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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.