BrianUtley

Im new to this forum and it already seems that people give out a lot well thought responses to posed questions.

My question is how long do cravings last for. I've been sober a while now and feel that i shouldn't get such intense cravings anymore. My drug of choice is heroin but after six year clean I still find myself craving marijuana often.

Does anyone have any input on this?

Spica

Hey Brian, I have met several "senior" members in NA who have double digit clean years from your drug of choice. They have shared that the cravings can be very sneaky and have learned to watch out for triggers that can be dangerous. Most of them work a careful program in recovery and are quite the inspiration!!

Good luck to you! I am sure several more people will hop on here and share their experience and hope with you!!!

RubyRose

First, Congratulations on 6 years clean! That a huge accomplishment!! I think cravings are different for everyone and depend (somewhat) on the substance, the dosage and the length of time used.


If I get a craving now (Ocy) after over 2 years clean it's a mild one. It's in my brain (my body doesn't have a craving for it at all now) and I can push it aside within a second or two.) It does still happen rarely but I tell my brain "shut up" and now it really listens. I am pretty sure I would not do anything to undo what I've done but because I'm an addict I will have to continuously remind myself , maybe forever, if thats what it takes.

...Ruby...

FT

Hi Brian,

I'm not sure whether this could be related to "cravings", but I think it is. Our body's ability to create natural opiates (aka endorphins) can't possibly compete with the huge opiate rush of a heroin fix, or oxycodone dose, or... fill in your DOC. Once you've flooded your dopamine receptors with such artificially high levels, your body responds by creating more and more receptor sites to keep up with the flood. That's why tolerance sets in and you require higher and higher doses to get the same effect.

The increased number of receptors left behind by the externally induced opiate rush never go back down to normal numbers. So, there they sit, empty receptor sites, which cry out to be filled. We call that "call to action" cravings.

That's my theory anyway. A simpler way to look at is that bar has been set so high that our natural endorphins can't compete, IF your pleasure centers are seeking that same rush. In recovery, we learn to feel pleasure again by retraining ourselves what is pleasurable. But you NEVER forget the rush. At least I haven't.

Of course, that doesn't mean I'll go after it again. I'm just not going to try to duplicate it by futilely expecting my natural endorphins to do the same thing. Our brains are just not designed for sustained opiate rushes, even though a lot of us have tried.

I'm not saying you are either, but I think that the pleasurable memories are normal for us, and it just becomes a cerebral event rather than an instinctual one to deny those "cravings" and move on.

FT