There’s nothing abnormal about experiencing some craving during recovery. It’s even predictable. The secret is to learn how to manage it.
The body uses withdrawal to signal the user that it wants more. If you fail to provide the substance, withdrawal symptoms temporarily intensify — as if the body wants to make sure you got the message. Once your brain has been conditioned to expect a drug, it doesn’t easily forget. It can take a long while to extinguish craving entirely. But the frequency and intensity is sharply reduced over time.
This short article by RSI Principal C. Scott McMillin includes a quick inventory to assess your own problems with craving, and techniques for fighting back and maintaining sobriety:
