Please remember, this column is designed to help the consumer seeking behavioral-health information, and not intended to be any form of psychotherapy or a replacement for professional, individualized services. Opinions expressed in the column are those of the columnist and do not represent the position of other SelfhelpMagazine.com staff.

Question

I've been thinking about quitting drinking again and hope you can help me. I've tried quitting a couple times before and have made it for about two or three weeks. I haven't had problems with feeling bad when I stop drinking but after about a few days I start to get urges to have a drink. I've tried just biting the bullet and suffering through them but I think they've played a big part in my resuming drinking. Do you have any ideas about how to deal with these urges?

Answer

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.

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.

Reid Hester, Ph.D.

02/19/98

Reid K. Hester, Ph.D.
Director, Research Division
Behavior Therapy Associates
3810 Osuna Rd NE Suite 1
Albuquerque, NM 87109
505.345.6100 ph
505.342.2454 fax
Behavioral Self-control Program for Windows