Alcohol cravings can be extremely challenging to overcome, especially if you are in early alcohol addiction recovery. Whether you want to cut down on how frequently you drink or are looking to prevent alcohol relapse while fighting addiction, understanding how to manage alcohol cravings is crucial.
The intensity of alcohol cravings diminishes the longer you go without drinking, but that doesn’t mean it’s not difficult, no matter how long you’ve stopped drinking or limited your intake. The reality is that conquering alcohol cravings is an ongoing process, but it is absolutely possible! In this article, we’ll explore why alcohol cravings happen and provide tips for managing them.
Alcohol Treatment in San Diego
What Are Alcohol Cravings?
To put it simply, alcohol cravings are a powerful and often overwhelming urge to consume alcohol. Cravings can arise from a combination of physiological, psychological, and environmental factors. Understanding what drives alcohol cravings is vital for developing effective strategies to manage them. Knowing what’s causing your desire to drink can help you confront and overcome the urge.
When you drink regularly or become addicted to alcohol, you train your body and mind to want to drink. Physiologically, your brain’s reward system gets used to alcohol. This leads to a dependence that causes intense cravings.
Causes of Alcohol Cravings
Alcohol cravings can be so intense because once you’ve trained your body and mind to rely on the desire for alcohol, you’ve changed your brain chemistry. Changing it back to not relying on alcohol is not always easy, especially if you’ve developed an addiction.
- Brain chemistry changes: Ongoing alcohol use affects your brain’s chemical messengers, called neurotransmitters. When these changes occur, you have to drink more to feel the same effects. In other words, when you drink regularly, you increase your tolerance because your brain’s chemical makeup has changed.
This also means that when you don’t drink, you may experience emotional distress and anxiety, along with alcohol cravings. This can make it more challenging to prevent alcohol relapse if you are in addiction recovery.
- Alcohol is habit-forming: You likely drink alcohol to induce the positive feeling it creates. Because it provides a sense of euphoria, drinking alcohol may soon become a reward, reinforcing your desire to drink.
Maybe you drink after a long or difficult day at work, telling yourself you’re drinking to relax. Or perhaps you drink in social situations to easily talk with others or dink after an argument with a loved one to “calm you down.” Whatever your reasoning, when you get into this habit, it can be challenging to break.
- Triggers: Everyone has triggers that make them feel or act a certain way. When it comes to giving in to your urge to drink alcohol, triggers, both internal and external, are a significant culprit.
Internal triggers involve thoughts, emotions, and memories. They make you feel sad, anxious, angry, or uncomfortable. External triggers include things like people, situations, or places. For example, being at a party, arguing with a loved one, ending a long workday, or visiting a bar.
The Impact of Alcohol Cravings on Mental and Physical Health
Alcohol cravings can have a profound impact on your mental and physical health. Mentally, the constant struggle to resist the urge to drink can lead to heightened levels of stress, anxiety, and depression. On top of that, you can experience emotional turmoil and feel like a failure when you succumb to your desire to drink. This can exacerbate mental health concerns and create a harmful cycle that hurts your well-being.
Unmanaged alcohol cravings can lead to alcohol abuse. In turn, this can lead to an array of health issues. Liver damage, cardiovascular problems, and neurological impairments, just to name a few. Not to mention, the physical withdrawal symptoms you may experience when abstaining are no walk in the park.
These adverse effects of drinking alcohol can contribute to a deteriorating sense of self-worth and overall life satisfaction. Dealing with alcohol cravings is key. It helps you reclaim your mental, physical, and emotional well-being.
Helpful Tips For Managing Alcohol Cravings
It’s essential to develop effective coping mechanisms for managing cravings. When you do, you can either cut down your drinking significantly or achieve long-term sobriety. Keep in mind that these tips are not a substitute for getting professional help for alcohol addiction. But when used along with alcohol treatment in San Diego, you can achieve optimal outcomes.
Mindfulness and Meditation
One valuable coping mechanism is mindfulness and meditation. You can make powerful changes when you can learn how to be present in the moment and fully aware of your feelings and emotions. In other words, when you experience an alcohol craving, what are you feeling at that exact moment?
Being aware of your feelings can help you avoid automatically giving in to your urge to drink. This practice is called “urged surfing, ” allowing you to ride out the craving without succumbing. Ultimately, this can help weaken the hold alcohol has on your behavior.
Changing Your Thinking Patterns
Challenging negative thought patterns and replacing them with more constructive ones can go a long way in managing alcohol cravings. You can develop a more balanced perspective by identifying and reframing your thoughts and beliefs. This can help reduce your desire to drink.
Of course, we understand this is easier said than done. That’s why partnering with a mental health professional who can help is imperative. You can learn how to effectively do this through alcohol rehab in San Diego at BOLD Health. Therapy to treat alcohol addiction is complex. However, our team of clinicians is experienced and able to help.
Engaging in Alternative Activities and Hobbies
Enjoyable activities and hobbies can be a healthy distraction from alcohol cravings. Physical exercise, creative pursuits, or social activities not centering around alcohol can provide a positive outlet for energy and emotions that can fuel alcohol cravings. Changing your focus and attention can break the cycle of alcohol dependence. It can help you find a healthy, fulfilling life.
Building a Strong Support System
Overcoming alcohol cravings is a challenging journey. It’s essential to have a strong support system in place to aid in the process.
- Trusted friends and family members
People in your life you can rely on to provide a listening ear, a shoulder to lean on, and encouragement are vital. They can also help hold you accountable and provide motivation to stay on track.
- Support Groups
There are several alcohol recovery support groups to choose from, including group therapy at BOLD Health. Support groups provide a safe and non-judgmental space for you to share your experiences and learn from others. You can receive guidance and support from others walking a similar path. And this is invaluable in your recovery journey.
- Mental Health Professionals
A therapist and addiction specialist, like a member of our team at BOLD Health, can help you address underlying issues contributing to alcohol cravings. Using evidence-based approaches to treating addiction can help you gain valuable understanding and coping strategies. Our team of experts can help you overcome the psychosocial and emotional factors driving alcohol consumption.
Medication for Managing Alcohol Cravings
As part of alcohol treatment in San Diego, your clinician may suggest specific medications that can help diffuse your desire to drink. When used in combination with therapy, these medications have been proven to help those struggling with alcohol use disorder (AUD) overcome addiction.
Medication for Managing Alcohol Cravings
As part of alcohol treatment in San Diego, your clinician may suggest specific medications that can help diffuse your desire to drink. When used in combination with therapy, these medications have been proven to help those struggling with alcohol use disorder (AUD) overcome addiction.
Naltrexone
Naltrexone is a commonly prescribed medication for treating moderate to severe AUD. Whether you’re looking to drink less or trying to quit drinking entirely, naltrexone can help.
This opioid blocker blocks opioid receptors in your brain, which, in turn, also prevents you from feeling the ‘rewarding” effects of alcohol. As alcohol becomes less enjoyable to you, alcohol cravings can also diminish.
Acamprosate
As another commonly prescribed medication for treating moderate to severe AUD, acamprosate can help reduce cravings, prevent alcohol relapse, and support recovery. Acamprosate is often used in place of naltrexone in those with liver problems or for those who use opioids and can’t take naltrexone.
While it’s unclear exactly how acamprosate works, researchers believe it helps restore chemical messenger balances in your brain that have been altered by excessive drinking, thus decreasing cravings.
You Can Count on BOLD Health for Quality Alcohol Treatment In San Diego
Conquering your urge to drink is a challenging but incredibly rewarding journey. Your progress won’t be linear. And setbacks are a natural part of the process. But it’s essential to have the support and expert guidance you need to prevent alcohol relapse and set you up for a life of sobriety.
At our outpatient alcohol rehab in San Diego, you’ll gain empowerment over your desire to drink. Through compassionate care and guidance and experienced alcohol treatment approaches, you can reclaim your life, free from the chains of addiction.
Your alcohol treatment in San Diego at BOLD Health may include:
- alcohol detox
- individual therapy
- group therapy
- family therapy
- medication management
- intensive outpatient program (IOP)
Imagine your life without the oppressive alcohol cravings. It sounds incredible, doesn’t it? Contact us to learn more about how we can help. It’s never too early to begin your sobriety journey.