Kinds Of Cravings & How Our Ocala Clinic Can Help You Combat Them

Kinds Of Cravings & How Our Ocala Clinic Can Help You Combat ThemFor many people who suffer from opioid use disorder or opioid addiction, opioid cravings are among the most difficult and frustrating aspects of recovery, particularly in the early stages of recovery. Even if an individual understands that opioids and other addictive substances actively wreak havoc in their life, opioid cravings can be overwhelming, particularly as the person is most vulnerable through the first stages of treatment and recovery.

Here, our Subutex® and Suboxone® doctors in Ocala, FL, at Buprenorphine Treatment Centers, Inc, discuss the different types of cravings associated with opioid use disorder and how our Ocala addiction treatment center can help you combat and overcome them. Are you struggling with cravings? Do you need a reliable source for opioid addiction treatment in Ocala? Contact us today to get help.

Reward Cravings

A reward is a thing or activity given or pursued in recognition of one’s completion of a task, service, effort, or achievement. With opioid addiction, reward cravings typically derive from wanting to take opioids, and this desire is often reinforced by the habitual action of taking or using the substance. If you have opioid cravings and they occur with the thought that you deserve this reward, you might have reward cravings. There are several ways to approach combatting opioid reward cravings, but some of the most effective include replacing the reward (opioid) with a different, healthy treat or activity.

Consider swapping the opioids for a relaxing afternoon, streaming your favorite show, buying yourself a small gift, participating in an outdoor activity, enjoying a sweet treat, doing something completely new to you, engaging in an art activity or project, exercising, playing a sport, listening to your favorite playlist or music, or spending time with your pets, friends, or loved ones. During behavioral health therapy, your provider can help you identify and work through your triggers and cravings so you will be armed with personalized solutions should cravings develop.

Relief Cravings

Life is stressful, and that stress can increase substantially during your recovery from opioid use disorder. Many patients experience the highest levels of stress during the initial phases of their treatment, at which time they may also experience relief cravings. This type of craving often forms as a reaction to stressors and feelings of anxiety, fear, or anger. If you feel like you’re craving something to take the edge off of your low, you may be experiencing relief cravings. Treatment and recovery bring a wealth of deep and intense emotions; for some people, they can also cause physical pain.

Relief cravings signal a desire for relief from these experiences despite the fact that these substances will likely only worsen the situation and cause you to comfort an even greater number of uncomfortable feelings and difficult situations. Consider combatting your relief cravings by finding healthy, positive sources of relief. Try meditating, dancing, exercising, taking a bath or shower, talking to a friend, taking a nap, watching funny videos, making some tea, or doing another activity.

Obsessive Cravings

When a person is in a state of being obsessed or fixated on something or someone, ideas or thoughts of these things or people tend to continually preoccupy or intrude on the mind. With opioid use disorder, obsessive or fixated cravings often derive specifically from your addiction due to the opioid dependency developed through persistent use. Dopamine, often prized as a feel-good chemical in the brain, can also generate desire or craving. Thus, when a person with opioid use disorder encounters a trigger for their addiction, the brain may release dopamine, indicating to the body that you want the substance. Cravings of an obsessive nature can be described as looping, constant, or unending.

They can cause you to feel as though you don’t have a choice beyond using. A good way to combat obsessive cravings is to persist and outlast them. While obsessive cravings can feel all-encompassing and insurmountable to some people, they will end at a point. To help break the cycle of obsessive cravings, consider doing something else that requires your full attention, exercising, engaging in a sport or physical activity, looking at pictures of your loved ones or spending time with them, journaling about your cravings, contacting your treatment provider via telehealth for help, chatting with a supportive friend or sponsor, or discussing the possibility of undergoing buprenorphine treatment, which can reduce cravings from opioid use disorder.

How Our Ocala Buprenorphine Clinic Can Help You Combat Opioid Cravings

Cravings are among the most challenging and frustrating aspects of recovery from opioid use disorder for many people. Fortunately, the more persistent and consistent you are about maintaining your sobriety throughout each stage of your treatment path, you will be better equipped to combat them should they arise. For many patients who seek treatment for their opioid use disorder, buprenorphine medications, such as Suboxone and Subutex, help optimize their addiction treatment, reduce cravings, and provide relief.

At Buprenorphine Treatment Centers, Inc., our medication-assisted treatment programs can help opioid-addicted individuals recover from opioid addiction and reduce every type of craving, including reward, relief, and obsessive cravings throughout your treatment plan. Our outpatient treatment programs are individualized to your unique needs, with therapies designed to help you break free from opioid use and reclaim control over your life. Contact us today to get started on your path to recovery!