How to Stop Alcohol Cravings: Tips and Treatment Options

Studies have found that alcohol may increase sleepiness momentarily. Once these effects wear off, alcohol causes the person to wake up more often throughout the night and reduces the overall duration and quality of sleep 4. For example, you’ll cut back on half a glass of wine each week until you hit your goal of 2 glasses of wine weekly. Go through the list and reflect on whether any of these apply to you.

• Therapy combined with an AUD program tends to lead to a high recovery success rate.
• Mindfulness is the practice of being present and aware of our thoughts, feelings, and surroundings.
• For instance, if our office’s Friday pizza tradition triggers cravings for beer, we can consider stepping out for lunch that day or bringing a non-alcoholic beverage that we’ll enjoy.
• The most commonly used treatment is substance use disorder therapy.
• It enables you to replace alcohol-related habits (such as drinking after work) with healthier alternatives, such as going to the gym.

Improved immune function

Think about these ebbs and flows as though they were waves in the ocean. The urge loses its grip on you when you realize it won’t last forever. Dr. Bowen’s MP3 files (link above) offer an excellent “urge surfing” meditation. According to the CDC, heavy drinking is defined as 15 or more drinks per week for men and 8 drinks or more per week for women (2). Researchers have found that alcohol disrupts normal immune system function, Substance abuse weakening the body’s ability to fight off infections. Because alcohol is a sedative, it may help you to initially fall asleep at night.

Long-term strategies

• Once drinking becomes a habit, your brain gets used to the good feelings that come with alcohol.
• An urge to drink can be set off by external triggers in the environment and internal ones within yourself.
• The trouble with learning how to stop alcohol cravings for me was that my subconscious mind truly believed that drinking alcohol would make me feel better.
• Go on a walk—somewhere where you normally would not drink alcohol—and don’t feel the need to pressure or “test” yourself.

Another approach is taking medication that makes the person violently ill when they drink. The treatment helps the person not crave alcohol because of the unpleasant experience. Most alcohol abusers who are having withdrawal symptoms have a shortage of several vitamins and minerals and can benefit from nutritional supplements. In particular, alcohol abuse can create a shortage of folate, thiamine, magnesium, zinc, and phosphate.

• Just take a sip,” or, “C’mon, just one drink,” to somebody in alcohol recovery.
• “A typical craving might last for 3 to 5 minutes,” notes Christina Hanks, senior recovery coach and care team manager at Tempest.
• Because alcohol is an unhealthy coping mechanism, it’s crucial to have structures in place that prevent you from using it as an emotional crutch.

Are cravings a sign of alcohol addiction?

Remind yourself of the goals you’ve set and the purpose behind them—whether that’s to lose weight, save money, or simply improve your wellness. Understand that these cravings do come, but they will also pass without you giving in to them. If you’re wondering how to stop alcohol cravings naturally, lifestyle changes are a good place to start. We’ll provide you with everything you should know about how to stop alcohol cravings in the rest of this article. That includes natural remedies, foods and drinks that can help, and well-rounded treatment options.

Avoid resetting the 24 hour alcohol cycle

Certain medications can reduce alcohol cravings or lessen withdrawal symptoms. Speak to a healthcare provider to determine if this approach suits you. Overcoming alcohol cravings can be a game-changer for our well-being as we cut back on alcohol or quit drinking altogether. It’s never too late to take control and break free from the vicious cravings cycle so many of us find ourselves in.

This SMART Recovery site doesn’t match your location

It is usually difficult for people who drink to be completely honest about how much they’ve been drinking. You should report your drinking history straightforwardly to your doctor so you can be treated safely for withdrawal symptoms. The best way to stop drinking is the one that’s most helpful for you. The practical methods and tactics below are some of the ways people find success in quitting alcohol. The two main causes of alcohol cravings can be explained by the incentive and tolerance models.

One effective way to reduce alcohol cravings is to avoid triggers that may lead to cravings. Triggers are certain situations or emotions that induce strong urges to drink. They can vary from person to person, but some common examples include social events, stress, and boredom. Once we’ve pinpointed our triggers, we can find ways to avoid or cope with them. For instance, if our office’s Friday pizza tradition triggers cravings for beer, we can consider stepping out for lunch that day or bringing a non-alcoholic beverage that we’ll enjoy.

Detox and Withdrawal

Much of this is dependent on factors specific to the individual, such as how severe their alcohol use disorder was and how long it has been since they have engaged in drinking. As you change your drinking, it’s normal and common to have urges or a craving for alcohol. The words “urge” and “craving” refer to a broad range of thoughts, physical curb alcohol cravings sensations, or emotions that tempt you to drink, even though you have at least some desire not to. You may feel an uncomfortable pull in two directions or sense a loss of control.