Learning to cope with triggers and cravings
For many people who suffer from addiction, triggers and cravings can be a huge obstacle in remaining sober. A trigger is anything that causes you to start thinking about using drugs or alcohol again. This could be a person, place, or thing that reminds you of your substance abuse, or it could be an emotional state such as feeling stressed or anxious. Cravings are intense desires to use drugs or alcohol, and they can be triggered by anything from seeing someone else using to feeling bored or lonely.
The good news is that there are a number of things you can do to cope with triggers and cravings. Here are a few tips:
1. Avoid places and people that trigger your cravings. If you know that certain places or hanging out with certain people is likely to trigger your cravings, do your best to avoid them. This might mean staying away from bars or clubs, or it might mean distancing yourself from friends who still use drugs or alcohol.
2. Find other activities to do. When you’re bored or feeling lonely, that’s often when cravings strike. So instead of sitting around with nothing to do, find an activity that you enjoy and can do sober. This could be anything from going for walks to playing sports to taking a cooking class.
3. Talk to someone. Sometimes just talking to someone about your cravings can help them go away. Talk to a friend, family member, therapist, or anyone else who will listen and be supportive.
4. Distract yourself. When you feel a craving coming on, try to distract yourself with something else. This could be reading, watching a movie, listening to music, or anything else that will take your mind off of using drugs or alcohol.
5. Ride it out. Cravings usually only last for a few minutes, so if you can, just ride it out until it passes. Sometimes the best thing you can do is just wait it out.
Learning to cope with triggers and cravings takes practice, but it’s possible. By avoiding triggers, finding other activities to do, talking to someone, and distracting yourself, you can get through cravings and remain sober..View Source
5 steps to ending binge eating for good
Binge eating disorder is a serious, life-threatening eating disorder that is characterized by frequent episodes of binge eating followed by a feeling of shame, guilt, or distress. If you are struggling with binge eating, know that you are not alone and there is hope for recovery. Here are five steps that can help you end your binge eating for good:
1. Seek professional help.
If you are struggling with binge eating, it is important to seek professional help. A therapist who specializes in eating disorders can help you understand your disorder and develop a treatment plan to address your specific needs.
2. Identify your triggers.
One of the first steps in recovery is to identify your triggers for binge eating. Triggers can be anything from certain foods to stressful life events. Once you know what your triggers are, you can start to develop coping strategies to deal with them in a healthy way.
3. Develop a healthy relationship with food.
If you are struggling with binge eating, it is likely that you have a unhealthy relationship with food. This means that you either use food to cope with negative emotions or you restrict yourself from eating certain foods out of fear of weight gain. Learning to develop a healthy relationship with food is an important step in recovery. This means eating when you are physically hungry and allowing yourself to enjoy all types of foods without restriction.
4. Find other coping mechanisms.
Binge eating is often a way to cope with negative emotions. If you can find other coping mechanisms, such as exercise, journaling, or spending time with friends, you can start to reduce your dependence on binge eating.
5. Practice self-compassion.
Recovery from any eating disorder is a difficult and often lengthy process. Be kind to yourself and understand that setbacks are a normal part of the process. Practicing self-compassion can help you stay motivated and committed to recovery.
Visit mengeredstoo.co.uk to learn more about how to stop binge eating. Disclaimer: We used this website as a reference for this blog post.