Why We Crave Alcohol and What to do About it (E51)
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Gill discusses cravings. She explains what cravings are, why we have them, and how our beliefs about alcohol influence our cravings. You’ll learn about how cravings contribute to relapse, and what you can do to identify and manage your triggers.
Key Takeaways
The brain learns to rely on alcohol to function normally, so when someone stops drinking and enters withdrawal the brain isn’t able to regulate itself. This makes us feel like we need alcohol and sets off cravings to bring ourselves back into balance. The brain is asking for alcohol because it needs it to feel normal.
A sober person's risk of relapse is influenced by their ability to cope with stressful situations, their belief in themselves, and if they anticipate alcohol will have positive effects on their life. When we know we can make it through stress without drinking, then we have more belief in ourselves. Similarly, when we drink every time we have stress, we lose belief in ourselves and our ability to cope. If you believe alcohol has benefits for you, then you will likely always struggle with cravings and triggers.
Studies have shown that cravings are a predictor of relapse, one 2012 study evaluated craving using the Penn Alcohol Craving Scale at admission to a treatment center and again at discharge. They found that people who scored higher on the craving scale at admission and discharged were much more likely to relapse after leaving treatment.
Sources
Coffey SF, Schumacher JA, Stasiewicz PR, Henslee AM, Baillie LE, Landy N. Craving and physiological reactivity to trauma and alcohol cues in posttraumatic stress disorder and alcohol dependence. Exp Clin Psychopharmacol. 2010;18(4):340-349.
Omkaram Gangisetty, Rajita Sinha, Dipak K. Sarkar. Hypermethylation of Proopiomelanocortin and Period 2 Genes in Blood Are Associated with Greater Subjective and Behavioral Motivation for Alcohol in Humans. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, 2018
The Facts about Alcohol Cravings and How to Beat Them. Hazelden Betty Ford. 2020.
T, Buddy. Alcoholics Can Prevent Cravings and Avoid a Relapse. Verywell Mind. 2021.
Handling urges to drink - Rethinking Drinking - NIAAA. Nih.gov. 2021.
Cite this episode
Tietz, G. Episode 51: Why We Crave Alcohol and What to do About it. Sober Powered. 2021.
