What to do when you feel a strong urge to drink alcohol

An urge rises, peaks and passes

A craving, or urge, is a strong wish to drink. It can be a thought, a feeling in your body, or an emotion. Urges are common when you change how much you drink. An urge does not mean you have failed.

An urge does not usually keep growing until you cannot bear it. A therapy manual published by NIAAA, a United States government health institute, says an urge usually lasts only a few minutes. At most, it lasts a few hours. It usually reaches its strongest point after a few minutes and then eases. Urges can return for weeks or months, and sometimes longer. As you learn to cope, urges come less often and feel less strong.

Check that it is not withdrawal

Withdrawal is different from an urge. It means the symptoms that can occur when a person who has been drinking heavily and regularly stops suddenly or cuts down. They include anxiety, poor sleep, sweating, shaking, a fast heartbeat, nausea and vomiting. They often begin within 6 to 12 hours of the last drink, and sometimes later. Withdrawal needs medical help. The steps below are for urges only.

What starts an urge

A trigger is anything that starts an urge. Common triggers include:

• People, places and times you connect with drinking, such as a party, coming home from work, or the weekend.
• Seeing alcohol, or seeing other people drink.
• Feelings such as stress, frustration, anger or sadness. Good feelings, such as excitement, can also start an urge.
• Your body: being tired, tense or hungry.

For about two weeks, note when each urge comes, what was happening and how strong it felt. This shows your pattern.

What to do when the urge comes

Choose two or three of these steps now.

• Delay. Decide to wait at least 30 minutes. The craving may ease in that time.
• Distract yourself. Take a walk, have a shower, do housework or a hobby.
• Eat something and have an alcohol-free drink. Hunger can make a craving worse.
• Call or message a person you trust. Ask them in advance to be ready.
• Read your reasons for change. Keep a short list on your phone.
• Leave. If the place or the people are the trigger, go elsewhere.

You can also observe the urge without fighting it. This is called urge surfing, because an urge rises and falls like a wave in the sea. Sit comfortably and take a few deep breaths. Notice where in your body you feel the urge and how it feels. Many people find the craving has gone after a few minutes. The Recoverly app has a craving tool that guides your breathing while you do this.

Plan ahead for risky times

If you drink heavily or every day, see a doctor before you make these changes. Stopping suddenly can be dangerous.

• Keep little or no alcohol at home.
• For now, avoid events where people drink. You can return to them later.
• Meet friends for activities without alcohol.
• Plan activities you enjoy for the time you usually drink. Many people feel bored or lonely when they stop drinking.
• Eat at regular times and get enough rest.

How to refuse a drink politely

At a wedding, a festival or a family gathering, someone may offer you a drink and insist. They may not know you are trying to change.

• Prepare your answer before you go, and practise it aloud.
• Answer quickly. Hesitating gives you time to find reasons to accept.
• Keep it short, firm and friendly: "No, thank you. I am not drinking."
• If the person insists, calmly repeat the same words.
• Keep an alcohol-free drink in your hand.
• Ask a family member or friend to support you. If it becomes too hard, leave.

When to see a doctor, and who to call

See a doctor if:

• You drink heavily or every day and want to stop or cut down.
• You need a drink when you wake up in the morning.
• You get anxiety, sweating, nausea, vomiting or poor sleep when you try to stop or cut down.
• Urges are very hard to manage, or these steps have not helped after a few weeks.
• Your drinking worries you.

A doctor can help you stop safely and can discuss treatment, including medicines that reduce the desire to drink. If you drank during an urge, what matters is your progress over time. Setbacks are common. Think about what started the urge and plan for next time.

Sources

This guide was written from the public health pages below. They are in English.

• How to Stop Alcohol Cravings · National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), Rethinking Drinking
• Building Your Drink Refusal Skills · National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), Rethinking Drinking
• Cognitive-Behavioral Coping Skills Therapy Manual (Project MATCH Monograph Series, Volume 3) · National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), U.S. National Institutes of Health
• Tips & Tools to Help You Quit Drinking · National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)
• Alcohol-use disorder · NHS (United Kingdom)
• Alcohol care team: Coping with craving · North Cumbria Integrated Care (NHS, United Kingdom)
• Alcohol withdrawal · MedlinePlus (U.S. National Library of Medicine)
• Substance use recovery and diet · MedlinePlus (U.S. National Library of Medicine)
• National Mental Health Programme · Directorate General of Health Services, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India
• National Action Plan for Drug Demand Reduction · Department of Social Justice and Empowerment, Government of India
• Other Helplines · National Commission for Women, Government of India

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