There was a time when I was addicted to Vicodin, and I didn't know what in the world to do to stop the cravings for it so I could get free. After countless attempts to quit, I finally figured out exactly what it takes to get over the hump and QUIT!

It helps A LOT to know what lies in store for you as you go through this, because, as they say, drug addiction is cunning and baffling, and though you may have wanted MORE THAN ANYTHING to make it through just one day clean, wham, something happens in your brain and there you are shoving four or five Vicodin down your throat. What went wrong?

And you only end up feeling devastated and stupid because you can't seem to get a handle on this thing, can't follow through for one measly day!

So if you know ahead of time what to expect - that is, that intense cravings are going to come up when you quit - and have a set-in-stone action plan of exactly what to do when they do come up so that you can handle them, one craving at a time, your chances of making it through the first dicey days are A LOT greater!

Because, as you know, it only takes ONE craving that you cave into to ruin the whole thing, and set you back into taking the pills once again (and hating yourself for it).

So you need to know how to detect the cravings from the very SECOND they start festering in your brain (before they've reached the point where you're phoning for a script refill or on the way to the ER, or whatever you do to get them), and you need to have a very powerful plan in place to combat them, each and every time they come up.

One of the things that I did that helped me battle my way through each craving when it came up was to pull out a "List of Benefits" I'd written ahead of time and read it through, reminding myself of the goodies that awaited me on the sober side.

This list was something I spent time preparing BEFORE I started to quit Vicodin. I sat down and wrote a list two pages long of the glorious things I'd have if I quit using: I'll have a ton more money, I'll be able to buy that Toyota, I'll feel great about myself, I'll have this problem behind me at last and won't have to worry about it any more, etc.

I made the list as descriptive as I could, because, while going through the first 10 days of getting off Vicodin, when it was the roughest, I needed these "cookies" dangled in front of me to keep me going.

Reading my list was just one part of what I did to get clean, but it really saw me over some rough spots.

Plus, when you're getting off Vicodin, besides knowing what to do when the cravings come up (and what I wrote above is just one example), it makes it SO MUCH EASIER if the cravings can be made less in the first place.

There is an acupressure technique that you can use that makes the cravings much, much less intense. It's called EFT, and using it made all the difference in the world in my recovery. It muted the cravings, made them more manageable, which of course makes walking through the first critical 10 days so much easier.

In my experience, the more clean time you have under your belt, the more reluctant you are to throw it away, so you keep on going, buoyed by success.

There is nothing more empowering than getting clean, and I speak from experience.

Brooke

Brooke struggled with a Vicodin addiction, and found her way OUT, using acupressure and other powerful strategies. Visit her website at http://www.GetOffVicodin.com, or email her at brooke@getoffVicodin.com

Source: www.articlecity.com