How it works?

Urges and cravings are something you will learn to live with. How do you control them? Whether its a addiction, or something else that is unhealthy for you this is how it works. When you start thinking about your addiction or some other unhealthy behavior, you begin to make it bigger! Meaning, that current thought is looking for the old, dysfunctional behavior that you create when acting upon this thought of a urge or craving. That thought gets bigger, and bigger, and soon you become impulsive, and bring the urge/craving or unhealthy behavior to life. Self has the ability with it's clear mind to let those addiction thoughts go, before they can manifest into unhealthy behavior or addictive behavior. Self can slow down the urge and craving or unhealthy behavior by thinking it through. Think about what that craving or unhealthy behavior will bring you? Play it back in your head, each time, if you are honest, you will see that the current thought of gambling, using, drinking, purging, unhealthy sexual behavior, and unhealthy behavior will not solve anything! You already understand this, but are looking for this fantasy thinking that will "fix" all your problems. I like to call problems with my clients as unmet needs. These unmet needs are really why you are chasing your addiction or unhealthy behavior. Once you play it back in your head, and realize that acting out a urge or craving will not solve anything, you begin to let that negative thought go. Then you need to exercise, just like that. Go for a walk, a reflection walk. A bike ride, or a jog. Maybe you have time to hit the gym. Be creative in where ever you are at that moment, if that urge/craving or unhealthy behavior needs to be worked out, you need to exercise! After the exercise, self begins to reward self with positive thoughts of how you battled the urge/craving, or unhealthy behavior into letting that thought go! It is all in your mind. Give self credit for letting go of urges and cravings. Back in the day, you would of acted upon each urge and craving, and been right back at the addiction cycle. Each client that I work with I tell them you know you can use, gamble, drink, purge, or have unhealthy sexual behavior any time you want, but, at this second you are choosing not to! Every urge/craving, or unhealthy behavior you can control in your head. You have the power and mindfulness to let those thoughts go. Hey, you already know where those negative thoughts bring you, it is nothing new. Use your mind. Self can figure out those unmet needs knowing self is worth something, and self does not have to take things personally. Don't let your own negative thinking mess you up! Balance your emotions, and understand you have the wisdom and common sense. Use your higher power, you always have a choice. It is not what happens to me, but how I think about what happens to me that matters. Self learns to have fun when urges and cravings or unhealthy behavior are not the fun anymore! Each day when you have a thought that may be leading you into a urge, craving, or unhealthy behavior, slow down, and think it through. Let that negative thought out, exercise, then journal and talk about it with your support. Bring it up in your meeting, let people know how you are able to let the negative thoughts go, and utilize positive thoughts in your recovery! Don't make thoughts bigger you have the power to stay in your health, and stay in the moment!