St. Louis, Missouri is known as the Gateway to the West, and as such, it should be a model for responsible communities. This is why many St. Louis drug rehab centers like Midwest Institute for Addiction are constantly at the forefront of helping drug dependent people recover and return to being functional members of society. For these centers, one of the very first steps towards recovery involves teaching the patient to control his cravings through techniques like:
Understand Cravings
Many patients end up feeling anxious and paranoid whenever they crave— unfortunately, this very paranoia only drives them closer towards the road to regression. Patients should understand that cravings are completely normal, and that it doesn’t necessarily mean something’s going wrong. The key, though, is to keep from giving in.
Managing the Environment
In most cases, patients give in to their longing for drugs because they feel trapped, perhaps through peer pressure. However, they should know that in a large majority of cases, they always have the choice to walk away. Sometimes it’s just a matter of planning ahead and actually avoiding environments that could potentially influence him to return to his old habits.
Looking Back
Addiction blog writer Kenneth Pecoraro has it that it’s also important for the patient to consider everything that he’s already been through on the way to recovery:
When thinking about using do not neglect to consider how you feel at the end, when whatever it is that you have used is gone. Think about the disappointment you will feel. Think about how you will wish you had done something else instead of using. Think about all of the lies and/or excuses you will have to make to cover up. Think about the trust you’ve worked so hard to regain and how hard you have worked staying clean up to this point. Remember: consequential thinking; Take time to remember the hangovers, feeling sick, wasted $, arguing with family, etc.
Distractions
An efficient St. Louis drug rehab program will have a host of different activities that aim not only to get the patient back into being productive, but to distract him from his cravings too. Keeping busy with workouts, sports, dance lessons, and other such activities also helps him better reintegrate into society.
For the recovering drug dependent, nothing can be more frustrating than having cravings and thoughts of regression eat through his mind. If you have a family member who is suffering from addiction, you can also take steps to make sure that he or she doesn’t fall back into square one and instead stay on the right track to recovery.
(Source: Coping with drug and alcohol cravings: A skills list, Addiction Blog)
