Luthin, for me I have had thoughts creep in, but I haven't had the kind of "urges" that are enough to get me to actually put my coat on or get in the car to go get some - or pull into a place as I am driving by. I tried to quit smoking very recently and lasted 5 days (that was huge for me, I never really tried to quit) - and when I compare the two experiences, they are very different. It's like the alcohol is behind a wall in my head and I know there is despair behind it and all the by-products and hassles of drinking that are not appealing - like the chronic sloppiness, not wanting to prepare food, feeling like a loser when carefully trying to go to bed, dealing with all kinds of ^#^&)&^%% bottles to get rid of, the embarrassment of showing up at the same place to buy more or rotating to the other places to buy it, worrying that you can smell it on me or that you can see in my face that I get drunk every night - those are some examples of the things that I don't welcome back. It's just a whole other plane, not the same as smoking for me, not that smoking is being a great, enviable person. I suppose it also depends on where each person is at in terms of their personal suffering with the substance, the addiction. People talk about reaching their rock bottom state, and that varies as much as personalities do. No idea where you see yourself as far as the suffering goes and whether you have had what you call a rock bottom or not. In fact, I don't think I had one of those before quitting. It was just a moment and I grabbed on to it, and now I am trying to take care of it like it's a precious thing. That's the more psychological stuff.
The more concrete "what do you do when ___" stuff for me would be things like making sure I get physical activity in as much as I can, watch what I am eating, avoid too much negative stuff for the mind, like bad news or literature/programming. I also look back at things I had written down and it gives me a bit of pride or sense of comfort in having moved past the darker period. Sometimes I also write lists of things I want to do and refer back to them. I don't always stick to them like checklists, but it helps just because it creates a sense of order to get it written down or typed down; and then I can proceed to the next day. I created (or returned to) habits that I associate with pleasure or contentment - even washing the dishes or cleaning around the house is a happy thing now instead of a "toil." Whatever it takes to feel like you own your day and deserve a fraction of happiness. Hope that gets you thinking on a wavelength that works for you.