Get Upstream of the Craving

"From a neuroscientific perspective, there are several reasons for this. One is that our brains have grown sensitive, as a result of neurobiological conditioning, to cues in the environment that remind us of the behavior or the substance-how good it felt, what relief it gave us. Cues can be places, settings, objects, or sensory experiences associated with the habit or substance, with any of the six senses being relevant."

"Neurobiological conditioning is the process by which we learn to associate these cues with the behavior. Once conditioning has occurred, cues like these readily activate our brain's reward centers, which causes craving, use, and/or relapse. Unfortunately, it can be extremely difficult to stop ourselves from engaging in an unwanted behavior once the reward system has been activated or once a craving has begun. Getting ahead of it, blocking the activation and urge before it even starts, can be the key to success in breaking free."

Environmental cues associated with past rewarding behaviors become conditioned through repeated pairing, causing the brain to respond to sensory signals that previously predicted reward or relief. Examples include sounds, places, objects, and smells that trigger memories of the behavior. These conditioned cues activate the brain's reward centers and produce cravings that often lead to use or relapse. Stopping once the reward system is activated is extremely difficult, so prevention focuses on identifying personal triggers, reducing exposure to them, and blocking activation before cravings begin. Identifying triggers requires patient, iterative self-reflection and detective-like observation.

Read at Psychology Today