What to Do When the Urge to Drink Returns

Managing Cravings and Urges in Alcohol Recovery

For many people in recovery from alcohol addiction, the decision to stop drinking is only the first step. The physical discomfort of withdrawal during detox can be intense, but what often follows is just as challenging: navigating cravings, triggers and emotional ups and downs that emerge during early sobriety.

Getting sober is different from staying sober. The urge to drink and experiencing cravings are a normal part of recovery. They don’t reflect failure or weakness, but rather a learned brain response to emotional cues, stress, or familiar routines. You may experience these urges in moments of stress, boredom, or loneliness, or when you’re in social settings where alcohol is present.

Understand Your Triggers and Prepare for Them

Triggers can be external (such as certain places, people, or smells) or internal (like difficult emotions, tiredness, or low self-worth). Avoiding your triggers where possible is one important strategy; this might mean steering clear of bars, skipping certain events, or even changing jobs if your work environment contributed to drinking.

But not every trigger can be avoided. That’s why it’s essential to have a toolkit ready, to help you cope, pause, and make supportive choices even when the urge feels strong.

Practical Tips to Handle the Urge To Drink

Urges tend to rise and fall in waves. Most last only 20 to 30 minutes. During that window, here’s how you can redirect your focus and reduce their intensity:

• Have a plan. Before urges strike, know what steps you’ll take, whether that’s leaving the room, calling a supportive friend, or going for a walk.
• Use the ‘delay’ technique. Promise yourself you’ll wait 15 minutes before acting. Often, the craving will ease or pass entirely.
• Distract your senses. Listen to music, take a cold shower, chew gum or drink a fizzy drink; this helps interrupt the urge cycle.
• Challenge your thinking. Ask yourself: “What will drinking solve right now?” Write the answer down if it helps to externalise the thought.
• Reach out for support. Contact a sponsor, a peer in recovery, or a therapist. You don’t have to go through this alone.

Mindfulness, breathing techniques, and grounding exercises are also powerful tools that can restore calm and give you space to choose recovery.

Build a Supportive Circle

Having someone to talk to when an urge strikes can make a real difference. Choose one or two trusted people, friends, family, or members of your recovery group, who understand your goals and are happy to support you. These individuals can help redirect your focus, offer encouragement, or simply listen without judgement.

If you’re not ready to share with someone close, consider joining a peer support group or attending therapy sessions where you can express what you’re experiencing safely.

Awareness and Resilience Go Hand in Hand

Learning to observe your thoughts without acting on them is one of the most empowering skills in recovery. With time and practice, cravings become less frequent and less intense. And even when they do appear, you’ll be better equipped to handle them calmly, knowing they will pass.

Recovery is not about being perfect; it’s about being prepared.

Take the Next Step With Smarmore Castle

If you’re struggling with cravings, the urge to drink, or feel like you’re facing recovery alone, you don’t have to keep going unsupported. At Smarmore Castle, we help people build lasting tools to cope with cravings, triggers and emotional challenges as part of our residential alcohol treatment programme.

Our team of experienced therapists will work with you to identify your triggers, strengthen your emotional resilience, and build a clear relapse prevention plan you can trust.

Smarmore Castle Private Clinic knows that real change is possible. If you are ready to learn how to live sober from alcohol, our residential treatment programmes will show you how. Employing the proven Castle Craig model, our programmes are statistically successful. For information, call us today: 041 986 5080.