11 ways to curb your drinking

Alcohol detox can be difficult and even dangerous, especially if you drank heavily for a long time. It’s crucial to get medical care when you first quit drinking. You might feel physical withdrawal symptoms,5 like restlessness, shakiness, sweating, and nausea, for the first couple of weeks after you quit drinking. You might walk by a restaurant that was your go-to happy hour spot and suddenly get the urge to drink.

Detox and Withdrawal

Alcohol cravings can have physical and emotional symptoms.2 For instance, you could have vivid fantasies about alcohol. Over time, many people find their cravings easier to control and reduce in strength. Having a long-term plan for managing alcohol cravings can help prevent and overcome them when they https://ecosoberhouse.com/ do occur. Stress and tension can cause cravings and make a craving feel worse. Practicing mindfulness and relaxation techniques can help a person stay in the present and relax, which may reduce the craving. When they occur, alcohol cravings can feel overwhelming, even if they last only a few minutes.

Avoid Triggers

Therapists can instruct individuals in progressive muscle relaxation and diaphragmatic breathing that can be learned rather rapidly, and these can become tools to deal with cravings. Individuals can then focus on the more complicated aspects of cravings, such as learning about how to fight alcohol cravings, using distraction techniques, understanding triggers, etc. Individuals can also benefit from a combination of medication and behavioral interventions to address their cravings. Making the decision to cut back on your drinking, or stop drinking entirely, is a really positive step towards a much healthier lifestyle. However, reducing your alcohol intake can lead to cravings for alcohol. These can be quite intense and powerful, especially if you’re in the early days of your recovery from addiction.

Don’t keep alcohol in your house. Having no alcohol at home can help limit your drinking.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) approaches can also be incredibly effective in managing cravings. CBT helps you identify and challenge the thoughts and beliefs that fuel your addiction. It’s like being your own personal detective, investigating the crime scene of your cravings and gathering evidence to build a case against them. Now that we’ve explored the what and why of cravings, let’s talk about the how – as in, how on earth do we deal with these pesky urges?

• Write your drinking goal down and keep it where you will frequently see it, such as on your phone or taped to your refrigerator.
• If you begin to experience DT, you always need to get immediate medical attention, as it can be life-threatening.
• Studies show that mindfulness can even reduce the amount you drink.9 These activities promote self-acceptance and a sense of calm.
• Then check back in with yourself in minutes and see if the urge’s intensity has changed.

• In particular, she’s committed to helping decrease stigma around mental health issues.
• For others, regular follow-up with their primary doctor should be enough and can work, Holt says.
• As you heal, you’ll learn how to recognize and control cravings.
• Alcohol addiction changes your brain,1 most noticeably in the reward center.
• Both professional support groups and personal networks play intrinsic roles in recovery.

If certain people, places, or activities trigger a craving for alcohol, try to avoid them. This may mean making major changes to your social life, such as finding new things to do with your old drinking buddies—or even giving up those friends and finding new ones. If you’re a long-term, heavy drinker, you may need medically supervised detoxification. Talk to your doctor or an addiction specialist to learn more. No matter how long your cravings last, there are many ways to cope with the urge to drink. Sometimes you can avoid triggering situations—but that’s not always possible.

If you tend to drink too much whenever there is any alcohol in the house, get rid of it altogether,  the NIAAA recommends. Food can absorb the alcohol in beverages, so eating before or even while you drink can dampen the effect and may make you want to drink less, says Crews. You’ll get a 100% custom plan, then use daily texts to track your progress how to stop alcohol cravings and help you stay on target. Nipping temptation in the bud is easier than stopping it when it’s got a full head of steam. It was developed by Joseph Gerstein, M.D., a co-founder of SMART Recovery (and a good friend of mine). Before starting any complementary treatment, be sure to discuss it with a doctor to make sure it’s safe for you.

Medication-assisted Treatment for Curbing Alcohol Cravings

This article explores the connection between diet and alcohol cravings and provides practical tips to incorporate beneficial foods into your daily meals. If you’re looking for alcohol addiction treatment, The Recovery Village Ridgefield is here to help. We offer inpatient rehab and partial hospitalization programming, all in a serene mountain setting. With the help of our physician-led team, we can equip you with the tools for overcoming alcohol cravings.

• Cravings are response patterns that can be induced by these and other triggers.
• Naltrexone is a medication that belongs to a group of drugs known as opioid antagonists.
• It can take some time for a person’s brain chemistry to readjust after giving up alcohol.
• Steer clear of pubs and bars, plan social activities that don’t involve alcohol and remove alcohol from your house.
• Eating regularly throughout the day, rather than skipping meals, helps maintain stable blood sugar levels and prevents extreme hunger, which can trigger cravings.

Foods to reduce alcohol cravings