How Long Do Alcohol Cravings Last, and What’s the Best Way to Cope?

Alcohol use disorder has been in my family for decades, as has alcohol dependence. Many of the people closest to me have been to treatment facilities—several times. I’m no stranger to how bumpy the recovery journey can be. And I’m all too familiar with the little challenges along the way to long-term sobriety. One of the ones I’ve heard most often? A craving for alcohol. I must’ve heard the question, “How long do alcohol cravings last?” at least a dozen times.

Let’s first set the record straight: These cravings are to be expected. After all, your body did get used to the substance—which has been proven to be addicting. From my familial experience with addiction, I’ve also learned that it’s best to have open lines of communication when you experience cravings. For instance, if you’re having cravings for alcohol, talk to your family or friends. They’ll be able to divert your attention and keep you on the straight and narrow. You can also seek professional support or call crisis hotlines if you’re in a particularly strong struggle.

Keep reading if you need a little more help, are wondering how long alcohol cravings last, or want practical tips to manage those cravings.

How Long Do Alcohol Cravings Last?

It’s important to understand what alcohol cravings are. This way, you’ll be able to recognize the signs early on. We’ll explain what those signs might be and follow that info up with tips for curbing alcohol cravings.

What Is Alcohol Craving?

According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, alcohol cravings can manifest as “thoughts, physical sensations, or emotions that tempt you to drink.” Alcohol cravings aren’t much different than the cravings that you’d have for, say, chocolate. It’s just something in your brain that makes you want it. The difference is, though, that you’re not likely to make unwise decisions if you give into your craving for chocolate.

In fact, there is such a thing as a healthy dose of chocolate. In moderation, dark chocolate has great heart health benefits. On the other hand, no level of alcohol consumption is good for you. And people who abuse alcohol can get themselves into serious trouble if they take even one drink. If that sounds like you, it’d be helpful to know how to push through an alcohol craving.

What Does an Alcohol Craving Feel Like?

You can’t find something if you don’t know what you’re looking for. Similarly, it’s much harder to know whether or not you’re having an alcohol craving if you don’t know what that might feel like.

On a mental level

When you have an alcohol craving, what might actually be happening is that your brain is looking for relief. Let’s say you had a particularly stressful day at work and, all of a sudden, a glass of red wine sounds amazing. It’s not so much that the wine sounds good. Instead, it’s that you want that sense of relaxation that you get from a glass of wine.

On an emotional level

A lot of people have told me that they are irritable or have mood swings when they quit alcohol. Of course, this doesn’t happen hours after you stop drinking. It’ll take at least a couple of days, but it’s rough enough to make you want to take a drink. Keep in mind that this is super common, so try to give yourself some grace. This will go a long way in helping you stay sober and curbing alcohol cravings.

On a physical level

Depending on how much you drank, for how long, and with what frequency, you may experience alcohol withdrawal symptoms. These manifest physically and include shakiness or trembling, nausea, or insomnia. These are really frustrating effects, and they may make you crave alcohol to stop them. However, these are temporary—so just do your best to ride it out.

How Long Does Craving For Alcohol Last?

People experience alcohol cravings differently. If your cravings have to do with withdrawal, they’ll usually be gone in four to five days. That said, it’s possible that the urge to drink will stick around for the long haul. But I mean, hey, the benefits of sobriety are definitely worth not giving in to those cravings.

You might’ve come across the term “post-acute withdrawal syndrome,” otherwise known as “PAWS.” This is precisely what it sounds like: the experience your body goes through after a long period of drinking. One thing to know here is that the symptoms of PAWS are more mental than physical.

Regardless of how the symptoms take place, it’d be helpful to know how to prevent them altogether. To that end, we explore four steps for avoiding alcohol cravings. 

How To Stop Alcohol Cravings

Work on your coping skills.

I realize this may sound a bit harsh, so please hear me out. I’ve been around alcohol addictions enough to know that the underlying issue is almost always related to mental health. Alcohol addiction doesn’t exist in a vacuum, so it’s important to be in touch with your emotions. This will help you identify triggers that may lead you to drink. (Like maybe you had a huge fight with your parents or partner and want to take a shot of tequila to calm your nerves…) In turn, you can avoid these triggers or get to the root cause so that you can fix it.

To do this successfully, you’ll need to develop the proper coping skills. The best way to do that? Going to a trained and licensed mental health professional. I’ll also admit that finding an affordable and accessible therapist is no easy feat. If that’s not within your grasp, support groups are also a good option.

Remind yourself that you can enjoy life sober.

If you decided to stop drinking and are wondering how to enjoy life sober, allow us to provide some suggestions. You can be at one with nature by going on a hike. Or you might consider picking up a new hobby, maybe one you enjoyed as a kid. You can draw, crochet, paint, jump rope, or even write short stories. Or you could do something a bit more active, like cycling, running, dancing, or even the ever-so-popular pickleball.

Just remember to pick something that allows you to have fun. Since the goal is relapse prevention, the last thing you want is to stress yourself out.

Enjoy a non-alcoholic beverage.

One thing that’s been wildly helpful to my sober friends and family members are non-alcoholic substitutes. For example, a great friend of mine loves her zero-proof rosé on a sunny day. A marathoner friend of mine will celebrate the end of the race with a non-alcoholic Athletic Brewing beer. And when I’m feeling boozy but don’t want the hangover, I’ll grab a kombucha or probiotic soda.

These days, tons of bars offer NA beers or mocktails, which are cocktails without the booze. It’s this type of inclusivity that makes me hopeful that sober living will be more mainstream. And it also makes it a bit easier to feel like you’re still part of the fun even though you’re not drinking.

Find a support group. 

Managing alcohol cravings is definitely easier said than done, but it helps to have a support group. It may be an AA group or simply someone in your life you trust. The key is to feel like you can rely on them to distract you from consuming alcohol. Our founding editor is fully sober and has been since 2022. One of the groups that really helped her through early sobriety was The Luckiest Club. Founded by Laura McKowen, this sober community touts itself as “a dogma-free, compassionate place to recover from alcohol addiction and thrive in life.”

How Long Does It Take To Stop Alcohol Cravings?

It bears repeating that how long it takes someone to stop craving alcohol really does come down to the individual. Often, the cravings you experience at the start of your sobriety journey are the strongest. In the weeks following, they’re typically less strong and easier to curb. However, there are people who still get an occasional craving for alcohol even years after they’ve quit.

And guess what? That’s still completely normal! The most important thing is that you learn to curb your cravings. If you can do that, it won’t matter how long the craving is around for.

Sugar Cravings After Quitting Alcohol

Some people have reported having sugar cravings when they stop drinking alcohol. This is because alcohol and sugar affect the brain’s reward system. So if you give up alcohol, your brain may want to replace it with something that feels similar—like sugar. For that reason, we rounded up a few helpful tips for curbing those cravings.

Get some movement in.

Kind of like alcohol and sugar stimulate the reward portion of your brain, exercise and sugar release mood-boosting endorphins. Sometimes, you want a little bit of a sugar rush so you can feel happy. If elation is the feeling you’re after, exercise is better than a pack of gummy bears. Plus, unlike sugar, it enhances brain function—which can lead to better impulse control. Read: It’ll become easier to turn down a sweet treat.

Stay hydrated.

Brace yourself for a little bit of nutrition science here. Your body doesn’t exactly know the difference between being thirsty and being hungry, so if you don’t stay hydrated, you may misinterpret thirst for hunger. Even though I grew up thinking we needed to drink eight cups of water a day, research has proven otherwise. Today, the official ruling is 11.5 cups of water per day for women and 15.5 for men. The best way for me to drink as much water as necessary is to fill (and refill!) my Yeti water bottle.

Eat a balanced diet.

Your body tends to crave sugar when it’s hungry because it’s the quickest way to get energy. A better way to get energy, though, is through more whole foods. It follows, then, that if you maintain a balanced diet, your sugar cravings will decrease. Not to get nutrition-nerd again, but if you consume enough protein, fiber, and healthy fats, you’ll store enough energy not to need sugar.

So what’s the through line in all of this? When it comes to curbing alcohol cravings, hold on for just a bit longer if you can. And when you feel like you’re about to cave, call a friend; test your coping skills; enjoy sobriety; have a non-alcoholic drink; or eat a well-balanced meal. Your body, mind, and well-earned sobriety will thank you.