Coping With Cravings in Recovery: Practical Strategies That Help

Cravings are a normal part of recovery, and you can learn to ride them out with a plan: know your triggers, have a few go-to actions ready, reach out to people, and ask your care team about medication and therapy that reduce urges. A strong urge to drink or use does not mean you are failing. It means your brain is still adjusting, and that gets easier with practice and time.

This guide explains what sets cravings off, what to do in the moment, and which treatments help. It is general information, not medical advice. If you are thinking about harming yourself, call or text 988. For free treatment referrals at any hour, call SAMHSA at 1-800-662-4357.

What triggers cravings?

Most cravings have a cue behind them. The National Institute on Drug Abuse explains that stress cues linked to past drug use, such as people, places, things and moods, along with contact with drugs, are the most common triggers for relapse.¹ A familiar bar, payday, an argument, a certain song or simply feeling tired and lonely can all set off an urge.

It helps to sort your own triggers into groups so you can spot them early:

Type of trigger	Examples	One way to respond
People	Old drinking or using friends	Plan what you will say, or skip the visit for now
Places	A bar, a parking lot, a friend's garage	Take a different route home
Things	Cash, lighters, a favorite glass	Clear them out of your home and car
Moods	Stress, anger, boredom, loneliness	Call someone or move your body for ten minutes
Body states	Hunger, poor sleep, pain	Eat, rest, and talk to your doctor about pain

A full list of your personal triggers is a core part of relapse prevention therapy. Programs that focus on cravings and triggers can help you build that list with a counselor.

What can you do in the moment when a craving hits?

Cravings rise, peak and fade. The goal is to get through the peak without using. Simple steps that many people find useful:

• Delay. Tell yourself you will wait before deciding anything, then do something else in the meantime.
• Leave the situation. Walk out of the room, step outside or drive away from the place that set it off.
• Reach out. Call or text a sponsor, a peer, a family member or your counselor. Say out loud that you are having a craving.
• Move. A brisk walk, stretching or chores can burn off the restless energy. Some programs offer exercise therapy for this reason.
• Notice it without obeying it. Name the feeling, rate how strong it is, and watch it change.

That last skill is the heart of mindfulness-based relapse prevention. In a randomized trial of 286 adults in aftercare published in JAMA Psychiatry, the researchers found that at 12-month follow-up, mindfulness-based relapse prevention offered added benefit over standard relapse prevention and usual care in reducing drug use and heavy drinking.² The authors suggest mindfulness may help people cope with the discomfort of craving instead of acting on it. You can look for mindfulness-based programs if this approach appeals to you.

Can therapy and medication reduce cravings?

Yes. Talk therapy teaches skills, and medication can lower the strength of urges. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism says cognitive behavioral therapy focuses on identifying the feelings and situations, called cues, that contribute to heavy drinking and on managing the stress that can lead to a return to drinking.³ The same NIAAA guide notes that naltrexone, available as a pill or an injection, helps reduce the urge to drink. Ask about cognitive behavioral therapy or extended-release naltrexone if cravings keep getting in your way.

For opioids, Wisconsin's Department of Health Services lists methadone, buprenorphine and naltrexone as the FDA-approved medications for opioid use disorder and says these medications work to reduce cravings, and most also help with withdrawal symptoms.⁴ NIDA adds that some treatment medications act slowly to help prevent drug cravings and can help people focus on counseling.¹ If you take one of these medications, staying on it as prescribed matters, and your care team can help if side effects or cost get in the way.

Can a phone app help with cravings after treatment?

Researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison tested exactly that. In a randomized trial of a recovery app for people leaving residential treatment for alcohol use disorder, the app group reported fewer risky drinking days than the control group over 8 months of use and 4 months of follow-up, an average of 1.39 days compared with 2.75.⁵ One feature sent an alert when a person neared a high-risk location, such as a bar they used to visit, and asked whether they wanted to be there. The lesson works without any app: decide ahead of time which places put you at risk and what you will do if you end up near one.

What if a craving turns into a slip?

A return to use is a signal to adjust the plan, not a reason to quit trying. NIDA states that relapse does not mean treatment has failed, and that a person who relapses should speak with their doctor to resume treatment, modify it or try another treatment.¹ After any period without use, tolerance drops, so the risk of overdose rises. Our guide on getting back on track after a slip walks through the next steps, and ongoing aftercare support keeps help close by while you rebuild.