Mental or physical cravings - which do you find hardest to deal with?

[footscrazy]

Would you rather experience physical cravings or psychological ones?

I do hate feeling dope sick, but to me, there's nothing worse than your mind just absolutely bombarding you with cravings. I guess it's a hard distinction - I know that when my psychological cravings get bad, I do feel it physically. What I mean though, is the difference between a purely physical withdrawal, caused by a drug leaving your system, and the mental cravings of just really wanting and needing to get on.

Discuss...

 

[thejazzman]

I'm 2 months clean from smoking (vaporizing) ice regularly over the past year and a half (weekly sessions that would last 2-3 days). There seems to be no real physical desire to use. The mental desire is a constant threat though. I find myself justifying using again despite knowing the negative impact this drug has had on my life and potentially could have again. Then I think hard about the bad times and how good it feels to be clean. Tough caper though, hope it gets easier!

 

[RobotRipping]

mental cravings far outweigh whatever a drug does physically to you. WIth one exception, if you're a pain patient or have anxiety or something similar. In those cases, my body craves anxiolytics to stop the intense panic attacks, but there aren't any real mental cravings, just for the relief itself. Opiates on the other hand i crave like a mother fucker still. It gets better but the cravings and PAWS are much worse than anything physical for me. Stimulants have the worst mental cravings for me and the least physical need for them, other than for studying and school.

my answer: it depends but in general, mental cravings are the worst.

 

[rickolasnice]

Wouldn't physical cravings be coupled with mental cravings? .. I know they are for me (anxiolytic addictions (GABAa and GABAb).. never got into opiates)

Meaning.. If you are having physical withdrawal / cravings then this will almost always be accompanied by the mental aspect.

 

[Black Rabbit of Inle]

Wouldn't physical cravings be coupled with mental cravings? .. I know they are for me (anxiolytic addictions (GABAa and GABAb).. never got into opiates)

Meaning.. If you are having physical withdrawal / cravings then this will almost always be accompanied by the mental aspect.

That's true, however, I've found that the mental cravings last many months past the physical withdrawal symptoms.

I can deal with physical symptoms but it's always the mental aspect that gets to me.

 

[Nozphexezora]

Would you rather experience physical cravings or psychological ones?

I do hate feeling dope sick, but to me, there's nothing worse than your mind just absolutely bombarding you with cravings. I guess it's a hard distinction - I know that when my psychological cravings get bad, I do feel it physically. What I mean though, is the difference between a purely physical withdrawal, caused by a drug leaving your system, and the mental cravings of just really wanting and needing to get on.

Discuss...

I always thought physical, but now I think it's psychological that is the hardest for me. If it wasn't for the psychological cravings, I'm sure a lot of us would be able to tacle the physical symptoms a lot easier.

 

[headdah]

When I quit all drugs Nov last year I was both addicted to meth and opiates at the same time.

Was a daily meth user for about 3.5yrs and near daily user for opiates around 1yr.

I went cold turkey on both substances at once. Pro Tip: DO not try this unless you have the will power of a Bhuddha!

Physical pain went away about week2 or so for the opiates.

Psychological Cravings went on and on and on and on til about week 8. I was having meth dreams almost every night like 3 or 4 consecutive dreams about smoking meth scoring meth packing meth into a pipe etc etc etc.

I totally agree with Footsy the psychological bombardment of the cravings is worse than physical cravings

oh hai I'm back guys Its been a longg time :D

 

[Minion]

Welcome back!

 

[Nozphexezora]

When I quit all drugs Nov last year I was both addicted to meth and opiates at the same time.

Was a daily meth user for about 3.5yrs and near daily user for opiates around 1yr.

I went cold turkey on both substances at once. Pro Tip: DO not try this unless you have the will power of a Bhuddha!

Physical pain went away about week2 or so for the opiates.

Psychological Cravings went on and on and on and on til about week 8. I was having meth dreams almost every night like 3 or 4 consecutive dreams about smoking meth scoring meth packing meth into a pipe etc etc etc.

I totally agree with Footsy the psychological bombardment of the cravings is worse than physical cravings

oh hai I'm back guys Its been a longg time :D

Welcome back. I remember you were the first person to ever welcome me on this site. I used to have dreams about morphine and whatnot 3+ weeks after i tried quitting. I don't get it any more, though, obviously because I had a relapse. I used to have dreams about IV'ing morphine at my old school or running around spraying the word "Junkie" on fences.