What Is ‘Feening’ Drugs?

“Feening” or “fiending,” in relation to substance abuse, is a colloquial term used to describe intense cravings for a drug. When a person is “feening” or “fiending,” they are consumed by the compulsion to use drugs or alcohol.

Feening entails the combined experience of drug cravings, fear of running out of the drug or being unable to acquire the drug, and great efforts to obtain the drug. The desire to use is so powerful that it feels impossible to ignore. Experiencing such a strong, uncontrollable urge to use is a sign of addiction.

Learn about what causes drug cravings, how long cravings last, other signs of substance abuse, and treatment options.

Addressing Stigmatizing Language

“Feening” and “fiending” are common slang terms used on the street, but they can perpetuate the stigma of addiction. This is because they derive from the word “fiend,” which means “a cruel or wicked person,” which is not any more true for a person with a substance use disorder than a person without one.

Addiction, including the cravings involved, can cause people to go to great lengths to obtain drugs or alcohol. However, addiction is a mental health condition that alters a person’s behavior, often beyond their control, and is not an indication of a weakness or personality flaw.

Using harmful language, such as “feening” and “fiending,” can cause people to associate themselves with these labels, and ultimately serve as barriers to treatment. Regardless of the circumstances surrounding addiction, help is available and there is always hope to recover.

What Causes Drug Cravings?

A craving to use drugs or alcohol may appear to occur randomly, but there are contributing factors, many of which are subconscious.

In fellowships like Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and Narcotics Anonymous (NA), members are encouraged to remain mindful of “people, places, and things” that may serve as triggers, particularly during the first 90 days of sobriety. In other words, new members are advised to refrain from engaging with people, going to places, and doing things they associate with drug or alcohol use. The thought is that if a person is presented with the opportunity to use drugs or alcohol in early sobriety, or reminders of such, the impulse to use may be too powerful to ignore.

Cravings are brought on by triggers, which are conscious or subconscious reminders of drug use. Triggers can be general and specific. If, in active addiction, a person used drugs before showering, applying cosmetics, or cleaning the house, then these tasks can serve as triggers and cause cravings. If a person drives on the highway and passes a sign for a town where much of their drug use occurred, this reminder can be a trigger. Emotions like stress, fear, anger, sadness, and even happiness can also be triggers, as well as boredom.

Drug cravings can be physical and/or psychological. Not all drugs cause physical dependence, but all drugs cause psychological dependence.

Physical Dependence

When a person is physically dependent on a drug, the body expects a certain level of the substance to function at baseline. Physical dependence increases tolerance, which means that more of a substance is required to feel the same effects. Over time, people who are physically dependent on drugs will not feel the same euphoric sensations associated with early-stage drug use. Instead, they will seek out the drug to avoid the onset of withdrawal, which are physical and mental symptoms that occur when drug use is stopped or reduced.

Symptoms of withdrawal may include:

• aches and pains
• anxiety
• depression
• disorientation
• fatigue
• hallucinations
• insomnia
• irritability
• nausea and/or vomiting
• paranoia
• restlessness
• seizures
• sweating
• tremors

Cravings are also a symptom of withdrawal and physical dependence.

Psychological Dependence

Psychological dependence on a drug can be more challenging to cope with than physical dependence. With psychological dependence, a person becomes addicted to the pleasure they experience with drug use. Most drugs produce a near-immediate effect, which can function as a pain-avoidance mechanism.

When a person does not develop the tools to manage stressful situations, such as when experiencing trauma at a young age, substance use can become a form of escape. Because the person does not know how to handle these strong emotions in a healthy way, drugs and alcohol become maladaptive “solutions.” Over time, the mere suggestion of a stressor can elicit a craving for drug use, similar to a reflex. However, not all drug use serves as a coping mechanism; some people use drugs for the feel-good sensations alone.

Signs of psychological drug dependence include:

• anxiety
• changes in appetite
• denial
• depression
• drug-seeking behaviors, e.g., obsessing over finding substances and hanging around people who use substances
• engaging in risky behaviors to acquire substances
• irritability
• mood swings
• questioning one’s ability to reduce or stop using substances
• restlessness

Psychological dependence can also cause physical symptoms, such as stress that leads to gastrointestinal issues. Cravings are also a symptom of physiological dependence.

A Closer Look At The Brain’s Role In Drug Cravings

Cravings, and both physical and psychological dependence, are the result of brain activity, of which dopamine plays a central role.

Substance abuse acts on the brain’s reward center, also known as the nucleus accumbens (NAcc), according to The Reward Foundation. The reward system is responsible for encouraging behaviors that drive us toward pleasure and away from pain, or anything that requires energy and effort. It is not rooted in logic, but on what feels good in the present. The reward system is the reason why skipping work for a day at the beach is more appealing than the responsible choice, or why consistently eating healthy is harder than indulging. It is also responsible for the repetition of behavior.

Dopamine, a neurotransmitter that influences pleasure, motivation, and learning, is stored in the midbrain. It is released and travels to the reward center when there is anticipation of a reward. The brain then reacts with a start or stop response, which prompts a person to take action or refrain from doing so.

Drugs and alcohol wreak havoc on the reward system. In early-stage drug use, the reward system produces higher levels of dopamine. However, as the brain adjusts to the substance, more dopamine is needed to reach these levels. It’s common to hear about the notion of “chasing the first high,” or holding out hope of achieving the same level of euphoria when a drug is first used. To do so, a person must consume more of a drug, which brings on other risk factors.

A craving is caused by fluctuations in dopamine. When a person engages with people, goes to places, and/or does things they formerly associated with drugs and alcohol, the brain anticipates the possibility of a reward and releases dopamine. The dopamine release is responsible for the phenomenon of craving. It is a learned response, similar to a reflex, and people can experience cravings years into sobriety, which is why addiction is acknowledged as a chronic disease of the brain, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

How Long Do Drug Cravings Last?

A person can experience drug cravings for the rest of their life. Because cravings can come at any time, many people find it helpful to participate in fellowship programs like AA or NA, where they can work with a sponsor (or a spiritual guide) and connect with like-minded peers, who can help them manage cravings.

Cravings are the most frequent and intense immediately after the onset of abstinence. As the brain acclimates without the substance, it tries to resist the process and resorts to what is familiar. As a person continues to abstain and develop healthy coping mechanisms, cravings happen less often. However, outside support such as AA or NA meetings, outpatient treatment, therapy, or other options is critical for avoiding cravings. It is also important to note that cravings are a normal part of recovery.

It is difficult to determine how long cravings last in the moment, because it’s a highly individualized experience that’s best understood on a case-by-case basis. It has been said that cravings last for about 10 to 15 minutes and then begin to subside, but it differs from person to person. Nonetheless, cravings are only temporary.

Do Drug Cravings Ever Go Away?

Cravings to use drugs and/or alcohol are the strongest within the first 90 days of recovery. Over time, cravings will subside with continued sobriety. However, cravings will always be a normal part of recovery.

As mentioned, the brain remembers the feelings associated with drug use, even if one or two decades have passed. A person in recovery may experience a strong craving, at random, after years of sobriety.

Cravings are uncomfortable, but they become easier to deal with. Through supports like therapy and AA or NA fellowship, people learn to identify cravings when they occur, observe the feeling but not give in to it, and then reflect on why it may have happened.

How To Deal With Drug Cravings

The safest and most effective way to deal with drug cravings is to engage in positive activities and establish a support system. It’s important to develop psychological tools and have people you can call if cravings do occur. Support is key when it comes to managing cravings and recovery in general.

Some of the most effective ways to deal with drug cravings include:

• recognizing and learning to manage triggers
• distracting yourself by reading a book, playing a video game, or going for a run
• leaving a triggering situation
• building a support network of family, friends, fellowship and/or support groups, and therapy
• partaking in a healthy lifestyle in regard to eating, sleeping, and physical activity
• participating in therapy, such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)
• practicing mindfulness through meditation, deep breathing, yoga, and/or time in nature

Another technique that’s often promoted in fellowship programs is to “play the tape forward.” This common saying encourages people to reference past behavior and foresee how the choice to use drugs or alcohol would ultimately affect them. For people with addiction issues, the outcome is never positive.

Other Signs And Symptoms Of Substance Abuse

Cravings are only one sign of drug and/or alcohol abuse. There is a long list of other signs associated with escalating substance use and addiction.

Some of the most common signs of substance abuse include:

• having problems at work, home, and/or school related to substance use
• engaging in risk-taking behaviors
• continuing to use drugs and/or alcohol despite negative consequences
• being unable to control or limit drug or alcohol use
• needing larger quantities of drugs or alcohol to feel the same effects
• experiencing withdrawal symptoms
• giving up once-loved activities

Addiction Treatment At Bedrock

If you are experiencing an addiction to drugs or alcohol, treatment can help you achieve recovery.

Addiction treatment at Bedrock Recovery Center covers the full continuum of care and includes both evidence-based and holistic methods. Recovery programs include residential inpatient, medication-assisted treatment (MAT) for alcohol and opioid use disorders, and dual diagnosis treatment. Detox is also available, which can significantly help with overcoming cravings, especially in the beginning.

While in treatment, specialized individual and group therapy is available. Therapy can help with identifying triggers and learning how to manage cravings in the long term, as well as understanding the root cause of your substance use disorder, and embark on the road to healing.

Some of the therapies available here include:

• cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)
• dialectical behavior therapy (DBT)
• motivational interviewing (MI)
• exposure interventions
• family psychoeducation therapy

The specialized care team at Bedrock Recovery Center will help determine the right care plan for you.

Get Help With Addiction Today

Call Bedrock’s 24/7 admissions specialists or send us a message to learn more about our treatment options and get started on the path of recovery today.