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Aug 11, 2023 · Certain foods are thought to reduce alcohol cravings due to their nutritional content. They can support brain health, balance mood, boost energy levels, and fill the nutrition gap left by alcohol misuse.
- Overview
- Things to try in the moment
- Long-term strategies
- How medication can help
- The bottom line
Exploring a few changes in your relationship with alcohol?
Maybe you want to:
•cut the amount of alcohol you drink each week in half
•limit yourself to no more than two drinks per week
•give up alcohol completely, for a set period of time or permanently
But in spite of your goals and no matter how committed you are to changing your habits around drinking, avoiding alcohol might prove a little more difficult than you expected.
When a craving for alcohol strikes, a good first step involves acknowledging the craving, according to Mehta. She goes on to explain that while the craving might be intense, it will lessen and pass in a few minutes.
“A typical craving might last for 3 to 5 minutes,” notes Christina Hanks, senior recovery coach and care team manager at Tempest.
Understand your triggers
Taking time to explore the specific people, places, and situations that cue your urge to drink can make a big difference. “When we encounter things that remind us of a drinking episode, we can experience intense cravings,” Mehta explains. She notes that it can help to avoid your triggers as much as possible in early recovery, since triggers are often most intense when you first stop drinking. Avoiding triggers might mean: •moving your wine rack to the basement or giving it to a friend •choosing restaurants that don’t serve alcohol •hanging out with friends at times you don’t associate with drinking •changing up your commute to avoid passing your favorite bar •practicing good self-care to address needs for sleep, food, water, and companionship Of course, addressing your triggers at the source can also go a long way toward helping you make lasting changes. Maybe you experience your strongest cravings when you feel anxious or stressed or find yourself facing conflict with someone you care about. Learning to work through difficult emotions and handle these challenges in more productive ways can improve your relationships and overall well-being, not to mention help reduce the urge to drink.
Build your own personalized toolkit
Just as different things can trigger alcohol cravings from person to person, different strategies can help you manage them. In other words, what works for a friend won’t always work for you. That’s why building your own recovery toolkit can make a difference in your ability to weather the most intense cravings. You might even have two different toolkits: •an actual physical box or bag that includes things like a comforting book, a favorite snack, a treasured possession, or a journal •an “invisible” toolkit of things you can’t see or touch, like your favorite mindfulness or breathing exercises, words of self-compassion, and affirming mantras “Long-term, we’re building a safety net around ourselves,” Hanks says. “You are at the center of your recovery, and it can help to frame it as an act of creativity. You’re painting your own recovery journey, and stroke by stroke, you’re learning better ways to cope.”
Break the habit loop
If you’ve ever tried to break any habit, you probably know it’s often easier said than done. Understanding the three distinct components of your habit loop can help you come up with more specific strategies to overcome cravings when they pop up. •First, there’s the cue, or trigger — the first twinge of anxiety before a date, or an upsetting email from your boss. •Then there’s the routine — having a glass or two of wine with your roommate when you both get home from work, or ordering a drink with dinner. •And finally, the reward that reinforces the habit — a pleasant buzz, a better mood, or a drop in your stress levels. Once you identify the cues, routines, and rewards that keep your habit loop on a repeat cycle, you can experiment with new routines that yield even more fulfilling rewards. Learn more about making the habit loop work for you.
Alcohol cravings can be difficult to manage alone, and there’s no shame in needing a little extra support.
Medication is one additional option for handling intense and persistent cravings:
•Naltrexone (Vivitrol, Revia) works by binding to your endorphin receptors and blocking alcohol’s effects. It can help lessen cravings, reduce the amount you drink, and make it easier to maintain sobriety once you stop drinking.
•Acamprosate (Campral) also helps reduce cravings, though some research suggests it may be slightly more effective for continuing sobriety after you’ve already stopped drinking. This medication appears to help restore alcohol-related imbalances in brain chemistry and ease withdrawal symptoms.
•Disulfram (Antabuse) doesn’t directly prevent cravings. Rather, it can make you feel less like drinking because it makes it difficult for your body to metabolize alcohol. If you drink when taking this medication, you’ll experience a number of unpleasant and unwanted effects, including nausea and vomiting, headache, sweatiness, and more. It’s not prescribed as often as it once was, but it’s still an option.
Interested in trying medication for alcohol cravings? A doctor or psychiatrist can offer more information and help you explore possible treatment plans.
Alcohol cravings are common, especially when you first try to change your drinking habits. It could take some time and effort to find a strategy that helps you navigate them effectively, but you do have plenty of options for support.
Therapy, medication, and recovery programs can all have benefit for reducing and preventing cravings. Combining medication with therapy and other interventions can prove even more helpful than medication alone.
At the end of the day, just remember you don’t have to run the course alone — connecting with a therapist or joining a recovery program can make all the difference.
Crystal Raypole writes for Healthline and Psych Central. Her fields of interest include Japanese translation, cooking, natural sciences, sex positivity, and mental health, along with books, books, and more books. In particular, she’s committed to helping decrease stigma around mental health issues. She lives in Washington with her son and a lovably recalcitrant cat.
Mar 26, 2024 · How to Stop Alcohol Cravings Naturally. Along with medication and other treatment support, a range of alternative therapies may be effective in lessening alcohol cravings and other withdrawal symptoms. 1. Foods to reduce alcohol cravings
- Understanding Alcohol Cravings: The First Step to Overcoming Them. Unpack the science of alcohol cravings. Learn the common signs to recognize these desires.
- Coping Strategies for Alcohol Cravings: Tools for Your Recovery Journey. Learn how you can practice mindfulness and meditation to manage cravings. Discover practical distraction and substitution techniques to resist alcohol urges.
- Role of Diet in Managing Alcohol Cravings: Nourish Your Body, Nourish Your Mind. Learn about specific foods to mitigate alcohol cravings. Understand the importance of hydration and a balanced diet in managing cravings.
- Psychological Techniques to Overcome Alcohol Cravings: Harness the Power of Your Mind. Understand the role of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in managing alcohol cravings.
- Avoid Triggers. One effective way to stop alcohol cravings is to avoid triggers that may lead to cravings. What are triggers? Triggers are certain situations or emotions that induce strong urges to drink.
- Build a Support System. Another helpful way to combat cravings is to develop a support system. This may include friends, family, or even professional help.
- Develop Coping Mechanisms. Coping mechanisms are key to managing cravings (and to navigate life’s ups and downs!). Deep breathing techniques calm our body and mind when cravings pop up.
- Find (Healthy!) Distractions. Similarly, engaging in activities that provide a sense of satisfaction or pleasure, such as indulging in a favorite hobby or spending time with loved ones, distract us from cravings.
Fortunately, urges to drink are short-lived, predictable, and controllable. This short activity offers a recognize-avoid-cope approach commonly used in cognitive behavioral therapy, which helps people to change unhelpful thinking patterns and reactions.
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If you’re trying to stop drinking or recovering from alcohol addiction, cravings can make it difficult to avoid relapse. While you should seek medical treatment if you’re experiencing severe withdrawal symptoms, there are remedies to manage your alcohol cravings at home.
