They say every day is a fresh start — but what if every day feels like the same failure all over again?

You’ve tried. After countless mornings of swearing this would be the last time, and countless nights of breaking that promise, you’re still waiting for it to get better. You know you have a problem with alcohol, and you genuinely want to stop drinking. You’ve told your loved ones you’re going to quit, and you mean it.

You feel guilty. Defeated. And you keep wondering why you can’t stop.

The truth is, you’re not alone. Cravings are part of the battle, and millions of people are trying to figure out how to beat addiction cravings and manage the urges that come with recovery. 

In this article, we suggest 12 different ways to cope with cravings that actually work, whether it’s alcohol, drugs, or even food.

Table of Contents

• What Happens During Alcohol Withdrawal?
• 12 Effective Ways To Cope With Cravings That Actually Work
• FAQs About Coping With Cravings
• Freedom From Alcohol Cravings Starts With Support –– Let Recovery Cove Help

What Happens During Alcohol Withdrawal?

How your body responds to alcohol withdrawal depends on several factors. Symptoms can range from mild to severe, depending on the degree of physiological dependence. 

• Mild symptoms include insomnia, anxiety, and gastrointestinal discomfort. 
• Moderate symptoms may involve elevated blood pressure or heart rate, confusion, and fluctuations in body temperature. 
• Severe symptoms include all of the above, along with hallucinations, seizures, and impaired attention.

These effects can arise as your body begins to heal from the damage caused by alcohol. Acute withdrawal symptoms are often the most dangerous and may require medical supervision. 

After one to four weeks, liver function, sleep quality, and mood stability typically begin to improve. Between one and three months, brain fog tends to lift, and cravings may decrease. After three months, overall health generally shows significant improvement.

12 Effective Ways to Cope With Cravings That Actually Work

#1: Understand and Acknowledge the Cravings

To deal with cravings, start by understanding and acknowledging them. Realizing that cravings are a natural part of addiction recovery — not a failure — can help you manage them and be more gentle with yourself.

Cravings are urges usually driven by the brain’s reward system. Being aware of this and focusing on the consequences rather than the immediate feeling is a strategy you can use to manage your cravings.

#2: Redirect Your Energy

One of the most effective ways to avoid giving in to cravings is to redirect your energy. Cravings are temporary and will pass, so distracting yourself while they do is a useful strategy. Try choosing activities that require your full attention, such as solving crossword puzzles, reading, doing yoga, painting, or trying something new.

#3: Learn Deep Breathing and Relaxation Techniques

Although not everyone is fully aware of their stress and anxiety, learning to recognize these feelings is important because cravings are often triggered by them. Cravings can happen unexpectedly, so being equipped with strategies you can use immediately when urges arise will help you get through them. Techniques like meditation, yoga, or deep breathing are examples of such strategies.

#4: Create and Call on Your Support Network

Having people who truly support your journey around you is one of the best ways to manage your cravings. A strong network of friends, family, or a support group will listen to you, cheer you up, and even hold you accountable when you need it most. Because the people who love you deeply care about your recovery, you can count on them often.

#5: Identify Triggers

It’s essential to identify triggers because they directly cause your cravings. If you can control your triggers, you’ll be better able to manage cravings. Carefully observing yourself and your surroundings can help you understand what causes your cravings. Some triggers are easy to avoid, such as a specific place; others, like a certain friend, aren’t, so learning to choose wisely is a strategy that can help.

#6: Cultivate Healthy Habits

Educate yourself about how to form healthy habits, and do your best to replace old habits with new, healthier ones. Having a routine that includes exercise, a balanced diet, and good sleep will improve your overall health. When you’re healthy, your cravings will likely decrease, and you’ll be better able to tolerate their effects.

#7: Seek Therapy

Sometimes, a bit of extra help from experts is all you need to develop strategies to cope with your cravings. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) helps people change negative thought patterns and behaviors to manage stress, overcome addictions, improve relationships, and overall, enhance mental health. When you attend CBT, you’ll learn effective strategies to manage your cravings.

#8: Practice Mindfulness

Learning to pay attention to the present moment with mindful awareness and without judgment, and to observe your cravings with compassion, will help you avoid impulsively reacting to them. This practice also helps you gain self-awareness and, as a bonus, is a great way to manage stress and anxiety.

#9: Create a Relapse Prevention Plan

It’s always a good idea to have a relapse prevention plan; you never know when you might need it, so it’s best to be prepared to prevent things from getting worse. 

Seek support from a therapist or counselor; they can guide you through creating your plan and provide professional advice on what to do in case of a relapse. Your plan might include attending a meeting, reaching out to your sponsor, or talking with your therapist.

#10: Practice Journaling

Writing is a powerful tool that many people overlook. When you write, you take your thoughts out of your mind and put them on paper, which helps clear your mind. 

Journaling also allows you to reflect on your thoughts, triggers, and emotions, so you can address them more effectively. It can be motivating to look back on your journey and see how far you’ve come.

#11: Celebrate Milestones

There’s nothing more empowering than celebrating yourself. You’re the one who knows how much work you’ve put into managing your cravings, how many difficult challenges you’ve overcome, and the reasons why you’re on this journey.

Recognizing your progress, even if it seems small, can boost your self-esteem and motivate you to stay sober. Celebrating milestones —such as achieving short-term goals, landing a new job, excelling at an assignment, or improving your relationships — will make your journey more rewarding and enjoyable.

#12: Reach Out for Professional Help

If you feel you can’t manage your cravings because they’ve become intense and constant, consider seeking professional help. A healthcare provider or addiction specialist understands what you’re going through and can guide you through the next steps. They might suggest Medication Assisted Therapy (MAT), recommend a support group, or offer other resources to help you control your urges.

Having a team of experts supporting you during your journey to manage cravings is crucial to your success. At Recovery Cove, we are ready to share our expertise with you.

FAQs About Coping With Cravings

What Helps Reduce Alcohol Cravings?

Tangible ways to reduce alcohol cravings include:  

• Maintaining balanced nutrition to stabilize blood sugar and reduce unhealthy eating.  
• Exercising to boost mood and lower stress-induced cravings.  
• Taking prescribed medications to help with brain chemistry reduces physiological cravings.  
• Attending CBT, enrolling in an Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP), or practicing mindfulness to build mental resilience and control urges.  
• Controlling your environment to limit exposure to triggers

How Do You Deal With Alcohol Cravings?

You can use behavioral techniques to manage cravings in the moment. Some useful ones are:

• The 5-minute rule (Delay-Distract-Decide): Wait 5 minutes before reacting. Distract yourself during this time, then reassess if the urge is still strong.  
• Name it to tame it: Pause and identify your feelings: loneliness, sadness, boredom, hunger, stress. Saying it out loud or writing it down engages your brain and reduces the emotional pull. 
• Surf the urge: Treat your craving like a wave, don’t fight it, observe it. It will rise, peak, then pass. Focus on your body and breathe through it.

What Are Coping Skills for Alcoholism?

Coping with Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) involves more than resisting cravings—it requires developing a range of skills to support recovery:

• Emotional skills: Manage your feelings through journaling, talking to loved ones, or practicing breathing techniques.  
• Psychological skills: Change thought patterns with CBT and mindfulness.  
• Social skills: Improve relationships and build support by joining peer groups and reaching out to specialists.  
• Practical skills: Develop healthy routines through exercise, hobbies, and avoiding triggers.  
• Spiritual skills: Find meaning and purpose through meditation, faith, and helping others.

Freedom From Alcohol Cravings Starts With Support –– Let Recovery Cove Help

At Recovery Cove, we believe in treating the whole person through a holistic approach to recovery. We’re proud to help our clients start fresh and embrace a new chapter in their lives.

Our services include evidence-based therapies, holistic modalities, and support for co-occurring (dual diagnosis) conditions. We also assist with insurance certification and work hard to make treatment accessible and affordable.

If you or someone you know could benefit from our care, don’t hesitate to contact us today to learn more about our holistic approach and how our programs can support you or your loved one.