Imagine if too much of one's life is taken up by wanting or even dreaming about a certain thing. Or if one craves a thing too much for one's own good. When this happens someone will likely want to eliminate cravings.

A craving is a powerful urge or need that comes at odd times. They can be for odd things that someone does not normally want. Or they can be for things that other people do not normally want.

A craving can create problems in everyday life. It can come at bad times such as while asleep or while at work. It can appear at even more troubling times such as in the middle of a crisis or during a very stressful experience.

Cravings are known to occur during pregnancy. Pregnant mothers can experience them. Often these are for odd things such as pickles, turnips, or salad dressing. Often for pregnant mothers they come in combinations such as pickles with ice cream or tacos and pancakes. The odd, sudden needs of pregnant mothers can sound strange, but they sometimes indicate invisible nutritional needs. For example, a craving for pickles may indicate a need for nitrogen or sodium. A sudden taste for ice cream might indicate a need for sugar or calcium. These desires are temporary and usually disappear when the invisible temporary nutritional requirement is met.

Some desires are unwanted by those who experience them. For example, a woman may become addicted to lying inside a tanning booth because her body is hooked on the feeling that is created by the powerful UV radiation. Ordinary sunlight produces chemicals, hormones, and nutrients she may crave. Or she may crave the effect of ultraviolet rays on her internal sleep clock and body rhythm. A man may crave alcohol perhaps because he is becoming an alcoholic. At a social get-together he may drink in order to mask nervousness or due to stress. The same man may drink alcohol while he is alone because he longs for personal escape or because he is lonely. Regardless, someone may decide to eliminate his or her unhealthy impulses if the cost of indulging them becomes too great. If an urge or impulse produces problems with health or even financial difficulties, one may properly decide to eliminate the craving.

A craving can be based on circumstances either physical or psychological. Physical issues can involve sickness, stress, or nutrition. Psychological issues can come out of anxiety, depression, and other problems. Eliminating a harmful craving will depend on whether the craving in question is rooted in psychological or physical circumstances.

Cravings that are physical in nature can be eliminated by dealing with those causes. If an individual eats an unhealthy diet, making that diet healthier can reduce the impulse or desire. If an individual is afflicted with a disease or disorder, getting treatment can mean managing or eliminating the impulse. If an individual is dealing with stress, reducing that stress can in effect get rid of his or her craving.

Psychological cravings can be addressed by identifying the psychological causes. If someone craves food in order to obtain comfort, discovering other ways to obtain comfort can eliminate the craving. If a person is depressed and is craving a food or an activity, receiving treatment for the depression either in the form of counseling or medication can eliminate cravings.