Fighting the Urge to Drink or Use

According to a National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), 19.7 million American adults battled a substance use disorder in 2017. The study examined genetics, environmental components, and mental illness as ongoing factors leading to these addictions whether they are alcohol or drug related. These factors could make it difficult for those struggling to fight the urge to drink or use in the future. 

 

If you are one of the millions of people struggling with addiction, or have a friend or family member in this situation, you may be looking for ways to help them fight these urges to drink or use drugs. Addiction and recovery experts agree that there are steps that can be taken to fight both internal and external urges and to remain in control of recovery.

Recognize Triggers 

Knowing what internal and external triggers tell your brain that it wants a drink is one of the best ways to predict when a craving will happen. 

 

External triggers tend to include people (those whom you drank with before), places (bars or restaurants), events (weddings, parties, evenings out with friends), or even a time of day that can remind an addict of the urge to drink. 

 

Internal triggers, on the other hand, are harder to pinpoint. Their origin lies in positive or negative emotions such as: anxiety, pain, depression or stress. 

 

Once someone tempted by drugs or alcohol recognizes these triggers, it is slightly easier to avoid and potentially prevent the trigger from occurring. 

Build Coping Strategies 

Everyone is different in the way they cope with the urge to drink or use drugs. Some find that building a series of coping strategies can help them when different scenarios occur. For instance, some people cope with urges using cognitive methods such as talking it through with a friend or sponsor. This could include reminding oneself of the consequences of using before it happens. 

 

Other coping strategies could be immediately leaving a stressful situation or distracting yourself in order to avoid high risk situations that you know to be triggering. (We cover these distraction methods in the next section.) 

 

Others find that riding out the urge works for them. Meditation, quiet contemplation, or listening to music can be enough to get through the initial urge and take action to seek out a sponsor or friend that can help. 

Find Alternative Activities 

For many people who struggle with addiction, they not only are fighting the urge to use, but also need to shape new social patterns to avoid triggers. If your “previous” life, before drugs or alcohol, involved lots of events and activities that included your addiction, you may need to change your social patterns to include activities that have nothing to do with your addiction. 

 

This is easier said than done, especially when you are in the middle of fighting urges and the mental stress of addiction. 

 

Examples of ways to accomplish this, according to SMART Recovery, is to find something new to do whether it is a hobby, sport, activity, or finding something that you used to find joy doing. Exercise is especially helpful as it can release endorphins that can elevate mood and the activity can distract your mind and body from withdrawal symptoms and internal triggers. 

If you, or someone you love, wants more information on fighting the urge to drink or use, check out these resources online: The National Institute of Health (Rethinking Drinking) and EveryDay (Stories of People Fighting the Urge.)