Craving trigger

Individuals experiencing dmg withdrawal can become conditioned to environmental situations. Previously neutral stimuli can elicit many of the symptoms of dmg withdrawal, and this conditioned withdrawal has motivational significance especially in alcohol and opiate addiction. Thus conditioned withdrawal may trigger craving and relapse in a particular situation. 

Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) has the specific goal of learning relapse prevention techniques such as having a ready toolbox to deal with cravings and avoidance of triggers that have led to relapses in the past. 

In addition, stimulus-control and cue-exposure techniques (see Chapter 5) can be used effectively as relapse prevention strategies. Stimulus control means that the client learns how to control her or his level of exposure, and under what conditions, to a particular cue that had been associated with drug use. Cue exposure, as you may remember, uses exposure and response-prevention strategies in session to reduce the power of a drug-use cue to trigger cravings or urges to use. 

Tactics in avoiding active drug users Dealing with craving and trigger situations Making realistic short-term plans Time management... 

Typically includes elements of cognitive-behavioural therapy, e.g. in dealing with cravings and trigger situations, and motivational interviewing... 

Avoid exposure to cues that might trigger conditioned craving. 

From a conceptual point of view, it is important to emphasize that emotions can be triggered by perception in which no cognitive content (in the form of propositional beliefs) is involved. In addition to fear and perhaps a few other very basic emotions, the aesthetic emotions also illustrate this idea. This being said, the more complex emotions are mostly triggered by beliefs rather than by perception. With cravings, it is the other way around. Whereas cue dependence is a massively important mechanism, belief dependence is probably marginal. The discussion is summarized in figure 8.3, with the most prominent cases circled. 

Wright, Karen. A Shot of Sanity You ll Get No Kick from Cocaine if Yau Take this New Vaccine. Discover, June 1999, pp. 47-48. Reports on clinical trials of a vaccine that triggers an immune system reaction that blocks the absorption of cocaine. However, while the vaccine blocks the effect of the drug, it does not block the craving. Users may be able to circumvent the vaccine by taking very high doses of cocaine or they may simply decide to stop taking the vaccine. 

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