How Long Do Alcohol Cravings Last?

When you're in the middle of an alcohol craving, ten minutes can feel like an hour.

And one of the first questions that can run through your head is:

How long is this shit going to last?

The frustrating answer is that there isn't one exact countdown that applies to everybody.

But there's an important distinction that can make cravings a little easier to understand:

One craving doesn't necessarily last very long. But cravings themselves can continue showing up at different points in recovery.

Those are two completely different things.

How Long Does One Alcohol Craving Last?

Alcohol cravings can come in waves.

They build.

They get loud.

And then they can come back down.

The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism describes urges to drink as generally short-lived and recommends learning to “ride out” an urge rather than assuming it will continue getting stronger forever.

That's important when you're standing in the middle of one.

Because your brain might be telling you:

This isn't going away.

I'm going to feel like this all night.

I might as well drink.

But how you feel at the peak of a craving isn't necessarily how you're going to feel later.

You don't have to make a permanent decision during a temporary wave.

Why Do Alcohol Cravings Feel So Long?

Because you're paying attention to every fucking second of them.

Think about ten normal minutes.

You barely notice them.

Now spend ten minutes actively trying not to do something your brain is telling you to do.

Suddenly you're watching the clock.

You're thinking about alcohol.

You're arguing with yourself.

You're wondering whether the craving is getting stronger.

That can make a relatively short period feel enormous.

It's one reason I like making the problem smaller:

Don't worry about staying sober forever. Get through the next ten minutes.

Then reassess.

If you need another ten, do another ten.

Why Do Alcohol Cravings Keep Coming Back?

This is where people sometimes get discouraged.

You get through one craving.

Then another shows up days later.

And you think:

What the hell? I thought I already dealt with this.

But cravings can be connected to triggers.

NIAAA describes both external triggers—people, places, things and times associated with drinking—and internal triggers, including thoughts, emotions and physical sensations.

That means completely different situations can bring alcohol back into your mind.

Friday night.

Getting home from work.

An argument.

A celebration.

Payday.

A certain song.

Being exhausted.

Being lonely.

Walking past the liquor store.

Sometimes you don't consciously notice the trigger until after the craving arrives.

Can You Still Crave Alcohol Months After Quitting?

Yes, cravings can still occur later in recovery.

That doesn't automatically mean something has gone wrong.

NIAAA's recovery definition even specifically excludes craving when defining remission from alcohol use disorder, recognizing that craving can persist independently of other symptoms.

And that distinction matters.

You could be building a completely different life and still have an old association unexpectedly show up.

The thought isn't the decision.

Your brain remembering drinking isn't the same as you deciding to drink.

Do Alcohol Cravings Get Easier?

They can.

NIAAA's guidance says that with time and practice responding differently to urges, they can lose strength and become easier to handle.

And there's something encouraging about that.

Every craving gives you an opportunity to practice another response.

Trigger.

Craving.

Pause.

Different choice.

You're not necessarily trying to create a life where alcohol never crosses your mind again.

You're building a life where alcohol crossing your mind doesn't automatically determine what happens next.

What Should I Do While an Alcohol Craving Passes?

Don't just sit there staring at the clock if you don't have to.

Change something.

Change rooms.

Go outside.

Eat something.

Grab something non-alcoholic to drink.

Walk.

Shower.

Put music on.

Watch something stupid.

Play a game.

Call somebody.

Get away from wherever alcohol is easily available.

NIAAA similarly recommends strategies including avoiding tempting situations when possible, reminding yourself why you're making the change, talking to someone you trust, distracting yourself, challenging the thought driving the urge, and riding the urge out without drinking.

You don't get bonus points for making a craving harder than it needs to be.

Start Paying Attention to Your Patterns

After the craving passes, ask yourself:

What happened right before that?

Not so you can beat yourself up.

So you can learn something.

Maybe 5 PM is difficult.

Maybe Friday nights are.

Maybe arguments are.

Maybe being hungry after work is.

Maybe seeing certain people drinking brings something back.

Once you start recognizing those patterns, you can start preparing for them.

That's very different from being blindsided every time.

A Craving Doesn't Have to Win

When a craving hits, it can feel like there are only two possible outcomes:

Drink.

Or spend the rest of your life fighting the urge to drink.

There's another option.

Wait.

Let the wave move.

Do something else.

Ask for support.

Get through ten minutes.

Then another ten if you need it.

You don't have to win the rest of your life tonight.

You just have to decide what you're doing right now.

This too shall pass. 🖤