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Remember Mindfulness – close eyes briefly

Managing cravings

The psychiatrist Elizabeth Kubler-Ross was an expert on the process of dying and much respected for her ‘death with dignity’ approach. She formulated the Five Stages of Grief that people facing death or bereavement experience: Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression and Acceptance. When addicted people quit their habit, they often go through a bereavement process similar to this, where these five stages may be identified. Such a process is likely to be emotional and arduous. Some people never lose the desire for their substance or behaviour of choice. Bill W, co-founder of AA, had cravings for alcohol until the end of his life. That is neither reprehensible nor surprising. Do I recognise the power of addiction and not judge others?

Recovery from addiction is management of an ongoing illness. Recovery is not a cure. My addiction, although in remission, may send craving messages to my brain for years. There is nothing surprising in this. I just deny such requests in a forceful manner and move on. The voice in my head grows weaker but it may never go entirely. I ask God to always help me deny cravings.