Alcohol Cravings

Anyone who has struggled with alcoholism knows that the cravings and urges to drink can seem overwhelming at times. When you are going through alcohol withdrawal and are trying to get sober, you will experience cravings for an alcoholic drink, and if you are not prepared, you may succumb to your desires. You can prepare yourself for a successful recovery, however, by developing strategies for how to reduce alcohol cravings. When you do so, you lower the odds dramatically that you will fall off the wagon back into alcoholism.

2 Minute Read | Published Aug 04 2023 | Updated Oct 11 2023

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Behavioral Strategies

One group of strategies for effectively fighting the urge to drink is behavioral in nature. When the urge to drink comes, there are things you can do to hold the urge at bay until it passes. These include:

Confronting the Reason for the Urge: If you feel the need to drink, ask yourself the question, “Why do I crave alcohol?” By locating the stressor that lies behind the urge to drink, you can either extricate yourself from the stressful situation or find a better way of dealing with it. Also, you should have some awareness of what makes you most prone to drink. Avoiding people or situations that inspire your drinking urges is a top strategy for avoiding alcohol.
Do Something Else: When you feel the urge to drink, channel that energy into something else. What helps alcohol cravings by providing other outlets that can distract you from the desire to drink? Exercise, calling a friend, engaging in a hobby, and other such diversions are good ways to manage cravings. Have another go-to activity when you want to drink and you will increase your odds of successfully beating your cravings.

Nutritional and Medical Strategies

There are also ways to reduce alcohol cravings through food and medicine. The answer to the question, “Why do I crave alcohol”? may be that your body is looking for something sweet because alcohol provides sugars to your body. A small, sweet snack can help ward off cravings. What helps alcohol cravings besides sweets? Administrators of traditional and alternative rehab programs note that alcohol cravings near mealtime often subside after you eat a good meal.

Besides food, there are medical treatments that reduce alcohol cravings. Highly trained medical professionals who oversee addiction recovery programs know how to reduce alcohol cravings through prescription medicines. Inpatient programs can provide you with a steady, safe supply of substances that can help reduce and eliminate your alcohol cravings while you are being treated, and the addiction counseling in these programs can assist you in developing better ways to handle the problems that led to addiction. Call today or fill out our contact form and we will match you with an accredited rehab program near you.