A Practical Guide to Staying Grounded and Strong
The detox phase is a crucial step in the recovery journey. It’s when your body begins to clear out the substances that have affected your mind, emotions, and health. But as your system adjusts, cravings can arise—sometimes unexpectedly and often powerfully.
Cravings are normal. They don’t mean you’re weak or that recovery is out of reach. They are your brain’s way of asking for what it used to rely on. The good news? With the right mental tools, you can face cravings, ride the wave, and come out stronger.
This article explores why cravings happen, and most importantly, how to manage them using practical, compassionate mental strategies during detox.
Why Cravings Happen in Detox
Cravings are not just about willpower—they’re about brain chemistry and emotional triggers. When you use substances for a long time, your brain rewires itself to associate those substances with pleasure, relief, or escape.
When you remove the substance, your brain still looks for that pattern. You might crave the feeling you got from the drug or alcohol, especially when you’re tired, stressed, or emotional.
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), cravings are a common withdrawal symptom and one of the leading causes of relapse in early recovery (NIDA, 2020).
What Triggers a Craving?
Cravings can be physical, emotional, or environmental. Understanding what sets them off helps you prepare for them.
● Physical triggers: fatigue, hunger, pain, or hormonal changes
● Emotional triggers: anxiety, sadness, boredom, loneliness
● Environmental triggers: people, places, music, or even smells linked to past use
The more aware you are of your triggers, the more power you have to respond instead of react.
7 Mental Tools to Help You Cope with Cravings
Cravings typically last 15–30 minutes, but those minutes can feel long. Here are mental tools you can use to stay grounded, focused, and in control.
Ride the craving like a wave instead of trying to fight it.
How it works:
● Sit down and take a few deep breaths.
● Picture your craving as a wave—it rises, peaks, and then falls.
● Notice where the craving shows up in your body (tight chest, restlessness, etc.).
● Observe it without judgment.
● Let it pass.
Developed by psychologist Dr. Alan Marlatt, urge surfing is a mindfulness-based tool that helps reduce relapse by teaching people to stay present and not act on every urge (Bowen et al., 2011).
Delay your response and break the automatic loop.
What to do:
When a craving hits, tell yourself, “I won’t act on this for 5 minutes.” During those 5 minutes, distract yourself—go outside, drink water, listen to a song, or text a friend. Cravings lose power when you put time between the urge and the action.
Labeling the emotion can lower its intensity.
Often, cravings are masking a deeper emotion. You’re not just craving the substance—you’re craving escape from something inside.
Try saying to yourself:
● “I’m feeling anxious and my body wants relief.”
● “This is sadness, and it’s okay to feel it.”
● “I’m overwhelmed, but I can handle this.”
Neuroscientist Dr. Dan Siegel explains that labeling emotions helps calm the amygdala—the brain’s fear center—and allows the thinking brain to stay in control (Siegel, 2010).
Use your senses to anchor yourself in the present.
When cravings feel intense, grounding brings you back to now.
Try the 5-4-3-2-1 technique:
● 5 things you can see
● 4 things you can feel
● 3 things you can hear
● 2 things you can smell
● 1 thing you can taste
This technique interrupts spiraling thoughts and helps restore calm.
What you say to yourself during a craving matters.
Instead of:
● “I can’t do this.”
● “This is too hard.”
● “I’m failing again.”
Try:
● “This is uncomfortable, but it will pass.”
● “I’ve made it through worse.”
● “Every craving I survive makes me stronger.”
According to a study in Addictive Behaviors, positive self-talk during cravings is linked to greater resilience and lower relapse risk (Kadden & Litt, 2011).
Picture your why, not your craving.
Close your eyes and imagine:
● Your future self, healthy and free
● A safe place where you feel calm
● The look on a loved one’s face when you reach a goal
● A peaceful scene—like a beach or forest
Visualization helps shift focus from the craving to your purpose.
Connection weakens the craving’s power.
Send a message, make a call, or join an online support group. Just saying, “I’m having a craving,” out loud can reduce its intensity.
You don’t have to explain or apologize—just connect.
Peer support is a cornerstone of recovery. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) notes that people in recovery with strong social support have lower rates of relapse and better mental health outcomes (SAMHSA, 2022).
What Not to Do
● Don’t judge yourself for having cravings. They are part of healing.
● Don’t keep triggers close by. Remove anything that makes it easier to act on the urge.
● Don’t ignore your body’s needs. Stay nourished, hydrated, and rested.
● Don’t isolate. You are not meant to handle recovery alone.
When to Seek Extra Help
If your cravings feel too intense or if you’ve acted on one and feel hopeless, reach out immediately. There is no shame in getting more support—this is a journey, not a straight line.
Professional counselors, recovery coaches, and peer support networks can offer structure and guidance when cravings feel too big to handle alone.
Final Thoughts
Cravings don’t define you. They don’t mean you’re failing. They’re simply a part of the brain adjusting to a new way of being. The more you face them with awareness and compassion, the less control they’ll have over you.
With every craving you navigate, you strengthen your ability to choose recovery over reaction. One moment at a time, one breath at a time—you are building a life you can be proud of.
You are not your craving. You are your courage.
References
● National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). (2020). The Science of Drug Use and Addiction.https://www.drugabuse.gov
● Bowen, S., et al. (2011). Mindfulness-based relapse prevention for substance use disorders: A pilot efficacy trial. Substance Abuse, 32(4), 295–305.
● Siegel, D. J. (2010). The Whole-Brain Child. Delacorte Press.
● Kadden, R. M., & Litt, M. D. (2011). The role of self-efficacy in the treatment of substance use disorders. Addictive Behaviors, 36(12), 1120–1126.
● SAMHSA. (2022). Recovery and Recovery Support.https://www.samhsa.gov
