How do you handle the physical craving?
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I distract myself somehow.
Cravings only last for half an hour.
Get through that and you are good.
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Journal journal…
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Make myself busy doing something productive. All the better if it helps someone. But that’s not necessary. Some basic menial task. Clean and sort the sock drawer for instance. Tell myself that I’m not drinking for the next hour, or two hours. Whatever it takes to make it 24 hours.
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Craving is a feeling after the first drink got into my bloodstream.
If I didn’t pick my first drink I have a chance to stay sober for the rest of the day.
If have the desire to drink, I talk to my sober people, I pray, I go to meetings, I’m trying to help newcomers.
I do my best to stay busy, and stay away from triggers.
Hang in there
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Do whatever I can to get out of self and stay busy thank god for Oxford House, also I constantly remain vigilant for ways the disease will try to trick me
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Distractions, do something to take your mind off of it.
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Move a muscle change a thought
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Sharing with someone Pick up the phone talk about it saying it out loud will help . You got this !
Really great question. I have these fairly often and they come out of nowhere and come on strong. I’m not sure what triggers them. Sometimes when I’m stressed, but often when things are going well too.
I usually use food to fill the cravings. Chocolate is a favorite go-to, which is one reason I’m overweight now! Not good either. I also try to distract myself with music or television or some activity to take my mind in a different direction. Coming here to vent also helps!
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Dig into the false belief that makes you think you “need it”. You don’t so where is that coming from? What is the root? Can you replace it with another habit like Diet Coke or tea or an alcohol free beer. You might enjoy the ritual. You don’t have to give up that 5 O’clock habit or ritual. Ditch the alcohol but keep the ritual. I still like to decompress or wind down but I do it with Sleepy Time tea, Valerian root tea or Diet Coke instead. Giving up habits & routines are hard so just replace the beverage!!!.
Look up Annie Grace … she’s the BEST. Thanks to her I have been alcohol free for 15 months 
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Annie Grace’s program is compassion lead. No judgment!! I agree with others about distracting yourself because cravings are only temporary. You need to “surf the urge” until it goes away. The only way is THROUGH!!! Through the pain.
Annie Grace has an app called the This Naked Mind Companion app which you can download for free. You can borrow her books from the library for free too! She also has free videos on YouTube.
Good luck!!! 
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Many on here say staying busy and that is true. I made a list of things I should (or should have ) been doing daily but was always too hungover or what have you. Mundane tasks from drinking green tea to brushing your teeth to washing your face , post 3 times on Loosid, etc. I'm up to 28 items and they keep me distracted. It's amazing how much time all these mundane things take up. Whenever you work up to it, exercise ,even just 15 minutes aerobic on an elliptical or walking does wonders for one's psyche; I work out every day now pretty much just for mental health 🤷. Just start out with things that are easy to accomplish and then add once you get some momentum. Most of us are trying to retrain our dopamine centers to get a small amount of pleasure from completing a task, which is normal. Most of us have screwed our neurotransmitters up from flooding them from using and/or drinking. Retraining your sober brain to have a normal response to daily tasks takes time. Small steps. One day at a time. Godspeed
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When I got sober it was known to eat candy (sweets). Alcohol is broken down into sugar in the body so candy was eaten to help with the physical cravings.
I would make myself fall asleep because when I woke up, the craving was gone. For the first 5 months of recovery while I was in the process of changing the way that I think, I got a monthly injection of Vivitrol because it curves the cravings for alcohol. It is also used for opiate dependency.
If it's alcohol, the answer is sugar... a lot of people mistake an alcohol craving... there is so much sugar in booze.. your body can withdraw from sugar for MONTHS. Always keep cany with you. I have a year and 8 months and i make sure to still eat candy/sugar every day!
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Try doing a hypoglycemic diet, limiting sugar intake as well as stimulants like caffeine may help.
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How long have you been SOBER. SOMETIMES A PERSON NEEDS medical DETOX. But be mindful of you been DRINKING AND USING FOR A LONG TIME. ITS GOING TO TAKE AWHILE FOR YOU TO GET BETTER. AND YOU WILL. TRUST THE PROCESS OF RECOVERY AND YOU WILL HAVE IT. YOU CAN DO THIS
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Tracey, dust yourself off and get to a meeting.. It works if you work it.. One day at a time. Keep the faiths and ask Good to take you gracing away !!
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