SelfhelpMagazine

by Reid K. Hester, Ph.D.

It's not unusual to have urges and cravings to drink, especially in the early stages of not drinking. They're often set off by cues or triggers that have been associated with your drinking in the past. These triggers can be people, places, and events. They can also be internal things like feeling down, angry, anxious, or even happy and wanting to celebrate.

Fortunately, there are a number of things you can do about it both on your own and with the help of others. An in-depth discussion is beyond the scope of an answer in this column. But within the space we have, allow me to offer some alternatives for your consideration.

If you are with family or friends you can confide in, tell them how you're feeling. Talk (or think if you're alone) about the negative consequences you've experienced from drinking. Consider the positive things that have happened to you since you stopped drinking. Delay making a decision about drinking and do something else.

If you monitor the intensity of your urges over time, you'll notice that they fluctuate in intensity. Think about riding these waves of urges as you would waves in the ocean. Try to think about what cue might have triggered off your urge. What are your alternatives for dealing with the cue?

Another option is to join a self-help group. Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) is certainly the most wide spread. This fellowship has help many an individual down the path of recovery. There are also other self-help groups including SMART, Rational Recovery, etc... Check the Resources section of our magazine for how to get in touch with these and other self-help groups.

Yet another set of options involves professional help. Consider talking with your family doctor. He or she may be able to provide the extra support you need. Your doctor can also prescribe a medication called naltrexone to help with your urges and cravings. Naltrexone has been found in two controlled clinical trials to reduce cravings. When combined with professional help, they have also found that it significantly reduces relapses back to heavy drinking. The medication doesn't make you sick if you do drink while taking it. Rather, it seems to eliminate the euphoria you may associate with drinking. If this sounds interesting to you, you'll need to talk to your doctor about it because naltrexone is a prescription medication. There is a lot written about controlling urges online, look for articles with these keywords: "alcohol relapse prevention". That should get you several more good resources. Whichever course (or combination) you choose, don't give up! There are many alternatives for helping people quit drinking and helping you deal with urges to drink.

About the Author:

Reid K. Hester, Ph.D., Director, Research Division, Behavior Therapy Associates, 9426 Indian School Rd NE, Suite 1, Albuquerque, NM 87112. Phone: 505.345.6100.

Dr. Hester is has developed an evidence-based, web application called ModerateDrinking.com to help heavy drinkers be successful in changing their drinking. A video demo of the program is available at www.behaviortherapy.com