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
- imagery
- rational responses to automatic thoughts
- activity
- relaxation
- coping flashcards
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.
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…
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?
Remember – It’s just a craving, it won’t kill you. But drinking might…
Read more ways to cope with alcohol cravings…
Hey peeps, just a wee update from yours truely, that me now onto day 35, i havent been on the past couple of days as i didnt have use of my internet which drove me right up the wall, but putting on paper how much i have saved so far it comes to £325..jesus thats a scarey though that i use to just piss that away every night what the hell was i thinking.Still going strong and the weight is now definatly starting to come off, not that i was big but i definatly am lossing that wee beer gut so to speak.lol..Hope everyones doing good and using this site for help because it has worked absolutly wonders for me just knowing i wasnt the only one on this horrible situation.Any one wants a chat or some kinda advice, i may not be the worlds best at giving it but ill certainly do my best to help encourage you.PEACE.:-).
I have been reading your story ian and I cant wait to be where you are! I have not been sober for more than 3 days in the last ten years so seeing how well you have done has really inspired me to stick to it. Thanks for all your posts. They really help
Hi everyone, loved reading all your posts. Im starting today,i’m 35 been drinking in the evening for the last 10 years, and am hating the fact that I keep giving in to the cravings. Its got to stop so I will be checking in with u all and I hope I can be strong enough. Reading your posts, especially Ian’s is going to keep me on track. Wish me luck!
Kym, absolutly not a bother pal any advice what so ever that i can give in helping you out of this i will do my absolutle damndest for you, just ask its genuinly my pleasure.
Hi, Just found this site as I think it is time I gave up drinking! I have been heavily dependent on alcohol for at least 10 years. I am starting to feel unwell from drinking and my liver is also starting to hurt. I just find it so difficult not to have at least 1 bottle of wine a night if not more. I am only 37 and I know I am doing my body no good! So day 1 begins!
Lets do this together jane. What u say seems exactly the same as me. We can do this!
Vicki, There is NO such thing as ONE drink. I can honestly say that if I were to take just ONE drink, I’d end up drunk for days,weeks,even months. I speak that from experience. I have enough wisdom to know now that I cannot drink PERIOD,for an alcoholic it doesn’t matter how long one goes sober. I’ve heard stories of people who had 20 plus years of sober time and drank one drink and some even stayed drunk till the day they died.Take it ONE day at a time,you can do it. And I HIGHLY recommend prayer to your heavenly father,DAILY. Welcome to the group
Everyone take care,and remember to take it ONE day at a time. There might even be times you have to take it an hour, a minute,even a second at a time,stay strong and DO not pick up that first drink !
Hi gang – just read through your posts, I am inspired by what you’re all managing to achive , but also very much by your support network, I feel as if you’ve become a little group of friends, who, unusually in today’s society, are all sober & who all have the guts to admit they have an alcohol problem. I want to be in your gang! I’ve mentally tortured myself with drinking wine for years now & I’ve absolutely no one to talk to about it because all my friends (& husband) are in complete denial about their own problem, so for them, it would be counter productive to help me, but I LOVE drinking wine, but next day (this morning for example) HATE myself for being weak willed & pathetic. I DON’T WANT TO DRINK ANY MORE. I think you guys can help my with your support & inspiration. Today is DAY 1 – I feel better already. Ablut 3 years ago I read the Alan Carr book & stopped drinking for about 4 months & felt great, but then it was the usual, a stupid ,thought, I’ll just have one – didn’t take long to be back to square 1.
Posts
Hello everyone,Wow, haven’t been to this site in a while. Well, I am a chronic,compulsive alcoholic. Through the years I’ve been detoxed many times,completed a 30 day program,done aftercare,done AA,been hospitalized due to complications with alcohol. Last time I went to detox a year ago, I was going through withdrawal and in such bad shape, shaking,sweating, blood pressure was 196 over 146, they required me to go to the emergency room at the hospital to get stabilized before they would admit me into detox, that’s not good. ONE day sober was a miracle for me. IAN, I too never would have never dreamed being sober 30 days…….NEVER. Congratulations Ian ! WELL DONE. I can proudly say that this past Tuesday, June the 19th, was my ONE YEAR anniversary! I haven’t had even one SIP of alcohol in 1 year and 3 days. It is truly a miracle…..if I can do it…..ANYONE can do it! When I started coming to this site a year ago I had like 30 some days sober time. I kinda drifted away from the site I think around my 7 month mark. Diane,5 days is miraculous! Keep it going. Fruit juice will help relieve some of the cravings because of the natural sugar,believe it or not,your body is craving sugar,not alcohol, alcohol is poison.Glenn and everyone else, you CAN do it, take it ONE DAY at a time. I could never have gotten where I am without God. I’ve prayed to my heavenly father DAILY over the past year, and he has given me strength to make it through the toughest of days and toughest of temptations on days when I really thought about taking a drink. I thank him DAILY for another day sober and the strength to stay sober another day. Soo, EVERYONE hang in there, HELP each other,you all are doing GREAT,even if you are just trying to get sober. I came up with a little quote that I kinda wrote when I got sober which is kinda cool I think,and it is………Will I never drink again…..I don’t know, But I WILL NOT drink today
DAY NUMBER 30…COME ON.!!!!!!.Never ever in my life from the age i started drinking did i even consider staying sober for this amout f time, i have woken up this morning and an AMAZING mood, im bouncing about singing acting the clown etc, cannot believe in all my life i have made it this far, i even said to my wife that as of now thee is absolutly no way possible i will be going back to what i was before.Hope your all doing well on your fight, and believe me it is a fight you WILL damn well win, each and every one of us, honestly, kick the living shit out of this addiction peeps.YOU CAN DO THIS.
Thanks Diane and Glenn! i know i said i would come back here and post in a week or so, but man! The cravings are horrible and i mean horrible!, but not as strong as my will to recover and experience the benefits of being alcohol free.so i came right back here today for some extra motivation which is greatly appreciated.
I actually slept pretty good last night but then, i was cranky ,mad and upset all morning and for no reason,pretty weird.i don’t really crave a drink in the mornings, but in the afternoon is a different story.
I could relate to you Diane by reading your previous posts and the fact that you started only a day before i did which makes me feel not so alone in this,even though this is the internet lol.
As far as staying sober this weekend ,i’m planning on surrounding my self with people who DOESN’T DRINK, take some time to ride my bike anywhere,read a lot about alcohol abuse consequences,problems,deaths,liver damage with gross pictures,as a good motivator to keep me sober,start working on projects and hydrate a lot (water has become my friend lately). i hope then i can say: I’m on day 7 alcohol free!…anyways good luck to everyone.
You go for it Anquiles,you can do it buddy, the cravings dont last significantly long and thankfully as time goes by i swear to you they become less and less and less. then there will very soon i gtee you that you wont have them anymore bud, trust me on this man,,,KEEP IT UP
[...] what I tell myself. But back to this craving… I found an awesome website, courtesy of Bright Eye Online Counseling, that gave some information about coping with alcohol cravings. The key thing to always remember [...]
Hi everyone! I often times feel like my addiction is lesser than everyone else’s but when the weekend comes is when I have a real problem. I went to AA ( back when I has stopped for 6 months), but never felt as though I had fit in. Everyone’s problem felt worse than mine like I was just a big baby that couldn’t control a simple urge. But I’ve learned to accept my binge drinking for what it is, this uncomfortable ‘thought’ that gets planted that I can’t get rid of. Then I realize it’s a real problem because once I start drinking I can’t stop. I’ll do almost anything for my next drink. It becomes a compulsion that doesn’t stop. It’s like that saying ‘I don’t always get in trouble when I drink, but whenever if gotten in trouble I’ve been drinking’. So tomorrows the beginning of my weekend and I’m already thinking of drinking. But I don’t want to because I know it’ll be another weekend bombed with days of recovery. Thanks for sharing all of your stories this week. I’ll keep them with me and keep in touch with everyone. I hope I can do it.
Glenn I can relate completely. I binge drink. I can go for days without drinking, but once that bee is in my bonnet, I feel I can’t stop it. Hope I can overcome this.
Now on day 5! Slept well, but when I got up was slammed with cramps and cold sweats….nothing like that has occured until now. Not sure what’s going on. Took some medicine and will hopefully make it through work today. Ian – I’m not on facebook and congrats on 29! Glenn – I’m east coast too. The forum Daggy mentioned: click on Alcohol Support Forum on this page in the mid right, then click on General Recovery forum, then the first forum you see is Sobriety Challenges. Aquiles – welcome and you sound very strong! I’m sure the cravings will be bad today…my symptons are probably my body and brain trying to deal with no alchohol! I will try your water method. Stay focused everyone…good to read all the posts.
Good job Diane. Stick with it! Same to you Aquiles. You can do it and keep posting. It’s a good release.
Excuse my grammar above ,there are some words i wrote instead of what i was trying to say.oopss i hope it makes sense though.
Hello I’m 30 yrs old male and i’m here on day 3, first day was cake due the guiltiness of being an alcoholic for 3 years straight (12 pack a day if not more), second day wasn’t that bad either but at nite time couldn’t really sleep so i watched movies until i passed out of being tired,day 3 however i was doing good for the most part until the cravings crept in running through my mind, so i forced my self to drink 2 full glasses of water every time i thought about alcohol and somehow the cravings went away, not to mention that im eating more now than before which also helped. I now have 25 bucks extra in my pocket which is also a plus. I did the math and concluded that i’ve been spending $2260 a year in just alcohol!! fuck that! that is a big chunk of change wasted i coud have used for a down payment on a nice car or sometime. i think about all this including the shitty hangover and opportunities i lost due my alcoholism every time i have a craving plus the mentioned above about the water and food. IT works for me.
ALCOHOL YOU CAN KISS MY ASS GOOD BYE!
I’ll came back here to report on my status in a week or so just so i can help people with this problem, im confident i’ll pull out of this sickness. thanks everybody for your post, good motivation as well.
And in case anyone was wondering, nope, I’m not up at 3am on a late night binge.
I’m EST in the states. It’s 11pm my time.
How’s everyone doing today? Anna? Diane? Ian, day 29? Sadie? Matt? Hope all is well… Daggy, I looked for that forum but couldn’t find it?
Here we go, this is now me well into my 28th day (apparently thats the magic number to recovery) i have my cold glass of water infront of my my laptop turned on and im just nosying through facebook.I really need to get rid of the photo of me in my mankini off that as my profile.Anyways, feeling good, excited,even more excited tomorrow will be 29 days straight.Cheers for the belief Diane and Glenn, you will need to perhaps add me to facebook if you use it, and no, not so you can see me in my mankini either.lol..Also DAGGY mate could you maybe help me, i was trying to find the other forum you mentioned but for the life of me i couldnt find it, as far as laptops go im pretty much …how can i put it..as dumb a$$.lol..get intouch dude, it would be great to chat to others who are in there own “journey”, it would be really appreciated.Cheers,, and STAY STRONG TROOPS.
.
Hey – well it’s day 4 in the late afternoon here in the US and I can’t keep my mind off a lovely glass of wine. I’ve read some posts that days 4 and 5 are hard because all the alcohol has now left the body and the brain is in panic mode. To be honest, I haven’t been 3 days in over 10 years, so this craving is really really hard. When I get home from work, I’m going to curl up in a comforter and read a book. I’ll update tomorrow. Thanks again for all the support.
Ian, I have to agree with Diane, you are our little inspiration guy here! Haha! And I mean that with complete sincerity. To have someone open up daily is unbelievably supportive to everyone that checks in each day. Keep it up, but not for us, for yourself. As you wrote to me, I believe in ya bud.
Ian – you are a true inspiration! Congratulations on staying focused and strong. Starting day 4 which just seems so far from 28 days. My brother will be in town next week and a wedding in July are all in my future…just as Glenn said. Those types of events always meant alcohol. But for today I will concentrate on Day 4 and try to stay focused. I tried valerian root last night before bed and it did seem to help…think I actually slept most of the night. I have started checking in here before and after work. All the comments and tips seem to really help, so thanks to all.
WOW, never in my life have i been called an inspiration, im gob smacked.lol.Your totally correct weddings generally do invovle alcohol, its not a absolute requirement but it can make a stressful day go by just that little easier so im not one to say this but if you do have a drink, just promise yourself its for that day only, im going to be the same next month at least by then ill have a good couple of months behind me.What i always have before bed is an ice cold bottle of water, for 2 reasons mainly, it gives me something to drink other that tins of beer but as its now summer in scotland ( if thats what you want to call it,lol) it also helps cool me down as the heat is always a major factor in me not sleeping.Keep intouch Diane, any questions, tips etc etc dont be afraid to ask, and thanks for the compliment again.
DAY 28 IS HERE..LETS BRING IT ON ..CANNOT BELIEVE I HAVE LASTED THIS LONG, This is the longest ive been sober since the age of 14 im ashamed to say, but at the same time i have never been so proud of myself.Hope everyone is doing well out there and if anyone wants a chat gimme a wee shout.regards, ian.
Hi guys and congrats on what you’re doing. Just though I’d tell you that there’s a whole forum of people on this website, all supporting each other …the link is a yellow button near the top of this page on the right. If you go to the general recovery section and then click on ‘challenges’ you’ll find people who are in their first week alcohol free, second week, month etc. Do come over and say Hi if you’d like to
I am looking for a buddy to stop drinking. I drink a lot but not every day. Tired of being uncontrollable Mother. Such wrong thing!
How you coping Anna, hope your doing well, if i can assit in anyway please give me a wee shout pal.
HI, I did 3 days very well, no problems. then we had event and everyone had just 2 drinks., which planted a demon seed into my chemical mind that I need more. when I got home , i Had more. the conclusion is – one small drink would create an urge for the bigger one. So, Can’t do this anymore in any amounts! Love this web site and all support. I read it when everyone goes sleep and makes me feel good about not drinking at night! Day2.
Hi everyone! It’s nice to see more posts since yesterday. it’s hard to believe that I’ve tried so often to stop completely but something always comes up. Holidays, events… It’s almost like I begin to immediately associate all these things with an opportunity to drink. I’d like to congratulate Ian on 27 days. Something always comes up within that amount of time that sounds like a good reason to drink. But it always comes down to my being weak-never because it was a good reason. Sadie, Matt, Diane it’s always good to hear someone else is trying to give it up. Keep it up and you’ll begin to feel great. As I wrote in my original post I went 6 months without a drink about 5 yrs ago. I felt confident, had lost about 25 lbs and I have to say it was so much better than weekend blackouts. I’m hoping to get that back again. I’m glad I found this site. Hopefully it’ll be soon than later.
May I ask why did you start drinking again?
Stay strong Glenn, you can do it, you have done it before, you will do it again.i absolutly believe in you bud, and everyone else on here.:-)
I started drinking again for the same dumb reason I always start drinking-because I finally found a reason-thought that if I could go 6 months that I could actually ‘control’ my drinking. My mother was in the hospital (in Philadelphia) and the Phillies were in the championship game. Why not have a drink with my brother since we were in Philly with all this going on. And that’s how it all started again. Haven’t been able to stop since. I don’t drink all week, I don’t go to work hung over (sometimes on a Monday but for some reason i can control myself on nights i work the next morning) but I sure can pound them on the weekend starting Friday night when i get home. I always have this ‘Im missing out on something’ feeling if I don’t drink on the weekend. It’s like my thing to do. After a couple of months not drinking I kind of lost that feeling but then it came right back after the first one.
So happy I found this site. Starting day 3. Day 1 was actually pretty easy because I was so exhausted from years of drinking wine every night that I actually slept well. Last night a different story….pretty much tossed and turned all night. From past experience, tonight will be a big challenge. I need to work late and come straight home with no stops at the store. I will make it through day 3.
Ian – what is significant about the 28 day mark?
day 27 , had a pretty rubbish sleep last night which i found unusual as i thought i found my sleep pattern again last night, dont know if its cause the infamous “28 days” is upon me and that im scared once ihave completed that period i wonder will i go back to my old ways, i think now though i have came to far to even consider going back on the drink, must admit i am looking forward to the challenge of going out with mates and having perhaps a pint or 2 and then stopping at that, that will be my next big step, but until im comfortable within myself i wont be putting myself into that kinda temptation. not now, not ever again.
my dad went to rehab for drinking and oxycotton, so i figured id try and quit even though im doing it on my own. but i never realized what i promised, i am in a routine for the passed 7 years of getting black out drunk atleast 5 nights a week, and im only on my second day it these cravings are insane like extreme anxiety and head aches. i cant even listen to my music with out wanting a drink, or hang out with my friends because thats all they do is drink.
Hey everyone! Looks like everyone is just starting to add comments here. A few years ago I got a DUI and then totally sobered up for 6 months. I took a class at the local college, started running long distances again, etc. then i started drinking on the weekends like sadies other half and now Mondays and Tuesdays are much ‘slower’ again. I am completely disappointed with myself each time it happens. I’m 43 and of course i don’t recover like I used to. I keep trying to stop drinking all weekend but it sure is tough for me..
it also don’t help when my partner drinks Friday sat and Sunday and says they going to change but never does…just keep having the same row over it:-(
well im going to try just gotta find something to occupied myself on a Friday instead of craving a good session any suggestions guys ? x
Miranda, Sadie, Nicola..welcome and hope to god this page helps you like its helped me, im now onto day 25 and going strong, im feeling a lot healtier, started to loose the beer.lol..and life at home couldnt be better.All i can say is the initial part is learning to go to sleep without having a drink in you, its a tough nut to crack but once thats sussed then it gets easier and easier, i was told when i first gave up that i had 3 routines in my day to day life, my day routine of housework etc and getting ready for work, then my afternoon routine of doing the back shift, then the dreaded night time routine of drinking..i have just replaced that routine by coming home and taking my dog out for a good walk and then making sure i have atleast 3-4 bottles of ice cold water.Definatly does the trick, then when it comes to be time i may stay up a little later than i should but when i do go to bed i lay there and do my uptomst to think of nothing ..hope this can help any of you scared about giving up, but honestly go for it, im 36 and from scotland ( were a nation of drinkers) lol..If i can do it believe me so can we all.:-).