How Long Are Those Cravings Going to Last?

Getting sober and suffering the intense effects of cravings go hand in hand. There’s really no way around it. You can think of it as a rich, rewarding experience – if you’re an optimist. But the bottom line is this: It can be a physical and psychological hell.

And hearing a technical description of craving as it applies to alcoholics or those trying to get off drugs brings little comfort. Here’s what the experts say:

“Physical alcohol cravings occur when the sufferer has built up a tolerance for alcohol or drugs over a period of time. As alcohol starts to be processed by the liver and to some extent excreted in the urine, the cravings signal the body that it is running out of ‘fuel’ and needs a refill.”

Cravings for a drink or a drug are signals to the body that it’s time to give the body what it needs. Thus, an intense desire for a drink or drug is quite natural, according to those in the know.

It might be “quite natural,” but it’s not fun. And you want to know what’s really unfair? Those cravings will happen even when you’re working a good program – hitting meetings, talking with your sponsor, reading the literature, helping out the guy with less time than you.

The frequency, intensity and duration of cravings differ from person to person. They are as inevitable as a hangover after a long night out on the town. The good news is that these desires gradually taper off in frequency and duration as time – and continued abstinence – goes by. The trick is to stay sober while riding out the I-want-a-drink-right-this-minute-blues.

Here are some suggested activities that have worked for millions in recovery. If you sense a theme in the list below, it’s probably the recommendation that you “get out of yourself.”

• Make sure you don’t find yourself alone in a place where alcohol or drugs are available.
• . Replay the tape. Think back to past drinking experiences, because they definitely weren’t all good. Once you start drinking or using, it’s very hard to stop. Like they say: It’s 10 times easier to stay than to come back.
• Clean your house, walk the dog, visit someone, go to the gym. These activities take your mind off the cravings. Some 12-step sponsors, when told by their suffering alcoholic that they need a drink, toss them their car keys and say, “Go wash my car.” The resentment itself probably keeps the new guy sober for that day.
• Call someone in recovery. That’s why God created cell phones. Think how difficult that was in the old days, when you had to plunk a dime in a pay phone to call for help. Be grateful for that, if nothing else. And make those calls.
• Pray. Ask your higher power to help you get through this bout of craving. Repeat the Serenity Prayer. If you don’t have that memorized yet, carry a copy around in your wallet.
• Nothing beats saddling up and going to a 12-step meeting. Better yet, go to a meeting and share about your cravings. You can bet someone will come up afterward and give you support or suggestions. Or maybe they’ll take you to the movies, yet another way to get booze off your brain.

Millions of folks before you discovered that cravings, no matter how intense, pass with time. And then you get the feeling of relief and success that you’ve made it another hour or another day without a drink or drug.

That’s probably why they call it recovery. You’re slowly taking your life back.