Things that help you get threw a craving.

I think it would be a great idea to make a list of what diffrent people do when a craving hits to get threw it .We will all have some things that will be the same. Some will be diffrent but one thing you do might keep another member sober one more day!!

[avisg]

1.Get out of the situation that is triggering the craving
2.Go for a walk fast walking music helps breathing in the fresh air helps
3 Call a friend and post
4 If the urgre is not getting better or for that matter after I have done all of this its getting worse  I call my theripsit and meet with her .

[ZJILLIAN]

1. Keep reading posts on the site.
2. Eat chocolate
3. Say to myself that if I still want to use at 5:00 I can use. And by then I never want to use.
4. Pray and surrender
5. Get out of the house
6. Try to remember how bad it was.

[merrymaria]

1......listen to music...my favorite...down by the river..neil young
2......get out of the stressful situation
3......eat something
4......call a friend
5......read my personal journal i keep at home
6......remember how 1 pill is to many  1000 never enough
7......think about days 1 to 5  w/ding
8......pray for strength
9......get on med help and read read read
10....close my eyes and relax...only at home

[freebird227]

1. Tell someone
2. Get to a meeting if possible
3. Breathe****breathe deep
4  Work the steps, read steps 1,2,3 write out my answers
5. Remember my last relaspe
6. Think of all the people I would be hurting
7. Start my day over
8. Get with another recovering addict
9. Put it off til tomorrow
10. Pray***meditate***listen to soft conforting music***warm bath*** anything I find nurturing.

.......I would not want to loose all my clean time,and the worst of all worst is I would go back out and NOT make it back to recovery.

[narla]

So far I've just got on here and said how I felt and everyone rallied round and talked me through it.I've also used meditation CDs

[dominosarah]

I cant add anything to the lists already made.  I listen to a ton of music everyday and when i am craving i really turn it up.......gotta love my rock and roll

[desperatetostop]

dance
read/post
eat celery (lol...weird, i know)
walk around

[JG525]

This is sort of odd, but since my recent issue was tramadol, if I feel the need to take a pill, I take my multi-vitamin, which needs to be taken a million times a day or some B-12.

It's a positive substitution.  Otherwise, just trying to stay busy.  When I first quit drinking and smoking years ago, I found that sometimes sleeping through a craving helped.

[stilltrying1965]

I listen to lots of music most times but really loud sometimes a take ma dog joke to play in the garden hes really funny and has me in fits of laughter or just walk him or help kim way housework but mostly music or offcouse mh they all probibly been said but thats the things i do when craving james

[salsinator]

Like Sara said, I really cannot add anything to this list - all good suggestions.  I am by no means bragging, but I can honestly say that I have never really had a craving - I know that I am the exception, but I often wonder why.  I am always busy with work and when I am home I immerse myself in this website and keep my mind occupied, so maybe I just don't give myself a change.  I am sure that one of these days I will experience a craving and I can tell you this site will be the first place I go.  Thanks for all the suggestions.

[SophieShine]

I hop on my bike ipod on my ears and cam in my bag. I change my frame of mind to do something I really like to do...
What helps too is cleaning up my apartment, I'm so not a cleaning person that eventually I'm gonna get pi$$ed off and forget all about the cravings, I know it's twisted but hey, anything to change the debilitating vicious circle of cravings and if it works for my brain, it works for me!

[newstart730]

I ride my bike with such fury that my craving can't catch up with me.  If I am working out that hard, I can't think about pills at the same time :)  Getting on the bike is the hardest part, though.

If that's not an option at the time of the craving, I've learned to identify the train-of-thoughts I get when craving.  First, I'm just craving, but then my mind starts thinking about where to get some pills (I'm still early in recovery, and I think this habit will take time to break).  Once I realize this, I chop that train-of-though OFF by remembering where it took me last time.  I refocus my thoughts on the positive effects of quitting (of which there are many :)

[worried878]

for me..i call it the 3 Ms

Moving....Medhelp...Meetings

I also think going back a reliving the reasons we quit//even writing them down...helps us feel the pain we felt internally when we stopped...we all stopped for a reason and most likely that reason is still there

[ZJILLIAN]

Just reread your above post. Great advice!

[fuzzypeach27]

I have been that away with the fairies I have posted so much I forgot to join sorry.

POSITIVE:
I LOVE MY SON AND WANT TO SEE HIM GROW AND I AM THE ONLY ONE WHOM CAN TAKE HIM TO BED.
NOT HAVING TO RUN AROUND IN THE POURING RAIN TO THE CHEMIST OR DOCTORS TRYING TO GET TABS
I AM NO LONGER A SLAVE
I AM FREE
I HAVE MORE ENERGY
I AM HONEST
NO MORE SECRETS
NO MORE ACID STOMACH
NO MORE CONSTIPATION
HAVE A SEX DRIVE NOW
I NOW KNOW THAT I DONT NEED CODEIN TO FEEL CONFIDENT AND BUBBLE
MED HELP ROCKS AND SO DOES EVERY ONE IN IT IF I HAVE A CRAVING I POST TILL MY FINGERS HURT AND ITS PASSED.

NEGATIVES.
ITS SCARY BEING STRAIGHT
IF I GET STRESSED WHAT CAN I FALL BACK ON
WHAT HAPPENS IF SOMETHING HAPPENS TO ME AND I NEED TO TAKE PAINKILLERS.

CONCLUSIONS
ITS NOT SCARY BEING STRAIGHT. I CAN REA LIE ON MY FAMILY. YOU CANT LIVE IN BUBBLE WRAP. I HAVE KNOW MY SELF FOR 26 YEARS I HAVE ONLY KNOW THE CODEIN MONSTER FOR 3.

DAY NINE OF CODEIN WITHDRAWEL AND IM STILL HERE AND SMILLING

[DeeJaye45]

The one thing that helps me the most is "playing the tape all the way through" In other words remembering the worst time I've ever experienced. that makes me not want to use again.But I have to remember it all the way to the end including waking up after it over & how I feel then.

[rusty2112]

I listen to the song "Serenity" by godsmack and eat a bag of those nasty circus peanuts. I go to a NA meeting every day and read my just for today book. If it gets too intense I call my sponsor. I also do everything that others have listed.

[fallenangel77]

I am on day four of a thirty mg a day dose and looking for all the support i can get...been using for three years..its scary but i dont wanna die and leave my kids without their mother//i am ready...bring it on...being sick ***** but i know it wont last forever... coffee seems to help alot with staying busy..alot of bathroom breaks but this too shall pass...keep praying for me i will continue to pray for all of us...