How to manage Alcohol Cravings
Alcohol cravings are a normal phenomenon to experience with addiction recovery. Cravings refer to a range of thoughts, physical sensations and emotions that can tempt one to drink even though you have no desire to drink. The phrases “how to deal with alcohol cravings” and “how to stop alcohol cravings” are popular search terms for those who need support during the early days of alcohol recovery.
Alcohol cravings can be very challenging to overcome. This is especially true for the early days of recovery and those with severe alcohol addictions. They can be powerful and overwhelming. Fortunately, cravings and urges to drink are short-lived and can be controlled and managed. And on top of that, the intensity of cravings will slowly diminish the longer you go without drinking.
What are Alcohol Cravings?
Alcohol cravings are born in the brain. Alcohol cravings arise from the combination of physiological, psychological and environmental factors. They are often the worst and most difficult to manage during detox and withdrawal. Cravings consist of persistent thoughts of drinking, a strong physical longing for alcohol or an overwhelming urge to drink, no matter the time or place.
They are a common cause of alcohol relapse for those who are in the early stages of recovery. Alcohol cravings vary from person to person. It is important to understand what drives our alcohol cravings. Learning cues, triggers and what causes them can help to better confront the problem and overcome the urges. It can lead to the development of an effective strategy to manage alcohol cravings.
Factors that cause Alcohol Cravings
- Changes in brain chemistry. Ongoing alcohol use impacts your brain’s chemical messengers. Over time, alcohol impacts the neurotransmitters in your brain and you will have to drink more in order to feel the same effects. This increases tolerance. It also means that drinking can lead to the potential of experiencing emotional distress, anxiety and cravings.
- Alcohol is habit-forming. When you drink, you are likely to induce temporary positive feelings that create a sense of euphoria. Drinking then becomes a reward and reinforces the desire to drink. You drink after an unpleasant fight with your partner and you feel better. You drink after a hard day at work and you feel better. You drink at a party to loosen up and you feel better. All these positive associations with drinking drive your brain to believe you need more.
- External triggers. Everyone has triggers that can make them feel and act a certain way. External triggers are easier to identify and can be easier to avoid. External triggers are people, places, things, or times of day that offer opportunities to drink or that can remind you of drinking. They are tempting situations that can be more obvious and predictable.
- Internal triggers. Internal triggers include feelings of sadness, anxiety, anger or physical pain. These types of triggers can be set off by a fleeting thought, a positive emotion such as excitement or a negative emotion such as frustration. Going to a place where you used to drink or having an argument with a person may set off emotions that can lead to feelings of wanting to drink alcohol.
How to Stop Alcohol Cravings
Alcohol cravings can have a great impact on mental and physical health. The constant struggles to resist the urge to drink can lead to the development of stress, anxiety and depression. Unmanaged, these cravings can worsen mental health conditions and even lead to relapse, which causes physical damage such as liver disease, cardiovascular issues and neurological issues.
There may not be a way to completely stop alcohol cravings. But there are many effective methods to help manage cravings. By developing effective coping strategies and seeking out personal and professional support through peers, therapies and medical clinicians, patients are able to address underlying causes and triggers that contribute to alcohol cravings.
Tips on how to deal with Alcohol Cravings
- Avoid tempting situations. This might mean staying at home instead of going out. Make sure you have no alcohol in your home. Avoid social activities that may involve drinking.
- Distract yourself with new hobbies and activities that are a healthier alternative to drinking. Engage in daily physical exercise or new social activities. Dancing to music, going for a walk, reading a book, watching a funny movie or exploring your creativity through art are some examples of healthier options to drinking.
- Leave tempting situations early and quickly before your thoughts begin to escalate.
- Mindfulness and meditation. Learn how to be present in the moment and embrace being fully aware of your feelings and emotions. Allow yourself to ride out cravings without falling into their temptation.
- Change your thinking patterns. Challenge unhealthy thoughts and replace them with more constructive ones. Learn to develop a more balanced perspective and change your thought process, which can, in turn, reduce your desire to drink.
- Consider tracking or analyzing your cravings to drink to help you become more aware of what your triggers are and how to manage them.
- Practice new responses to urges to drink.
- Turn to your support system. Build a strong support system of friends, family, peers and professionals. Look into attending support group meetings or individual therapy. Or talk it out with a person you trust to support you in recovery. Emotional support can be just as critical to recovery as medical support.
- MAT. Medication assisted treatments are one of the most effective evidence-based treatments to help patients control, manage and stop alcohol cravings. FDA-approved medications such as naltrexone and acamprosate have been proven effective for treating cravings during alcohol detox and withdrawal.
Check Your Insurance Coverage for FREE
Find out if your insurance covers addiction treatment in minutes. We accept most insurance!
FDA-approved Medications to help manage Alcohol Cravings
- Naltrexone. This medication binds to the endorphin receptors in the brain and blocks out alcohol’s effects. This helps to lessen cravings and reduce how much alcohol you drink because it doesn’t allow alcohol to produce the positive sensations and sense of pleasure.
- Acamprosate. This medication helps to restore alcohol related imbalance in the brain. This can help ease the discomfort of alcohol withdrawal.
- Disulfiram. This medication will make a user less likely to drink because it can make it difficult for the body to metabolize alcohol. Ultimately, if you drink while on this medication, you will immediately experience unpleasant side effects of alcohol withdrawal.
How long does it take for Alcohol Cravings to go away?
The duration of alcohol cravings is dependent on each individual. There is no exact time frame for when they will go away. It is dependent on factors such as the person’s level of alcohol tolerance, severity of alcohol dependence, the duration in which alcohol was consumed, intensity of alcohol use and overall physical and psychological health of the person.
It is important to understand that experiencing cravings is a normal part of recovery. It is part of the recovery and healing process. Generally, alcohol cravings are most intense and severe during the early stages of recovery. This includes detox, withdrawal and during residential treatment. Fortunately, over time, the intense urges will decrease.
Reach out to Hotel California by the Sea
We specialize in treating addiction and other co-occurring disorders, such as PTSD. Our Admissions specialists are available to walk you through the best options for treating your addiction.
Treatment for Alcohol Use Disorder
Alcohol cravings are part of the alcohol addiction recovery process. They highlight the complex nature of addiction and the lifelong effort it requires to maintain recovery. When we crave alcohol, the body goes into a state of anticipation, urging us to want to drink alcohol or use other drugs. However, if we are able to identify what can trigger cravings, we can help manage and prevent them from turning into an alcohol relapse.
Professional behavioral health programs, such as Hotel California by the Sea, provide treatment for alcohol use disorder. We offer treatment at all levels of care including detox, residential, PHP and IOP. We help clients identify triggers for cravings and teach clients effective management strategies to deal with alcohol cravings through evidence-based methods. These include CBT, DBT and EMDR therapy. Hotel California by the Sea is dedicated to helping clients reach their goals in recovery and overcome their alcohol addiction.
References:
https://rethinkingdrinking.niaaa.nih.gov/tools/worksheets-more/how-stop-alcohol-cravings
https://rehabclinicsgroup.com/when-do-alcohol-cravings-go-away
https://www.healthline.com/health/alcohol-cravings
https://www.hazeldenbettyford.org/articles/what-is-craving
https://boldhealthinc.com/understanding-alcohol-cravings-and-how-to-manage-them/
