The first challenge for any addict wishing to kick his addiction is overcoming the mental and physical cravings for drugs or alcohol. Cravings are strong, uncontrollable urges to use drugs or alcohol that drive the addict to once again use addictive substances.

To get an idea of what drug cravings are like, think of a time when you went for a long time without eating a meal and you were really hungry. Hunger is a mental and physical sensation that is triggered when the body needs food for nutrients and energy.

The craving for food, driven at a physical level, stimu­lates memories of eating food, which is followed by a strong desire or compulsion to consume food. Usually when a person is very hungry, they will think about their favorite foods; if they get hungry enough, they can some­times even smell and taste certain foods.

If a person goes long enough without food, compelling thoughts of eating plus a growling stomach and shakiness due to not having eaten will become so great, making the person so uncomfortable, that they will drop whatever it is they are doing and arrange to get food and eat it. As soon as the food is consumed, the hunger pangs stop and the person feels good about satisfying their hunger.

A drug craving is similar, but the desire to use drugs is much stronger and more intense. An addict who is craving drugs will feel like life itself is dependent on getting and taking their preferred drug. They will do and say almost anything to get the drug to handle their intense cravings.Once they satisfy the craving, they feel relief until the drug wears off and the craving returns.

Some withdrawal symptoms and cravings are caused by poor nutrition and the vitamin depletion that follows sub­stance abuse. When a body lacks certain nutrients, it cannot make some substances it needs for health and energy, causing a person to feel tired and moody. Depletion of certain vitamins and minerals can also cause shakiness and pain.

Withdrawal symptoms and cravings may also result from the toxins (substances the body sees as poisons) that accumulate after repeated drug use. These toxins stress many of the body’s systems, resulting in fatigue, aches,pains and unclear thinking. The addicted person has learned to medicate their mental or physical problems with drugs; they will continue to use drugs as a solution whenever they feel poorly. Therefore attempting to handle addiction with more drugs only makes the problem worse.