CONTROLLING CRAVINGS

While you are not responsible for your disease, you are responsible for your recovery. Once you recognize that you are an alcoholic, it is your responsibility to become sober and stay that way. Unless you change the way you live your life and learn to confront your problems, your sobriety will be at a high risk. Don’t let the ignorance of others stand in the way of your recovery.
At some point during withdrawal, you may begin to feel real good, this could be dangerous, and if you conclude that you have licked the problem. You may not completely feel normal for a year or more. It takes time for the shakes, jitters, mood swings to disappear and various hormones to normalize.

Before going in any further, we have to distinguish between happiness and pleasure. Pleasure is momentary for a short period of time like inebriation after having 2-3 drinks due to inhibition of the subconscious, while happiness gives contentment to your life over the long run. Pleasure is the result of release of chemical neurotransmitters by the brain cells as a result of stimulation caused by food, sex, drugs, and social esteem. Brain cells release. Happiness is due to the development rigorous honesty, contentment, compassion with a positive attitude with acceptance of the present.

A craving for alcohol or drugs comes on for either negative or positive reasons e.g.

1. Fear of with drawl symptoms like nausea, vomiting, shaking, and hallucinations.
2. Recalling the glow associated with using. Cravings could be powerful enough to overcome the rational memory of the havocs caused by using. We humans have a wonderful ability to block out bad memories.

Cravings can be controlled by thwarting temptations and keeping your life style in balance:

a) By neutralizing the cues and triggers of sight, hear, smell, taste and
feelings.
b) Controlling the chemical seduction caused by friends, surroundings,
situations, nostalgic music, end of the workday, TV shows, Ads, weather,
romancing, and fantasizing the drug of choice.
c) Susceptibility to temptations of hunger, anger, loneliness, bored, sad,
worried, and tiredness.

Feeling of a craving does not mean you have to give in to it. Cravings become less and less and finally stop. People can develop their own strategies to overcome them e.g.

1. Call your sponsor or doctor, or counselor. If unavailable call your fellows at AA.
Keep these telephone numbers in your pocket.
2. Find some one - spouse or friend-to talk to. Share your feeling and ask them not
to let you alone.
3. Distract your self with some thing else at home- play with kids, shower or bathe
even make love. Go away where alcohol is not available.
4. Go to AA meeting.
5. Remind your self that you are helpless against alcohol and scare the cravings.
6. Try to stay sober one minute at a time. Tell yourself that you don't have to drink
right now and today.
7. Go jogging or walk or do push ups or head for the Gym.
8. Pray and ask your higher power to remove your cravings.
9. Meditate.
10. Read the BB or other AA materials
11. Keep in mind that alcohol for you is not a viable option, and this disease is fatal.
12. Remember the old days of DT's, DUI's, and consequences of using.
13. Remember your time of recovery and coins you have collected.
14. Have a snack preferably low in sugar but if it doesn't work- better to blow your diet than your sobriety
15. Try to deal with the problem honestly and if out of town, look for yellow pages
for AA and call them immediately.

Remember that cravings will pass too. Be on the look out for fear, guilt, unrealistic expectations, resentments, low self-esteem, procrastination and dishonesty, which can be destructive to sobriety like alcohol.

Learn how to handle socializing;

1. Evaluate your motivation and feelings.
2. Forewarn your host and forearm your self.
3. Don’t go alone; don’t go late, you are safe arriving early.
4. Serve your self and camouflage your drink.
5. Don’t be a bar fly, take your camouflaged drink and move away.
6. Curb resentment by slipping away, leaving early.

Beware of hidden trouble, foods cooked in wine, uncooked foods flavored with alcohol, flaming dishes, non alcoholic beverages, and foods which associate you with drinking, even the fleeting thoughts of good times.

Health is a blessing that money cannot buy. Destiny is not a matter of chance but it is a matter of choice. It is not a thing to be waited for; it is a thing to be achieved by ACTION. Now you have the choice with the tools given by this 12-step program. With out faith no body can benefit. Faith without action is dead. The game of life is not so much in holding a good hand as playing a poor hand well. Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it. In this mortal frame lives the higher power. Parents, youth, friends, siblings and fellows will not last forever. For away is the destination of the man, but he is filled with ego. One should become wise and tread on the straight path as prescribed by this program.