How to Deal with Alcohol Cravings When You're Trying to Stop Drinking
It's 5pm. You've had a long day, you promised yourself this week would be different, and suddenly there it is. The pull. The voice that says just one, or the feeling in your body that makes you want to jump out of your skin.
If that sounds familiar, first things first: there is nothing wrong with you. Cravings are a completely normal part of changing your relationship with alcohol. Some women get them intensely, some barely notice them, and most of us sit somewhere in between. But every craving has one thing in common. It will pass.
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In this video, Stephanie explains how triggers and cravings work, why they can feel so powerful, and what you can do when a craving hits.
Mastering Triggers and Cravings -
What actually is a craving?
A craving is a thought, a feeling, or both. It can be so strong that you genuinely believe that if you don't give it what it wants, you won't be able to cope.
But you will. It's a thought or a feeling, and it won't kill you, however loud it is.
For some women, a craving shows up as internal chatter: a nagging, bargaining voice that only seems to go quiet once there's a glass in your hand. For others, it's physical: restlessness, tension, a sense of urgency that fills the whole body. Many of us get a mix of the two.
It helps to understand where cravings come from. After years of drinking at certain times, in certain places, or when we feel certain emotions, our brains learn to expect alcohol. The clock hits six, the kids go to bed, the stressful phone call ends, and your brain nudges you: this is when we drink. That's not weakness. It's habit, and habits can be relearned. If you've ever wondered why stopping drinking can feel so much harder than you expected, I've written more about why stopping drinking feels so hard.
Your mind is more powerful than you think
Try this. Imagine a lemon. Picture its bright yellow colour and the dimpled texture of the skin. Now imagine cutting it in half, the juice dripping onto the chopping board. Can you smell it? Is your mouth starting to water?
There's no lemon. Your brain created that whole experience from a single thought. That's exactly what happens with a craving. A thought about wine can create a very real feeling in your body, even though nothing has actually changed.
Once you understand that, the craving loses some of its authority. It's not an instruction. It's just your brain doing what it's been trained to do.
Cravings always pass
Nobody has ever stayed stuck in one thought or feeling forever. A craving can feel intense, but it won't stay at that level. Cue-driven cravings can last anywhere from a few minutes to around 30 minutes, although the experience varies from person to person. Research into how long cravings last suggests they're temporary and become less intense over time.
Some women find it helpful to picture a craving as a wave. It builds, it peaks, and then it rolls away. You don't have to fight the wave; you just have to stay on your feet until it's gone.
And here's the really good news: the more times you ride one out, the easier it gets. Cravings become less intense, they show up less often, and for most women they eventually fade away altogether.
Want some support with this? Our free 5 Day Alcohol Reset sends you a short video each day for five days, five minutes each, helping you understand what's really driving your drinking, including your triggers and cravings. No shame, no labels, no pressure.
Press pause
Think about how many random thoughts you have in a day. Most of them you notice and let go without a second thought. You don't act on every one.
Learning to manage cravings is about treating the alcohol thought the same way. Notice it. Name it ("ah, there's a craving"). And then press pause rather than acting on it.
That pause is where your power is. You're learning not to take action on every thought and feeling that comes along, and that's a skill that gets stronger with practice.
Distraction really works
In the early days especially, distraction is your best friend. Rather than battling the craving head on, give yourself thirty minutes to do something else entirely. You're teaching your brain a new response to an old feeling.
What you choose depends on what your cravings feel like. If yours are mostly thoughts and chatter, try filling your head with something else: a podcast, an audiobook, a phone call with a friend, or calming sounds like waves. If yours are more physical, work with your body instead. A brisk walk, a run, dancing round the kitchen, loud rock music, even a cold shower can shift the energy and change how you feel very quickly.
Other ideas women in our community swear by include a really lovely alcohol-free drink in a nice glass, reading, a bath, playing with the kids or grandkids, or spending time with a friend who supports your choices. Anything that changes what you're doing, thinking or feeling.
A useful exercise: sit down now, when you're calm, and write a list of five things you could do next time a craving hits. Keep it on your phone or on the fridge, because in the moment it's much harder to think clearly.
Know your triggers and plan ahead
If your cravings arrive at predictable times, that's actually good news, because it means you can plan for them.
If 5pm is your danger zone, what could you do differently between half four and half five? Could you book a gym class, arrange a walk with a friend, or start cooking dinner with a favourite alcohol-free drink already poured? When you plan something in, the craving often arrives to find you're already busy.
If you'd like to go deeper on this, I talk through how triggers and cravings work, and what you can do about them, in the video above.
Listen to what the craving is telling you
Sometimes a craving is just habit. But sometimes there's something underneath it.
A craving can be a message. Maybe you're exhausted. Maybe you're hungry, lonely, anxious or overwhelmed. For some women, anxiety is particularly closely tied to drinking, and alcohol can end up making the cycle worse. If that's something you've noticed, you might find this article about alcohol and anxiety helpful. Maybe something isn't quite right in your life, or something's missing. Alcohol used to be the way you answered those needs, so your brain reaches for it.
Next time a craving shows up, get curious. Ask yourself: what do I actually need right now? Rest, food, a hug, a chat, some time to yourself? When you meet the real need, the craving often loses its grip.
A note on safety
If you've been drinking heavily every day, or you experience withdrawal symptoms such as shaking, sweating, nausea or anxiety when you don't drink, please don't stop suddenly without speaking to your GP or an alcohol support service first. Alcohol withdrawal is different from a craving and can be dangerous. The NHS advice on alcohol withdrawal explains when to seek medical help and what symptoms to look out for.
If you develop severe withdrawal symptoms such as confusion, hallucinations or a seizure, seek urgent medical help.
You don't have to do this alone
Cravings are one of the most common things women talk about when they first come to us, and one of the things they're most relieved to get support with.
If you're ready to take the next step, join our free 5 Day Alcohol Reset. It's five days and five minutes a day, delivered to your inbox. You'll start to understand your triggers, your cravings and your patterns, and discover what's possible when alcohol stops taking up so much space in your head.
Every craving you ride out is proof that you can do this. It gets easier. We promise.
