Anyone have some advice for handling cravings after the acute WD's are over.
Hi Mocmoc, nice to see you back.
The SMART recovery handbook has good information about dealing with thoughts, feeling and emotions, as well as cravings, urges and impulses.
They basically endorse a 4 point program of
1) Building and maintaining motivation
2) Coping with urges
3) Managing thoughts, feelings and behaviors
4) Leading a balanced lifestyle (balance between momentary and enduring satisfactions)
I think that what we are focused on doing here is a difficult task.
But the SMART program at least appears to have some good "rational-emotive behavioral therapy" type techniques that might be able to be used in changing how we think.
There is obviously no easy answer, but I find SMART to at least attempt to offer some techniques that are geared towards moving us in the right direction.
I find that I am able to build motivation, but have a hard time maintaining it.
Also, I can wait a craving out for some time, but then it always seems that I "cave," which just shows that I have some more work to do.
I got my taper down quite a bit, I have failed very recently to maintain it, but I haven't given up.
Quitting is the only acceptable option and that is what I am going to do.
I can also highly recommend a book by the name of
The Willpower Instinct by Kelly McGonigal Ph.D.
It is very detailed and based on the latest research in the psychology of "self control." There are many, many behaviors available that are seemingly counterintuitive to the goal of self control. Like how guilt over "slipping," results in the urge to return to using (as well as techniques to sidestep such problematic pitfalls).
Things like daily meditation of focusing on the breath (to bring us back to what we are doing now, as well as to teach / reinforce the formation of new habits), regular exercise (one of the biggest will power boosters), or, perhaps spending a day making such small changes as saying "yes," instead of "yeah," not swearing, or stirring your coffee with your left hand (training the brain to "recognize what it is that you are about to do before you do it, and then choosing the more difficult thing").
All of these practices strengthen and train the neocortex to function better, just like a muscle. I don't think it takes a lot to do this for normal people, as due to the preponderance of the neocortex' function in the brain, the brain overall is already biased towards doing the harder thing (like getting up off the couch and going for a walk).
Problem is that in the addicted brain of we "special people," the neocortex has become numbed by alcohol or drugs, causing it to try to function with "one hand tied behind its back," so to speak. This is why Rational Recovery doesn't even start teaching until a preliminary state of sobriety has been established.
Even after quitting, habitual pathways linger, which must be actively challenged when the urge to use arises, which is where it seems like you are at, at the present moment.
Sorry for the long ramble, check out the books, I think that they are a good logical starting point for what you are trying to accomplish.
-SF