How to Handle Cravings with Emotional Sobriety
When we stop overeating, we may experience cravings for sugar and other highly-palatable foods.
Cravings are physical sensations from the body due to changes in its environment.
Hormones and neurotransmitters are re-adjusting. Insulin and dopamine are in flux. We’re producing too much of this and too little of that and what results are some deeply uncomfortable feelings in our body, including cravings.
Sugar cravings are uncomfortable - even downright painful - but they aren’t 𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘮𝘧𝘶𝘭 (unless we have a specific illness linked to blood sugar, i.e. diabetes).
We spend a LOT of time and money and energy trying to find the magic formula to prevent them from happening. But for me - this has always been a case of trying to control the wrong thing.
As ex-addicts, we tend to interpret sensations in our body as extremely urgent. We live like we’re on fire. We’re in fight-or-flight constantly. And this is fertile ground for cravings and urges to wreak havoc.
Read this out loud: The sensations of craving do not require an urgent response. They are not an emergency. They are allowed to be there without a “stopgap”.
𝘖𝘶𝘳 𝘪𝘴𝘮 𝘳𝘦𝘧𝘭𝘦𝘹 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘣𝘰𝘥𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘕𝘖𝘛 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘶𝘳𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘧𝘪𝘹 𝘪𝘵, 𝘪𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘺.
We feel physically ill and emotionally even worse.
When we take a deep breath and say “This is not urgent” we give ourselves a pause, through which new power can flow. We have options. We can choose a new response.
What about - Acceptance. Curiosity. Serenity. Compassion.
Are you willing to try?