Question About Alcohol Cravings
Living Sober
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 555
Question About Alcohol Cravings
I have been participating in this forum for just over a month, and I often read about alcohol cravings. This is the only recovery type of a setting that I've been involved with, and I have some questions about those cravings.
I have been sober now for 15 months. Before I stopped, I was a very heavy drinker, which on average was either an 18-pack of beer, or more recently a 5th of Vodka each day. This lasted for about five years or so. Prior to that, I was a pretty bad binge drinker, several nights of the week.
I stopped ‘cold turkey’ and for about a week I had some pretty decent withdrawals, which consisted of bad shakes and some night sweats. I also had a bit of a problem sleeping and a general feeling of malaise.
I only wanted to make mention of the above details, because I wanted to show how bad off I really was just before I stopped. In-other-words, I was pretty involved with alcohol.
Now to my question:
I have read countless times about alcohol cravings, and I am curious as to what exactly a person is feeling or referring to? I never really ‘craved’ alcohol per se, only the lifestyle which was associated with it, and moreover the daily buzz (drunkenness) feeling. I suppose you can say that I really wanted to be drunk all of the time, but I don't know if that's really a 'craving' or not.
However, I've never found these cravings to be unmanageable, so I don't think that I had the same type of cravings as I read about, and I wanted to get a better sense of what people are talking about.
Are these cravings actually a physical sensation of some sort to some people? I mean are people craving alcohol like a person craves a cigarette? (I did, however, crave cigarettes very bad when I quit)
Thanks, and I hope this question does not come off as insensitive in any way.
I also wanted to say thanks to the SR forum. Although I have been able to abstain from drinking for the past 15 months, that's not to say that I don't battle with the urge to dabble in my old ways. I find spending time in here keeps me on my toes, especially when I read so many stories of how I once was too. So thank-you, sober people, for this opportunity.
Lusher
I have been sober now for 15 months. Before I stopped, I was a very heavy drinker, which on average was either an 18-pack of beer, or more recently a 5th of Vodka each day. This lasted for about five years or so. Prior to that, I was a pretty bad binge drinker, several nights of the week.
I stopped ‘cold turkey’ and for about a week I had some pretty decent withdrawals, which consisted of bad shakes and some night sweats. I also had a bit of a problem sleeping and a general feeling of malaise.
I only wanted to make mention of the above details, because I wanted to show how bad off I really was just before I stopped. In-other-words, I was pretty involved with alcohol.
Now to my question:
I have read countless times about alcohol cravings, and I am curious as to what exactly a person is feeling or referring to? I never really ‘craved’ alcohol per se, only the lifestyle which was associated with it, and moreover the daily buzz (drunkenness) feeling. I suppose you can say that I really wanted to be drunk all of the time, but I don't know if that's really a 'craving' or not.
However, I've never found these cravings to be unmanageable, so I don't think that I had the same type of cravings as I read about, and I wanted to get a better sense of what people are talking about.
Are these cravings actually a physical sensation of some sort to some people? I mean are people craving alcohol like a person craves a cigarette? (I did, however, crave cigarettes very bad when I quit)
Thanks, and I hope this question does not come off as insensitive in any way.
I also wanted to say thanks to the SR forum. Although I have been able to abstain from drinking for the past 15 months, that's not to say that I don't battle with the urge to dabble in my old ways. I find spending time in here keeps me on my toes, especially when I read so many stories of how I once was too. So thank-you, sober people, for this opportunity.
Lusher
bona fido dog-lover
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: SF Bay area, CA
Posts: 99,760
My wanting to drink was always just wanting to be numb. Wanting to not feel anything. 
It is a mental obsession. When you're sober and craving alcohol, I think it's just craving for escape.
Once I was sober for about six months the cravings mostly went away.
It is a mental obsession. When you're sober and craving alcohol, I think it's just craving for escape.
Once I was sober for about six months the cravings mostly went away.
Member
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: California
Posts: 2,693
Yeah I never craved a drink like a cigarette. To me they were two completely different planets. Quitting drinking was still extremely hard though. The addiction was all psychological though. I just craved checking out and taking it easy at night by only being half conscious.
Administrator
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Australia
Posts: 211,380
I have craved a drink like a cigarette...it was like a gnawing compulsion for me.
They didn't last much beyond 30 days although they did return once or twice with extreme stress.
But the cravings that last the longest were the mental ones - the wouldn't it be nice/I wish I was able to drink/maybe just half a glass wiull be ok kind of dialogues.
D
They didn't last much beyond 30 days although they did return once or twice with extreme stress.
But the cravings that last the longest were the mental ones - the wouldn't it be nice/I wish I was able to drink/maybe just half a glass wiull be ok kind of dialogues.
D
Member
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: SE Michigan
Posts: 1,066
"Gnawing compulsion" is a pretty good descriptor. Almost unrelenting!
Physical manifestations: my mouth literally watering at the thought of alcohol, and the desire for that first behind - the -neck hit. I didn't feel normal sober, basically. I am still getting acclimated to that.
Physical manifestations: my mouth literally watering at the thought of alcohol, and the desire for that first behind - the -neck hit. I didn't feel normal sober, basically. I am still getting acclimated to that.
Member
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: New Orleans, LA
Posts: 985
I've never had a physical craving for alcohol, in the way I desperately desire cigs when I'm quitting. Sometimes I have a "wishing" that I could have a beer or glass of wine, especially when I visually see it. Interestingly, I'm just returning from a professional conference at which there was a good bit of networking over wine. I had tea or water instead, but had some "wishing" moments, especially over the combo with fine foods, but I could smell it vividly - from people's glasses and from their mouths, & it made me almost sick. It was a sour smell, not like I remember at all.
I also quit smoking, after sobriety; maybe while I was drinking I didn't smell very acutely?
So I'm with you on not identifying with the craving bit. I vaguely miss the social warmth, but that's all (the world feels so cold!).
I also quit smoking, after sobriety; maybe while I was drinking I didn't smell very acutely?
So I'm with you on not identifying with the craving bit. I vaguely miss the social warmth, but that's all (the world feels so cold!).
Guest
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: South Florida
Posts: 149
I don't crave alcohol. I crave the silence in my head that comes with being drunk. I have ADD and the chaos in my brain would drive anyone crazy. Being drunk calms the brainwaves and creates a numbness. I crave that. I would be intoxicated with the anticipation of shutting my brain down. That is why i am a binge drinker. The faster i drank the faster i could rest. Sounds pretty messed up, huh? Chasing freedom from chaos by speed drinking a twelve pack.
Bug
Bug
Been there, done that!
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: London
Posts: 539
Good thread.. Just thinking about it I don't physically crave alcohol it's all mental it's like a record that's broken that just keeps going round and it says stuff like just have 1 bottle or it will be ok this time... There's also a craving when iam really stressed or tired again all mental...
Member
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: California
Posts: 2,693
Originally Posted by MelindaFlowers 
Yeah I never craved a drink like a cigarette. To me they were two completely different planets. Quitting drinking was still extremely hard though. The addiction was all psychological though. I just craved checking out and taking it easy at night by only being half conscious.
As I'm sure we all agree. I think that psychological addiction is 100 times worse than physical addiction.
When I was still drinking and smoking I asked myself seriously which one would I rather give up? I was desperately addicted to both but I could make my mind up in two seconds. I would rather give up drinking.
When I would have a cigarette craving it felt like I was chewing on the glass. Torture! When I would have a drink craving it was more like wanting a piece of chocolate cake and not getting it. Tolerable.
Living Sober
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 555
I wanted to thanks for the replies. It seems as more people find it be more of a psychological thing, however there are others who do find the cravings to be more physical in nature.
The reason I was wondering this is because it seems as if some people seem to have it much harder than others, when they're initially trying to stop. It's almost as if their 'cravings' alone are very difficult to manage. I was wondering if they perhaps suffered from the physical aspect of quitting, whereas some of the other people only had the psychological aspect of it to deal with. I would also assume that people who do have the physical aspect, probably also have the psychological one too, which might add to the difficulty of stopping.
The one thing I have noted, that seems to be very common all around, is the inability to stop drinking once a person has started. This has been one of my problems from pretty much day-1. For me, I don't know if that part is physical or psychological. What I do know is that it's something I don't want to have to deal with and it's something that I can not control.
Lusher
The reason I was wondering this is because it seems as if some people seem to have it much harder than others, when they're initially trying to stop. It's almost as if their 'cravings' alone are very difficult to manage. I was wondering if they perhaps suffered from the physical aspect of quitting, whereas some of the other people only had the psychological aspect of it to deal with. I would also assume that people who do have the physical aspect, probably also have the psychological one too, which might add to the difficulty of stopping.
The one thing I have noted, that seems to be very common all around, is the inability to stop drinking once a person has started. This has been one of my problems from pretty much day-1. For me, I don't know if that part is physical or psychological. What I do know is that it's something I don't want to have to deal with and it's something that I can not control.
Lusher
Member
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: California
Posts: 2,693
Great points Lusher.
I had the massive cravings to drink more after the first drink. Massive and almost insatiable. I have walked absurd distances in the freezing cold to get more. I would feel such a wave of relief when I would get home and open the bottle. Eeeek! As I typed that I could just picture that first sip. Blurrrrfff!
True that the first drink starts the craving. One of my reminders is that if I were on a desert island and two beers washed up on the shore each day I would not drink them. This would have been the case even before I stopped drinking. Two drinks only started the craving.
Back when alcohol was still enjoyable and gave me a buzz I did have some serious cravings. When I became much more sick every day the cravings were much, much less but I still chased that buzz. I kept trying to make it work like it used to. Can you say insanity? I was fortunate to get to the point where alcohol no longer appealed to me because it no longer gave me what I was looking for: feeling good and as escape.
I had the massive cravings to drink more after the first drink. Massive and almost insatiable. I have walked absurd distances in the freezing cold to get more. I would feel such a wave of relief when I would get home and open the bottle. Eeeek! As I typed that I could just picture that first sip. Blurrrrfff!
True that the first drink starts the craving. One of my reminders is that if I were on a desert island and two beers washed up on the shore each day I would not drink them. This would have been the case even before I stopped drinking. Two drinks only started the craving.
Back when alcohol was still enjoyable and gave me a buzz I did have some serious cravings. When I became much more sick every day the cravings were much, much less but I still chased that buzz. I kept trying to make it work like it used to. Can you say insanity? I was fortunate to get to the point where alcohol no longer appealed to me because it no longer gave me what I was looking for: feeling good and as escape.
Member
Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 169
I have ADD and the chaos in my brain would drive anyone crazy. Being drunk calms the brainwaves and creates a numbness. I crave that. I would be intoxicated with the anticipation of shutting my brain down. That is why i am a binge drinker. The faster i drank the faster i could rest.
Bug[/QUOTE]
Yes, same for me. Very clearly stated, thank you. !!! Great to stop self-medicating/destructing.
Bug[/QUOTE]
Yes, same for me. Very clearly stated, thank you. !!! Great to stop self-medicating/destructing.
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