Coping with Alcohol Cravings
Coping with cravings is the key to tackling alcoholism. If you can manage to not give in to your cravings, or you can adapt so that you don’t get so many cravings in the first place, then there is no more addiction is there?
How you view your own cravings will determine how much power they have over you. If you believe that a craving won’t naturally go away once it has started, or if you think that the only way to deal with a craving is to drink, then of course you will be fairly powerless over them. This is the cognitive component of your addiction.
Making yourself aware of what things in your life tend to give you cravings, and therefore how you might avoid those situations, becomes a vital skill. For those ‘triggers’ that you can’t avoid, you can learn how to deal with them differently.
Lets say there are four types of cravings:
- a reaction to withdrawal symptoms
- escaping from unpleasant feelings (boredom, depression, anxiety etc.)
- a response to a learnt association (people, places etc)
- enhancing a positive mood
Each type requires a different approach to deal with it. And each person’s approach will be unique to them.
There are six recognised methods for dealing with cravings when they occur:
- distraction
- coping flashcards
- imagery
- rational responses to automatic thoughts
- activity
- relaxation
Distraction – the goal of these methods is to move a person’s attention away from negative internal thoughts or uncomfortable feelings, towards a more neutral external focus. They seem simple, but can all be effective -
- concentrate on your surroundings and describe them to yourself in detail, this can be quite ‘grounding’ when you feel like you’re losing it.
- talk to someone, anyone. A trusted friend, relative, your counsellor or even a total stranger if need be. It can help you get away from that loop running in your head.
- change the scenery – go for a walk, a drive, a bike ride, just get away from wherever you are right now.
- oddly enough, cleaning or other household chores can be perfectly distracting if you’re craving, and you might feel some sense of achievement too.
- video games (or indeed the old fashioned kind) can require enough concentration and challenge to take your mind off it, and of course, you can play them alone.
- I’m sure you can think of some other things to do which are distracting and enjoyable.
Coping Flashcards – when you’re in the grip of a strong craving, it’s hard to think rationally and remember all the things you’re supposed to. So writing yourself some instructions on a small index card can be useful. (This helps tremendously for people with anxiety too). The priority is to convince yourself that you can cope with this situation. Here’s a few examples of things you might write -
- things are going well with my partner right now, I don’t want to mess it up
- this craving will pass if I just give it time
- I’m not helpless here, what action can I take?
- what are the pros and cons right now?
Imagery – there are a few different types of imagery which can work -
- command your craving to STOP (see a big stop sign), then refocus on a relaxing location of your choice – a favourite peaceful spot.
- if you start remembering good times when you were drinking, then replace that image with the bad times, your lowest ebb when you felt ashamed and disgusted, do you want to end up back there?
- if it’s negative, depressing images that are giving you cravings, then imagine an optimistic view of your near future, with friends or family, having fun without a drink (or any other positive image).
- if you know you’ve got an event coming up which will give you cravings – try rehearsing the image in your head of you dealing with it appropriately. Run through the feelings you’ll have so you are not caught off-guard by them.
Rational Responses to Automatic Thoughts – whenever you feel a craving, ask yourself “what thoughts are going through my head right now”. Many of the thoughts you are having will themselves be responsible for your craving. It becomes a matter of responding to those thoughts in a more rational way.
- look for evidence to back up or contradict your thought and ask yourself:
- can I look at this situation differently?
- if what I’m thinking is true, what really are the consequences?
- what is likely to happen if I carry on thinking like this?
- what positive action can I take to solve this problem?
Try not to make such catastrophic predictions about your cravings, like “there’s no way I can stand this, so I might as well just drink and get it over with”, “I keep having cravings, so I must be an alcoholic, I can’t beat this…” etc. Cravings usually subside fairly quickly anyway, so just ride it out if need be.
Activity – if you’ve had an addiction to drink for a long time, then you’ve probably not got many hobbies left. In fact quite often, drinking is the only activity you actually do for fun. So when you try and stop, boredom is the biggest hurdle. There’s no way around it – you’re going to have to try some new activities.
When you’ve found a few that you like, make sure you schedule them in every week:
“On Tuesday I’m going swimming, on Thursday I’m going to the cinema with Sally, on Saturday I’m getting out to the countryside for a walk with my partner.”
It will feel weird to some to plan your week this way, but in the early stages of recovery from addiction, it’s essential.
Relaxation – Anxiety, Anger, Frustration and Stress are amongst the biggest triggers for cravings. So learning some relaxation techniques can be a life-saver. If you’re not so tense, you’re less likely to act impulsively. And if you’ve been using alcohol to relax for years, then you are going to have to learn some other methods. Try these:
Simple Relaxation
More Relaxation Techniques
BBC – Relaxation
It will take a while to learn these new techniques, as with any new skill, but keep at it and you’ll be floating around on a cloud of calm like the best Buddhist masters. Well, hopefully…
Remember – It’s just a craving, it won’t kill you. But drinking might…
Read more ways to cope with alcohol cravings…
I’ve spent a lot of time trawling websites and filling in quizzes to see if I’m a ‘problem drinker’ and because I don’t crave a drink first think in the morning and because I can hold down a job etc I’ve convinced myself that I’m fine. But at heart, I know I’m not and I can relate so much to so many of these posts. Basically I don’t know how to fill my evening without at least a bottle of wine and at social occasions I am always the one that has had too much – not behaving outrageously, but obviously a bit drunk. I know I’m sending a very poor message to my children and have decided to stop for a month (to see if I can do it) I know that I immediately sleep better when I haven’t had a drink but I give into cravings almost immediately. As many others have said, this is the site that seems to most fit ‘where I am at at the moment’.
Hi Katie,
26 year old male here – I feel I fall into the same category as you. I completed my four year university degree and have a good career thus far in a stressful industry, and have never let alcohol interfere with my education or work.
However: I cannot stand not having a few drinks (4-6) on weekday nights, and 10-12 on weekends. I am usually the most drunk in social situations, and I cannot stand doing social events without drinking.
I have confided in a close friend, and he has helped me a bit. I was on the way to the liquor store tonight, he helped convince me to stay away and eventually we just returned back to the house without booze.
I know this behaviour is not normal, but I do not feel that I am a complete degenerative drunk…it just makes it difficult to admit what I really am.
I love to drink. I have always loved to drink. I have recently stopped drinking to focus on being a more healthy productive person, and thus far I have done well. I never drink any alcohol, I exersize every morning before work, I sleep wonderfully, I secured a better job, and I never send embarrassing txt messages, make embarassing phone calls, or do any other silly inappropriate drunken behaviour. Overall, I feel so very much better and I feel like I can hold my head up high. BUT… I want to drink. Drinking inspires me. Basically it inspires me to drink more, but it also inspires me to paint, to dance, to feel happy and alive. I have been to one AA meeting. I don’t want to go all the time, but I do need some help abstaining. boo hoo i want a drink badly
Hey M:
I know just how you feel! While I cannot say that I have always loved to drink, I can totally relate to loving it. Drinking inspires me too, as I am an artist, it is a particular paradox for me. I have reached a point where I am determined to stop drinking.
I will never go to an AA meeting as it is too church-like for me and I have preacher’s kid issues to add to my list
.
Don’t give up. I’m not.
M,
I drink too much. I do not drink because I have a problem, I just like to drink alcohol withits asociated affects.
I think after 25 years of drinking my health is poor. I don’t look bad and I look youngish!
I need help to stop as I know I will kill myself with the stuff
regards
Richard
thanks for the encouragment Karen!
I wish this struggle was easier… i still have only the one AA meeting under my belt, and I’m unsure if I want to go again, mostly because of what you said about it being church-like, and also it’s just a lot of work to go talk for a few minutes with others in a basement about not drinking… idk… I’d really like to know why I crave a nice glass of wine so badly, only to end up finishing the bottle. It’s crazy, and I am not at all the crazy sort. good luck to you too 
Hi Guys
I am myself not a drinker but currently my husband has just come home this morning from an in-patient alcohol withdrawal treatment with two weeks of daily therapy sessions ahead of him for the psychosocial coverage part of the therapy he needs desperately. Just in reply to earlier comments made on this site, my husband also is an extremely intelligent person who is considered as one of the top experts WORLDWIDE in his field of his profession. He is the most stubborn person I have ever come across in so far as he has the dedication, devotion and willpower to achieve everything he puts his mind to. No word of a lie, the man is literally unstoppable……HOWEVER……
He has absolutely NO CONTROL over alcohol. Over the years his alcohol usage has steadily risen from what most people would not consider to be a problem to the point that he is now consuming an amount that has even astounded his current consultant Psychiatrist who is a specialist in Alcohol Abuse.
He has gone from someone who would go to work with double pneumonia in order to not have a sick day to someone who would prefer to stay at home and drink all day.
His health is what has caused him to finally seek treatment. He has gone from being super healthy to having re-occuring severe bouts of Pancreatitis and constantly picking up every bug going around due to his immune system becoming so compromised from the alcohol related issues his body has been subjected to.
So for the guy before who asked why he craves a nice glass of wine only to end up consuming the whole bottle, you are not alone. You are not crazy and you do not need to have a crazy disposition to become a victim of Alcoholism. As my husband proves, even the strongest willed people are totally unable to control this addiction.
But there is help out there guys. It has taken me years, and a series of serious health issues to finally get my husband to get the help he needs. And its not to say he will overcome this first time around. It is statistically proven that most people will have a series of lapses, if not relapses before they can successfully be able to manage the addiction and remain abstinate. So PLEASE don’t give up hope because as a relative of someone I love very very much who I have watched gradually almost kill himself with alcohol, you will be doing yourself AND your loved ones the best thing possible to get help and do whatever you can to overcome this illness. Good luck and God Bless you all. x