Drug cravings can be physical or psychological. Physical drug cravings occur when the drug dependent person builds up their tolerance to drugs over time. Drug cravings, like other physical cravings, are taken as a symbol that the individual should give the body what it thinks it needs.

Physical and psychological drug cravings are very powerful and compel many people to use drugs. Even though the cravings may seem like they are uncontrollable, they can be dissipated and you do not have to act upon them. When the person is in a drug recovery program, they will learn to tolerate the cravings and not act upon them. With these tools they are in a good position to start taking back control of their lives.

Addictive drugs activate the brain.s reward systems. The promise of reward is very intense, which in turn causes drug cravings. These intense drug cravings force the addict to focus his or her activities around taking the drug. The ability of addictive drugs to strongly activate brain reward mechanisms and their ability to chemically alter the normal functioning of these systems can produce a drug addiction. Drugs also reduce a person.s level of consciousness, harming the ability to think or be fully aware of present surroundings.

How Drugs and Drug Cravings Affect the User.s Behavior

The addict will now attempt to withhold the fact of their drug use from friends and family members. They will begin to suffer the effects of their own dishonesty and guilt. They may become withdrawn and difficult to reason with. Strange behaviors often come about at this point in the addiction.

The more they use drugs and alcohol, the guiltier they will feel, and the more depressed they will become. They will sacrifice their personal integrity, relationships with friends and family, their job, their savings, and anything else they may have in an attempt to get more drugs to satisfy the intense drug cravings. The drugs are now the most important things in their life. Their relationships and job performance will go drastically downhill.

There is such a thing as a .drug personality.. It is artificial state of being that is created by drugs. Drugs can change the attitude of a person from their original personality to one secretly harboring hostilities and hatreds they do not permit to show on the surface.

The drug personality of an individual suffering from drug cravings includes such characteristics as:

Mood swings

Unreliable - Unable to finish projects

Unexpressed resentment and secret hatreds

Dishonesty - Lies to family, friends, employers

Withdraws from those who love them, isolates self

May appear chronically depressed

May begin stealing from family and friends