3 Ways to Take Control of Cravings (and your life) NOW.

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According to the Journal of Sex Research, men think about sex 19 times per day.

For men trying to get sober from crystal meth, this equates to 19 cravings per day.

That's because when meth is paired with sex, the two are neurologically fused.

This is why meth addiction treatment is unique among other drugs.

When you take away the meth, you also take away the sex.

In early recovery, 19 times per day may drop down to zero.

This season of low libido is what I call the 'incubation period'.

A time to lay a foundation of work to prepare for sex drive to return.

If not, the libido and the meth cravings waltz back into the brain together.

Even with the work, most men are facing the inundation of cravings that accompany sex drive.

Here's the thing, guys: you've imprinted onto the subconscious.

The subconscious is our animalistic and instinctual programming.

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I use the example of giving your dog a taste of human food. Once you cross that boundary, the dog will fight for that food tirelessly. That animalistic energy is the same as the subconscious wanting the meth experience. Neither the dog nor the subconscious takes breaks. The problem is that you do.

Given this knowledge, it can assumed that cravings don't originate from your thoughts.

Cravings are given to you by the subconscious.

You cannot control when and where they will show up.

That said, this does not put you in the victim role. Be careful not to go there.

You are still operating from a place of free will.

You may not be able to control when they show up, but you can control how you respond.

I help men break free from crystal meth and take control of their lives. My 1:1 Coaching Program is open for September enrollment. I have 2 slots to fill! If you are interested, apply HERE.

Recovery Alchemy Cravings Management Model (c)

Below is a chart I use my in 1:1 Coaching program to overwrite the imprinted subconcious (retrain the dog). As you can see, once the craving is given to you, your free will takes over.

Powerful Pause:

This exercise is most impactful when you can enlist the "Powerful Pause" which is the ability to suspend thoughts or actions in order to make a split-second decision.

I also call this 'hijacking' your thoughts. You switch over into the observer mode so that you see the thoughts happening but aren't identifying with them.

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Meditation is crucial in recovery. The ability to observe your thoughts gives you power over them. You detach from them so you aren't swept away by them. This is the key to the powerful pause.

Following or Finishing:

Once the craving is given to you and you pause, that is when the decsion is made to follow or finish.

To follow a craving means to add to it a positive association. For instance, a craving to use meth arives in your mind and you then begin fantisizing about hot sex or recalling a great time you had in the past.

At that point you have been swept away with the craving and are following it toward a relapse.

To finish a craving means to add to it a negative association. For instance, a craving to use meth arives in your mind and you then bring up the emotion of the shame of what it felt like the last time you relapsed or the scene of a parTy gone terribly wrong.

At that point you are putting a period at the end of the craving and your subconsious begins associating pain with using meth rather than pleasure.

Somatic Surfing:

To supplement this process, it helps to imploy some somatic techniques (pertaining to working with the body). Here's a quick 5 step process:

Breathe: 5 seconds in, 5 seconds out, 3 times. Make sure to breathe deeper and longer than you normally would. Breathing forces you to pause.
Focus on bodily sensations: turn your awareness to your body and sense where you feel the craving showing up. Focusing on that area increasing minfulness.
Observe without judgment: observe the sensations in your body but don't label them or pollute your mind with panic.
Allow the craving to crest: cravings, like emotions, crest and subside just like a wave of the ocean. If you allow the cravings to crest, often you won't even need to finish or follow; it runs its course.
Journal about the experience: most importantly, write down everything about the experience and use the opportunity to practic finishing the craving next time by brining up negative consequences through your writing.

You are not at the whim of cravings. They are simply automatic functions of the subconsious. The subconcious is at your whim.

Recovery is about stepping into your power.

Recovery is about taking control of your life.

Recovery is about programming the subconcious.

Are you ready?

Love, Dallas 💚