"Craving isn't merely an addiction symptom-it's a core process driving behavior and relapse. It reshapes decision-making by altering how the brain values rewards and risks and learns via experience."
"Studying individuals with alcohol and cannabis use, Yale investigators demonstrated that moment-to-moment fluctuations in craving markedly change how the brain adapts, learning from rewards and making choices."
"Conscious craving refers to subjective desire-a powerful urge that's known. This is the most familiar form of craving and most often addressed in treatment."
"Conversely, unconscious craving reflects automatic, conditioned processes mediated by mesolimbic circuitry, influencing behavior without conscious awareness."
Craving is a central feature of addiction and relapse, influencing decision-making and behavior. New research shows that craving alters how the brain values rewards and risks. It can reshape learning and decision-making processes, impacting substance use. Both conscious and unconscious cravings exist, with conscious cravings being the known urges addressed in treatment, while unconscious cravings involve automatic processes that influence behavior without awareness. This understanding challenges previous assumptions about the necessity of conscious craving for substance use.
Read at Psychology Today
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