Cravings and Urges

What is it?

Craving and urges is the feeling of needing or wanting something. We know these feelings from getting hungry, tired, thirsty, horny or maybe tired. And there would be a corresponding action we can take to fulfil these urges. If we are thirsty we drink, as an example. Most of the time this cravings are what keeps us alive and healthy, but they can also get out of control. When you can't stop drinking, eating, masturbating or similar activities, then it can become problematic.

I think of cravings in two different ways, one as in physical and one mental. Let's have a look at how I think about them.

Physical cravings and urges

Physical cravings are most of the natural cravings we have that keeps us in homeostasis, as in balance. They would normally be healthy but an addictive substance can shift all this, and create physical cravings for something that is harming us. Alcohol will crate a sort of craving that is physical, we will feel ill from lack of alcohol, and we know that drinking will give us relief. This is more or less a discovered and learnt experience. We would not normally drink to get over a hungover, because we feel so sick. But as alcohol used disorder progresses, we discover this, by our selves, or as learnt from media or friends, that by start drinking again you can cope better with your hangover. This is also known as the "Hair of the dogs". I think that saying speaks for itself.

Psychological cravings and urges

So saying what I just said, I actually don't see alcohol withdrawal as a physical craving. But a psychological one. Because it is quite different from being hungry or thirsty. You are actually in withdrawal and processing the poison from the last alcohol you consumed. And it is learnt behaviour that picking up the drink again will relief the discomfort. It is also important to realise that the drinking and withdrawal cycle is well adjusted to a 24 our cycle. You also sleep through most of the normal hangover, at least if you mostly just drink in the evening.

One of the biggest clues to why alcohol is so addictive is in my opinion the withdrawal cycle and the almost instant stimuli with the delayed downside from the depressants in alcohol.

The next thing is how and for what reason we drink. This is a mental worm hole from the start, that nobody is safe from. Like the pitcher plant, when you see there is a problem, the return back up becomes very difficult. I still haven't come across anyone with a drinking problem that is without some sort of mental issue. They go well together. One of the most common ones is depression, I think. And that we use alcohol to self medicate.

Next

What do I really want?

Habitual Conditioning

Don't argue with your cravings.

Lengthening