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Neutralizing Cravings and Addictive Behaviors

When you experience cravings, it is encoded in your brain and nervous system as a multi-sensory emotional pattern which can include the felt sense of your body (somatosensation), along with visual, taste and smell associations. Because these patterns are stored through multiple sensory channels, neutralizing them in your nervous system is often most effective when using multi-sensory techniques. 

Cravings can be tied to physical, emotional, mental and spiritual factors which are discussed in more detail here.

The following technique will focus on the somatoemotional elements and draws strongly from Cognomovement but with additional layers using sound and specific postural and breathing techniques to provide amplify your multi-sensory reprocessing experience.

*Caution: If you are performing this technique to alleviate a particular addiction which involves chemical dependency, it is recommended to perform in conjunction with your healthcare provider as you may experience physical withdrawal symptoms as your use of the chemical decreases.

 

Equipment Needed

Before beginning, it is essential to identify craving or addictive behavior you specifically want to address. You likely have multiple issues going on but it is best to choose one at a time and work on them sequentially.

 

Identify the Craving

Step 1: Identify the Craving or Addictive Behavior

Choose the primary craving you want to address. If multiple ones are present, focus on the one that feels most dominant right now.  This could be any of the following:

  • A food, beverage or substance
  • A relationship where you feel obsessed about the person or codependency
  • An activity (gambling, exercise, sex, shopping, video games)
  • Internet, social media
  • Drama in your life
  • Negative self-talk

Step 2: Prepare

  • If the craving is an actual food, beverage or substance that you can safely use you will physically ingest it while performing the techniques. Go ahead and procure it.
  • If the craving is an activity that you can perform intermittently during the techniques prepare to do it.
  • If the craving does not allow for you to actively partake in it that is fine. You will simulate it within your mind, heart and body instead.

Step 3: Bring it up.

As you allow yourself to experience your craving (if possible and safe to do so). You want to REALLY savor and enjoy it. Allow yourself to be fully immersed in the experience of partaking in it. Notice how it makes you feel:

  • Physically
  • Emotionally
  • Mentally

Step 4: Rate the Intensity

Rate the intensity of your craving on a scale of 0–10:

  • 0 = no issue
  • 10 = maximum intensity

It is suggested to write this information down in your journal along with any other insights that come to you.

This is your baseline.

Next, you need to establish your breathing technique.

 

Breathing Method

While performing the following techniques it is important to make sure you continue to breathe. The only technique where you won't be focused on breathing is when you are naming the color on the horizontal tracking technique. We recommend the following breathing method:

    1. Inhale gently through your nose
    2. Pucker or purse your lips as you fully exhale all the air out of your lungs sensing your front lower ribs drop downwards into your belly and your abdominal wall draw in and engage.
    3. Pause ~3 seconds after each exhale.
    4. For even more therapeutic effect perform vocal toning practices or frequency listening. 

Before beginning, perform a set of 3-5 breath cycles.

Sound is tremendously powerful at helping your nervous system rewire cravings and addictive patterns.

There are 2 ways to use sound during this technique. You also may use a combination of both throughout the process.

 

Integrating Sound

  1. Vocal toning practices where you tone a specific frequency during the breathing technique described above. 
  2. Frequency listening where you listen to a specific frequency or frequency pattern. It is suggested to try playing 174 Hz played within the Golden Ratio pattern and breathe as you perform this final step.

Set up the method(s) you intend to use throughout the process.

 

 As you proceed through the following steps, allow yourself to experience your craving (either for real or imagining it) between each technique and relish in how much you enjoy it.

Focus on all the different aspects of your enjoyment. This could involve taste, smell, a rush of excitement, safety, comfort, etc. 

 

Re-check Your Baseline

  1. Consider your craving or addictive behavior
  2. Do you still feel the same intensity?
  3. Rate it on a 0-10.
  4. If it is a 0 then you are all done processing it and may choose to repeat this process with any other cravings or addictive behaviors.
  5. If it >0 then it is recommended to continue to repeat this process until it is a 0. Typically, multiple rounds are required.

Once you have neutralized your craving or addictive behavior, consider if you would like to make a different choice

 

Referencing a New Choice

It is recommended to listen to 174 Hz played within the Golden Ratio pattern and breathe as you perform this final step.

  1. Consider if instead of your craving or addictive behavior, you could make an alternative choice.
  2. Examples:
    1. A healthier food or beverage
    2. Meditating
    3. A well balanced exercise regimen
    4. Spending more quality time with your family and friends
    5. Getting out into nature more
    6. Whatever, comes to mind
  3. Once you have identified your desired choice, imagine yourself embodying it.
  4. Set a timer so you may perform this for 5 minutes.
  5. Record any insights in your journal.

 

Goals: 

    • Keep the head straight and still with neck/shoulders relaxed while performing the visual tracking techniques
    • Perform eye tracking without strain, skipping or nystagmus
    • If performing toning, stay in tune with each frequency
    • Reduce your craving or addictive behavior intensity to 0/10
    • Be able to reference an alternative choice that supports your well-being

 

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