the sufferer says. |
The good news is that you can get rid of the cravings. It won’t be easy and it will be hard work until they gradually subside and eventually go. The important thing is to know what strategies work to fight the cravings. You have to become the master of your own body and learn what triggers your cravings.
Cravings can be triggered by:-
• Sight
• Smell
• Thought
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You also need to find out what else affects the intensity of your cravings
• Tiredness
• Low mood
• Low blood sugar
• Feelings
• Stress |
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Cravings are best managed through relaxation techniques and delaying tactics. Cravings will fade away after a while if you do not respond to them. Tell yourself that first you will do an activity before you respond to them. Carry this craving card below and answer the questions so that you learn to understand what your cravings really mean.
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Craving card
Cravings have a message – they are a signal from the unconscious
What does my craving mean?
Am I hungry?
What else do I want to do at this point?
Have I eaten a trigger food?
Has my self-esteem dropped at this point?
Is there an emotion I am blocking which I am not allowing myself to feel?
Is my blood sugar low?
Is there something else I could eat at this point?
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Recovery from cravings is possible. You will be amazed how good life feels when you no longer have the cravings. If you want support for your eating disorder you can receive help through online counselling.
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