Why Alcohol Cravings are So Powerful
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If you're struggling with alcohol cravings and feel hopeless about getting sober, it's important to know that you aren't alone. You may think you’re just being weak or a failure, but that can’t be further from the truth.
Intense cravings for alcohol
In fact, research suggests that people who struggle to control their drinking have a strong attentional bias towards alcohol. This means that cues related to alcohol are more likely to grab your attention and hold onto it, making it harder to disengage from thoughts and cravings related to drinking.
Studies have shown that heavy drinkers have a more difficult time recalling the color of substance-related words compared to neutral words. Additionally, heavy drinkers have been found to respond more to stimuli that appear in places where alcohol-related cues have been present. This hyper-focus on alcohol-related cues is a characteristic of heavy drinkers and can worsen the more a person craves alcohol.
What causes alcohol cravings
Negative emotions have been found to be one of the most reliable triggers of alcohol cravings and relapse. The more a person values alcohol, the stronger their attentional bias is likely to be, which in turn fuels cravings. This is because people who struggle with controlling their drinking strongly believe that alcohol helps them cope with negative emotions or enhance positive ones.
One study conducted on heavy social drinkers found that exposure to stress caused a significant increase in attentional bias, but only for participants who drank for coping motives. Negative emotions can make cues and triggers related to alcohol grab our attention and hold it, which can make it difficult to disengage from thoughts related to drinking.
Overall, it's important to remember that if you struggle with alcohol cravings, it's not because you're weak or a failure. Your brain may be wired differently than someone who can control their drinking, and that's okay. With the right tools and support, you can learn to manage your cravings and live a healthy, sober life.
Listen to episode 128 to learn more about cravings:
FAQs on Alcohol Cravings
What does it mean when you crave alcohol?
Craving alcohol means that you believe alcohol is going to help with something. Cravings are often set off by negative emotions and our inability to cope with them, but they can also be set off by positive emotions too, like wanting to celebrate. If you’re craving alcohol, then try asking yourself what you need. Do you need to unwind, are you feeling anxious, do you think alcohol is a reward, etc. This will help you identify your triggers.
How long do cravings last when you stop drinking?
Cravings will last as long as it takes for you to develop other coping skills. As long as we believe alcohol helps, then it will be difficult for us to not crave it when things go wrong. I recommend working with a therapist to learn how to cope in healthier ways or become part of a community to connect with others who understand what you’re going through.
Cravings can also be brought on by acute withdrawal and post-acute withdrawal syndrome (PAWS).
How do I know if I’m an alcoholic?
If you have to wonder, then it is because deep down you know something isn’t right. I used to Google this question almost every day and it took years for me to accept that I couldn’t drink anymore. It’s a long journey, but if you’re questioning it, it’s because alcohol is making your life miserable. Not drinking alcohol would make your life less miserable.
Cite this article:
Tietz, G. Why Alcohol Cravings are so Powerful. Sober Powered. 2021
Sources:
Matt Field, Hannah Powell, Stress increases attentional bias for alcohol cues in social drinkers who drink to cope, Alcohol and Alcoholism, Volume 42, Issue 6, November 2007, Pages 560–566
Noel X., Colmant M., Van Der Linden M., et al. Time course of attention for alcohol cues in abstinent alcoholic patients: the role of initial orienting, Alcoholism-Clinical and Experimental Research, 2006, vol. 30 (pg. 1871-1877)
Baker T. B., Piper M. E., McCarthy D. E., et al. Addiction motivation reformulated: an affective processing model of negative reinforcement, Psychological Review, 2004b, vol. 111 (pg. 33-51)
Field, M., & Quigley, M. (2009). Mild stress increases attentional bias in social drinkers who drink to cope: A replication and extension. Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology, 17(5), 312–319.
Garland, E.L., Boettiger, C.A., Gaylord, S. et al. Mindfulness is Inversely Associated with Alcohol Attentional Bias Among Recovering Alcohol-Dependent Adults. Cogn Ther Res 36, 441–450 (2012).
