If you are affected by drug addiction, you can expect to experience drug cravings. These cravings may appear when you are still actively involved in drug abuse. They are also a common experience when you take the crucial step of halting your drug use.
To recover your sobriety, you must find a way to cope with drug cravings. The best place to do this is in a professional detox program. The care you receive in this kind of program will help dial down your cravings. It will also help you resist any cravings that remain.
Springfield Wellness Center specializes in safe detox from the effects of drugs. That includes both street drugs and prescription medications. The care we provide supports your crucial first steps toward establishing a sober lifestyle. If you or a loved one need more information about the best way to resist drug cravings, reach out to our professional team of therapists by calling 844.334.4727.
Why Do Cravings Occur?
Addiction alters your normal brain function in a variety of ways. Most of the problems stem from changes in your brain’s usual mix of chemicals called neurotransmitters. However, some forms of addiction may also alter the very structure of your brain. Together, these changes:
- Leave you physically dependent on drugs
- Create additional psychological dependence
- Support impulsive, drug-seeking behavior
Even while your actively taking drugs, you may experience severe cravings between episodes of use. This happens when the drug levels in your system fall below your altered brain’s expectations. Cravings are your brain’s way of urging you to take more of the drug in question. That way, it can return to its new, addicted “norm.”
Drug Cravings During Recovery
Drug cravings during recovery can be much stronger because you have brought your drug abuse to a halt. As a result, your brain’s signals to take more drugs will go unheeded. When this happens, you will go into drug withdrawal. The symptoms of withdrawal may be mild, but they may also be severe.
If you try to quit by yourself, you may find cravings and other withdrawal symptoms to be an unbearable challenge. This is true even for people who only develop mild forms of withdrawal. Unfortunately, this means that you may get discouraged and return to your previous pattern of drug abuse. Supervised detox helps you avoid such an outcome and move forward with your recovery.
Resisting Drug Cravings Through Supervised Detox
Supervised detox is designed to do several things. One of its most important goals is to help you resist your drug cravings. How does detox achieve this goal? It relies on methods such as:
- Monitoring your condition as you withdraw from drugs
- Supporting your brain and body so that your comfort level increases
- Providing you with medication that lowers your cravings
The first two of these methods are used to help everyone make it through withdrawal. However, not everyone receives medication. The two issues most commonly treated with medication are opioid withdrawal and sedative/tranquilizer withdrawal.
Newer Treatment Alternatives
You may also receive a newer treatment to help you deal with drug cravings during detox. A prime example is our NAD+ therapy. This is the name for a state-of-the-art technique that promotes the restoration of your brain function, which means your need for drugs decreases.
Get More Information at Springfield Wellness Center
Want more information on coping with drug cravings? Contact Springfield Wellness Center today. We’ll help explain why professional detox is by far your best choice. Springfield Wellness Center is also your source for effective detox options. We are one of the nation’s few providers of modern NAD+ therapy, which will offset some of the brain effects of addiction. In turn, it will make it easier for you to stay sober in the face of your cravings. Call us at 844.334.4727 or take a few minutes to fill out our online form.