Managing Cravings
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Key Points
- Most people with addiction will experience cravings
- Your Care Team can help you manage these
Managing Cravings
Feeling a strong urge to use (craving) is normal. The strongest and most frequent cravings happen in the weeks and months following your last use of a substance. Strong cravings can make it hard to avoid returning to use.
One way of managing cravings is working with your Peer Recovery Specialist to build a toolkit of skills to use when cravings arise (keeping busy, journaling, calling someone, etc.).
Medicine like buprenorphine (Suboxone) also help reduce cravings. If buprenorphine is not right for you, other medicines, like methadone and naltrexone (Vivitrol) can help. Your Care Team can help you find these options in your community.
If you are having a hard time with cravings for alcohol, medications like gabapentin and acamprosate (Campral) can help. Naltrexone (Vivitrol) can also help if you are not taking buprenorphine.
Talk to your Team Clinician about medicine for your cravings, and talk to a Peer Recovery Specialist about important skills you can use to help manage any cravings.
Questions, concerns, or feedback?
You can send a message to your Care Team in the app with non-urgent questions or feedback, or call us at 888-316-0451.