How to stop alcohol cravings: what helps, and when to get help
Cravings feel urgent, but they follow patterns you can plan for. Here are the strategies NIAAA recommends, how to turn them into a plan, and when to bring in a doctor.
NIAAA says urges to drink are short-lived, predictable and controllable, and recommends riding the urge out, reminding yourself of your reasons, talking it through with someone, distracting yourself, challenging the thought behind the urge, and leaving a tempting situation quickly [1]. If cravings are strong or frequent, a doctor can discuss the three FDA-approved medications for alcohol use disorder: naltrexone, acamprosate and disulfiram [2].
What a craving is
A craving is a strong urge to drink. Most people recognise the usual triggers: a certain time of day, a certain place, a feeling such as stress, boredom or loneliness, or a person or event you associate with drinking. NIAAA describes urges as short-lived, predictable and controllable [1]. Predictable is the useful word. If you can predict a craving, you can prepare for it.
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Six strategies from NIAAA
1. Ride it out
Instead of fighting the urge, accept it as normal and temporary, and remember that it will soon crest like a wave and pass [1]. Our urge surfing guide has a step-by-step version.
2. Remind yourself of your reasons
Write your reasons for change down when you feel good, so they are there when you do not. Keep them where you will see them, such as a note on your phone.
3. Talk it through
Tell someone you trust that you are having an urge. Saying it out loud takes some of its force away, and it makes it harder to hide.
4. Distract yourself
NIAAA lists distracting yourself with a healthy activity [1]. Good options use your hands or body: a walk, a shower, a workout, a task or a hobby. The goal is to give the urge time to pass.
5. Challenge the thought
Cravings come with a story: “One won’t hurt”, “I deserve this”, “I cannot cope without it.” NIAAA lists challenging the thought that is driving the urge [1]. Ask whether it is true, and what you would say to a friend who believed it.
6. Leave the situation
NIAAA lists leaving a tempting situation quickly [1]. It helps to plan your exit in advance, so you are not inventing an excuse in the moment.
Turn it into a plan
This is practical advice, not a clinical protocol. Spend ten minutes now, while you feel steady:
- List your three most common triggers. Time of day, place, feeling, person.
- Pick one response for each. Make it specific: “At 6pm, I walk round the block.”
- Write one reason you can read in a few seconds.
- Choose one person you will message when an urge is strong.
- Put it somewhere you will see it. Not in a drawer.
What we know about the techniques
The evidence for any single technique is modest. In a randomised study of 123 student smokers, brief urge-surfing instructions did not reduce urges, but those students smoked fewer cigarettes over the next seven days. The authors suggested it may change how people respond to urges [3]. That was smoking, not alcohol, and it was preliminary. NIAAA recommends the strategies above as practical tools [1].
When to talk to a doctor
If cravings are strong, frequent or keep pulling you back to drinking, tell a doctor. NIAAA says the US FDA has approved three medications for alcohol use disorder, naltrexone, acamprosate and disulfiram, and that none of them is addictive [2]. A doctor can tell you whether one fits your situation. If you drink heavily, do not stop suddenly on your own, because withdrawal can be dangerous [4].
The NIAAA Alcohol Treatment Navigator helps adults find evidence-based care [5], and the SAMHSA National Helpline (1-800-662-4357) is free, confidential and open 24/7 [6].
Is Sober Girl right for you?
- use an Android phone (the iPhone app is coming soon)
- want a private tracker, with your journal kept on your device
- want a day counter, money saved and a daily check-in in one calm place
- want a Craving SOS with a breathing exercise and a 10-minute timer
- want to start free and add Plus only if you need the journal, insights or milestone cards
- need it on an iPhone today (the App Store version is coming soon)
- want a community feed, live coaching or an AI chat
- want a structured multi-week education program
- need medical help for heavy drinking or withdrawal. An app is not treatment, so see the safety notes above
Frequently asked questions
How do I stop alcohol cravings?
NIAAA recommends riding out the urge, reminding yourself of your reasons, talking it through with someone, distracting yourself, challenging the thought behind it, and leaving a tempting situation quickly.
Why do I crave alcohol?
Cravings are usually tied to triggers such as time of day, place, stress, boredom or people you associate with drinking. NIAAA describes urges as short-lived, predictable and controllable.
Are there medications for alcohol cravings?
NIAAA says the FDA has approved three medications for alcohol use disorder: naltrexone, acamprosate and disulfiram. None is addictive. Ask a doctor whether one is right for you.
Is it safe to stop drinking suddenly?
Not if you drink heavily or every day. Withdrawal can be dangerous, so speak to a doctor first.
Sources
- How to Stop Alcohol Cravings. NIAAA, Rethinking Drinking.
- Professional support. NIAAA, Rethinking Drinking. Lists the three FDA-approved medications for alcohol use disorder and when to see a health professional.
- Surfing the urge: brief mindfulness-based intervention for college student smokers. Bowen S, Marlatt A. Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, 2009. A study of 123 student smokers, not drinkers. The authors call the data preliminary.
- Alcohol withdrawal. MedlinePlus (US National Library of Medicine), reviewed 1 January 2025 by Frank D. Brodkey, MD.
- NIAAA Alcohol Treatment Navigator. NIAAA.
- National Helpline. SAMHSA. Free, confidential, 24/7 treatment referral line: 1-800-662-4357.
How we write these. Every figure above links to the source it came from, and we label self-reported and observational results as such. Where we could not find a source we trust, the page says so instead of filling the gap. Sober Girl is made by ShipAI Lab and this is not medical advice. Sources were checked on 6 October 2026. If you spot an error, email us at integrateopenai@gmail.com.
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