How do you deal with the great desire?

You are one hundred percent behind your break period. You have your word ready when people offer you something alcoholic, you have thought about an alternative drink, you look for relaxation or distraction in another corner and yet: the 'craving' that you can have or feel according to your old familiar habit is difficult to tackle. How do you deal with this longing feeling? We come with advice!

Cravings – urge, desire, sigh – arise thanks to 'triggers'. These triggers can be situations, for example, where you previously drank an alcoholic drink. It is therefore very important that you know how to recognize 'your triggers', so that you can craving can be for. And there's even more you can do yourself. We have listed a few tips for you.

1. This craving will also pass

That feeling 'I have to now, because…' is not pleasant. Fortunately, this intense feeling often lasts up to thirty minutes. If you do nothing, there is a good chance that the feeling will decrease sharply within this time. You will also notice that the cravings decrease as your break period continues. Find distraction in that difficult half hour. Go outside, play sports, call a friend, grab your garden tools and go wild in your garden… anything that even slightly takes your mind off it.

2. we do it together

No one is alone and certainly not during IkPas. Talk to family, friends, neighbours, your sports buddy, your card club, your traveling friend, visit our forum, talk to your IkPas coach: all contacts that can help you stay in control of your urges. name you craving and talk about it. It helps, really!

3. train your mind

Despite we all know that a break period is a treat for our bodies, the craving can persist. According to René Kahn, professor of psychiatry at Utrecht University, this is because of our: nucleus accumbens, a part of our brain no bigger than a peanut, that is out for rewards. at a craving keep longing for that reward. The trick is to replace your memory of an alcoholic drink and the pleasant feeling it gives you with a competitive reward image. The competitive image evokes a new expectation of reward and the peanut particle in the brain responds to this. In addition, the new behavior also creates new rewarding memories.

How does this work?

Check for yourself when the urge to drink is extra noticeable (your triggers) and then use your competitive reward picture. So when you 'feel a sigh for', put on your hiking boots and stick your nose in the wind. Or you polish your car shiny clean. Or you surprise your partner/family with a homemade meal. It doesn't matter what you do as long as it's something you enjoy. Look for helpful thoughts. Those are thoughts that strengthen you in your feeling that you can handle it. They make you feel good about yourself and what you are trying to achieve. This technique takes time and patience, but can bring you a lot of peace.