How Long Before My Cravings Go Away For Drugs or Alcohol?

An anonymous reader writes in and asks: “How long before my cravings for drugs and alcohol go away?”

Good question. And it is certainly something that any newcomer would like to know. Unfortunately, the answer can be rather complicated. The reason for this is that there are 3 major variables that we are dealing with:

1) Which drug (or drugs) we are talking about – such as alcohol, cocaine, opiates, etc.

2) People are different – different body types, chemistry, length of time to detox their body fully, etc.

3) Psychological and subconscious triggers – that can trigger a craving years after the body is fully detoxed

Let’s take a closer look at each of these 3 situations.

Certain drugs might take longer to get over than others

Some drugs create physical dependence and take some time for the body to fully detox from them (such as opiates), whereas other drugs are flushed fairly quickly and do not produce this same level of dependence (such as Meth). However, this doesn’t mean that these “weaker” drugs won’t eventually produce cravings in a person….it just means that they won’t produce substantial physical withdrawal symptoms.

For example, someone who has been doing Cocaine for several years might have intense cravings that seem to last for a long time after they get clean and sober. In other words, our cravings might persist for longer if we used a drug for a period of years or decades before quitting, regardless of how quickly the actual chemicals get flushed out of our system.

Different people will have different amounts of craving

Some people get clean and sober and go through a few days of withdrawal and never really look back. They don’t have cravings really, just the occasional thought about using or taking a drink. Other people might get clean and sober and struggle for months with intense cravings that come almost every single day. It just really depends a lot on the person and their unique situation.

Something subtle can trigger you years later

Scientists have proven that you can be triggered to have a powerful drug craving without even knowing what caused the trigger. In other words, we can be subconsciously triggered into a craving…for example, by smelling someone’s perfume that we used to use drugs around. The bizarre thing is that we might smell the perfume and not even realize that it is causing the trigger. The challenging thing is that this can happen to us years after we have physically detoxed from the drugs and alcohol.

What can you do about cravings?

1) Talk about them – this is one of the most powerful remedies. Talk to another recovering addict about your craving. If you keep it in, or keep it a secret, the craving will only grow stronger until it drives you crazy or drives you to pick up and use. Don’t let that happen. Instead, talk to someone about it.

2) Fight them directly - by immediately involving yourself in recovery-related activity. Go to a meeting, call your sponsor, or whatever you can do to get distracted from the craving and focusing on something positive.

3) If you’re having a craving, tell us about it in the comments below. Sometimes that is enough to bring some relief.

What not to do – Don’t do something passive. Don’t just say “Oh, I’ll go home and sleep this craving off.” You need to take action and be more proactive about overcoming cravings. If it is a strong craving and you really want to use, then get motivated and pick up the phone and connect with someone who can help you. If you brush it off and choose to be passive, you’ll probably regret it later on.

Don’t be afraid to ask for help!

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Addiction Treatment Real help is available. We can give you the tools to recover. Start your new life today.

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  • How Long Before My Cravings Go Away For Drugs or Alcohol?
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    • Tagged as: addiction, cravings, drug craving, recovery

    { 21 comments… read them below or add one }

    Bill Urell September 7, 2008 at 2:43 pm

    Hi,

    I ran across an interesting explanation of alcohol cravings. This states that the body of an alcoholic, liver and pancreas prcesses alcohol at 10 -33% of the rate of a helathy liver and pancreas. One of the breakdown components of alcohol is acetate. Acetate triggers a craving for more acetate.

    For a normal person they drink and process the alcohol with little bulidup.

    In an alcoholic, because the metabolicprocess is so slow a backup occurs. So, starting with one drink, craving occurs, add another drink the craving goes up add a third, even more.

    One is too many and a thuosadnd not enough.

    Bill Urell

    PS I know that wasn’t the question, but still thought it interesting.

    Patrick September 7, 2008 at 2:47 pm

    Thanks so much for your comment and insight, Bill.

    That is an interesting idea, that the damaged body of an alcohol makes it more susceptible to cravings. Definitely good to know, and all the more reason to find the ways and means to overcome these types of cravings.

    If anyone is interested in learning further abou this, I highly recommend you check out Bill’s website as well…tons of good information on there too. You can access it by clicking on his name in the comment above.

    Thanks for your insight, Bill!

    Sheila Joyce Gibbs September 7, 2008 at 4:48 pm

    I have absolutely NO idea at all, on Mr. Urell’s comment. Perhaps it very well, may be true, who knows!
    As a recovering Alcoholic now for 16+ mos. & having a dreadful health affliction FROM DRINKING & my beautiful late husbands sudden death from the same affliction, I can honestly tell you, that in this time of grief, sorrow & dispair, I have cultivated a STRONG BITTER HATRED of ALL LIQUOR ! Now, having said that, it doesn’t mean that during a stressful day, dealing with certain family members, who irritate the living crap out of me, that when going to the fridge for a Diet Pop, that I don’t think about my dear old friend Mr. ‘GreyHound’ because from time to time, yes, I DO !!! But, I have enough health problems & financial struggles, as well as the heartbreak from losing my hubby, that WILL NEVER HEAL…..None of which Vodka & Grapefruit Juice, can do anything to help!
    So, basically, I go day by day, strongly hang on to my Christian Faith,
    & hope to not disgrace my family’s good name &/OR my Husbands good name, EVER !

    Don’t think that’s what you wanted to hear, sorry, I had to be honest !
    God Bless.
    Sheila
    /sjg

    Patrick September 7, 2008 at 5:06 pm

    Hi there Sheila

    Bill is saying that they did a study that shows how the breakdown and damage to an alcoholic’s body makes the person more susceptible to future cravings (someone jump in and correct me if I’m wrong here).

    Sounds like you have had a bit of a journey yourself, Sheila, and I’m glad you’re in recovery now….thanks for sharing with us!

    Kylie March 17, 2009 at 10:31 am

    I appreciate all of your comments. I have a meeting today, will speak and pray for relief of these cravings. They are not a constant, but when they come, my mind can conjure up reasons to use: no one will know, I’ll just do it once, etc.

    Patrick March 17, 2009 at 3:31 pm

    Hi there Kylie….hang in there and don’t use no matter what. Try the prayer or even meditate during a meeting if you have to, find a way to find peace within your self and connect with it…..

    jess July 20, 2009 at 8:40 am

    hi there. Can people share some tips on how to beat the cravings? Sometimes it gets too hard. What works for others?

    Jason September 3, 2009 at 8:12 pm

    Hell,

    I’ve been sover for almost 3 months now and had one of my worst cravings tonight. I drove around for over an hour passing restaurants and bars that I thought I might be comfortable drinking in. I planned out exactly what I was going to order and almost convinced myself to do it. I was almost convince that I need a drink in order to feel better. For some reason I never pulled in and ended up gong home. Good thing. I don’t know if I can handle another one like that. We will see. I will try my hardest to stay strong.

    N.B October 7, 2009 at 11:53 pm

    Many in the fellowship assert that upon completion of the steps, the obsession to use not only abates- but is entirely removed. This, to me, has become disheartening.

    I’ve been working rapidly through the steps and my obsession to drink and drug has persisted. I’m only 4 months in, but I’ve spoken to numerous others who avow that once they completed their 9th, the obsession was permanently alleviated. At times I feel as though I’m not doing something right. Although my cravings have lessened, I’m still completely overcome by the obsession to drink at least 2-3 times a week, sometimes more. These bouts can last for up to 8 hours at a time – through meetings, communication with sponsor and others in recovery, and prayer. It’s just wholly exhausting at times. I’m hoping to find some relief. This has been a constant in my recovery and relapse over the past two years. Please, leave me a comment with opinion/advice.

    God bless

    Patrick October 8, 2009 at 10:13 pm

    Hi there N.B.

    That is such an excellent question that I am shocked no one had the guts to ask it by now. You are going to have an awesome recovery, I think, simply because of your honesty showing here, and also because you are a deep thinker.

    You sort of hint that you have relapsed multiple times over the past 2 years and so you are obviously somehow blocking yourself from the recovery that you really want. Anyone who desperately wants for AA to work for them can generally make it work. Not that it is easy….simply that most people don’t really want it to work. They want to drink. They are not done yet, etc.

    Traditional AA suggestions state that if something isn’t working for you, then you need to try something different. We all know the often quoted definition of insanity about doing the same thing over and over again.

    If the steps have failed you, then try something else. If the fellowship has failed you, try something else.

    Now of course this gets tricky here, because the die hard stepper will say that “the program did not fail you, instead, YOU failed the program.” They will only give credit to AA and never to the individual, and then they will only fault the individual and never AA. This is part of the mentality that some people in recovery will eventually walk away from, when they decide that they want more out of life and out of recovery.

    I am not saying you should avoid the 12 step program. I am just saying you need to honestly evaluate how well it works for you.

    There are other paths. It sounds like you have the energy to seek alternatives. It sounds like you have the capacity to carve your own path in sobriety.

    Or, maybe not. Maybe you just need to revisit and old path, and try harder this time.

    I know for me, traditional recovery was blocking me from finding my best life. I had to seek beyond the usual 12 step dogma…..

    The steps might remove the obsession to use, but they cannot give you the desire to be sober. If you first have the desire to be sober, the steps can relieve the obsession. But they cannot give you the desire to stop drinking even in spite of yourself.

    It is the same with, say smoking. Take someone who has no intention of quitting, and slap a nicotine patch on them. At the end of the day they are ready to tear someone’s head off for a cigarette. They have not “gained a desire” to quit smoking. That desire had to come from within.

    You can’t beg, borrow, or steal the desire to be sober. It might even be a gift from God. Going through some motions, working some steps…..there is no magic there. I know many will cry blasphemy at this, but it’s true. Many people who had no desire to quit drinking were “forced” to work the steps, and guess what? They return to drinking.

    If you stay sober for long enough the phenomenon of craving will leave you eventually. If you are a “dry drunk” then you will probably still crave alcohol. If the 12 step program is not getting you excited about living a sober life then you need to look elsewhere. If 12 step recovery is a chore then seek another solution. You have to be passionate about a new life in recovery and you have to be excited about your new life in sobriety in order to overcome cravings.

    I have not had a serious craving in years. Sometimes I will catch a whiff of a cigarette when walking by someone, and think “Ah, that would be nice….” but I can bat that away like a fly.

    I am way to excited about the opportunities I have in life each day to think about throwing it away on a relapse with booze. Could I still drink? Sure. But right now, the balance is tipped so heavily toward sobriety that I would never consider it. I am having too much fun. I am experiencing too many great things.

    If recovery is not working for you, then it is up to you to change it. It is your responsibility to find the path that works. No one can just hand you your recovery on a silver platter. You have to build it yourself.

    And, I think you can do that. Your comment reminds me so much of myself that it is downright scary…..

    N.B October 9, 2009 at 12:25 am

    Thank you, I genuinely appreciate your time. Your response was exactly what I needed to read. It made me think, now it’s time to take some action.

    This is a great site, you’re doing amazing work

    N.B

    Mary October 16, 2009 at 4:40 pm

    I have been clean and sober from alcohol and drugs for almost 4 years. Just recently, this past week, I have been thinking about getting high and drinking again. I’ve spoken to my sponser, kept myself connected with the Program, but have been fighting cravings for almost one week now. I’m scared because I don’t ever want to pick up again. I’ve been praying really hard that my Higher Power God help me through this. Just wanted to share. Thanks.

    Patrick October 16, 2009 at 9:16 pm

    Hi there Mary. I think you should take action in addition to what you are already doing.

    If you are on the ropes, I would make sure it is daily action. Massive action. If you are gonna do meetings, do a few each day, etc.

    Just my 2 cents. Good luck…..

    N.B December 16, 2009 at 2:21 am

    Hi,

    Just thought I’d check in. I still visit the site intermittently and thought I’d do so tonight seeing as I feel a bit off and have been struggling the last few days.

    I’ve recently picked up my 6 month chip, and have been doing well. My cravings for cocaine and other drugs have entirely abated. But I still get the urge to drink from time-to-time. Recently I’ve found the obsession starting to creep back. I attend meetings regularly, and am extremely active in those meetings. I exercise religiously, eat as healthy as I can, have worked the steps and am helping others etc. At times though, I still get cravings. They’re infrequent now, but they do come. I suppose I just feel envy and equal parts fear when I hear others speak of how the obsession was “lifted” in such a short period of time. I’m fearful that I’ll be stuck combating this forever.
    The last few days have been difficult, but the weeks preceding them were practically seamless.

    It’s been a stressful time. Exams coupled with the rigors of life can be trying. Possibly I’m expecting too much of myself at this point, and have to exercise patience.
    Any insight would be great as to why I still find myself in these mires.

    Thanks,

    N.B

    N.B December 18, 2009 at 2:06 am

    Like to check in again.

    I’ve dedicated myself to selfless service to others and my community, training for my next marathon, reading and writing over the last few days and I feel amazing.

    I suppose I’m fickle as I should be at this stage in my recovery,

    Thanks,

    N.B

    A.G December 24, 2009 at 9:31 pm

    I quit drinking 2 years ago in November. One evening I got very intoxicated (A fifth of whiskey, A 12 pack of domestic and 3 bottles of wine) and I got in my car at 3am. I had no reason to be driving and I was not going anywhere, just driving, as fast as possible. I did not really want to live much anymore, and I ended up totaling my car.

    The insurance people told me it was a miracle I did not die, judging by the damage done to the vehicle. The cops and judges didn’t see it that way. I am still dealing with all the legal crap years later and I have not had a drop of alcohol since that night.

    The cravings have never subsided though. I just got home from sitting in the parking lot of a local grocery store, I went in and stood in the liqueur aisle for about 15 minutes just staring at the bourbon and scotch. Every weekend for 2 years I have the incredible urge to drink and it makes me feel so weak and pathetic. I am now back at home, alone, on Christmas Eve. All I can think about is having a drink.

    I have used many narcotics in my life and was addicted to a veritable grocery list of them. One by one I removed them from my life, and alcohol became the surrogate. I had to drink incredible amounts to reach that same plateau I used to find with narcotics. After quitting drinking I have nothing left. The cravings are as intense now as they were a week after quitting, they have never dulled and it has never gotten any easier.

    The website said writing a comment might help reduce the cravings, it didn’t. I still want a drink.

    Patrick December 24, 2009 at 9:56 pm

    A.G. – You should get some help. Seriously. I hate to see someone who is still having massive cravings after that long. It does not have to be that hard.

    I fully believe that you are struggling, and that you are genuinely trying to live a better life. But obviously you could use some help. Massive cravings after 2 years is not a good sign.

    I know how you feel when you say “you had nothing left.” I felt the same way after I was clean and sober and finally gave up cigarettes. I truly had nothing left to self medicate with.

    But it gets better. I think you need to ask for help though. Local AA meetings might be a good place for you to start with.

    Good luck…

    keebs January 26, 2010 at 12:40 am

    Hi there, I found this site and i feel like i should leave a word.
    so i have been drinking for about 4-5 years now. every night.
    i’m only 20 years old and i need to stop drinking. a problem i
    think i have is i do not like getting drunk and i know i need to
    stop but at the same time i DO like being drunk. my mom has
    been trying to help but now im at a age were she can not do
    much about it (like telling me no) when i was younger i just
    found someone to buy me beer. allways could. I do not like
    the idea of the dogma that is in the 12 steps. however anything
    that would work for me would more then good. I have had nights
    with no beer and it sucks. it seems like no matter what i do its
    all i can think about. when i know i have beer at home for after work
    im fine. when i know i dont have beer for after work the day is so
    much longer and i hate it more then ever. i hate beer because of
    all the stupid things i have done ect… i dont know just felt like
    saying anything i could to anyone… thanks for reading :)

    cheri February 15, 2010 at 7:45 pm

    Just had to write, tell, put on paper my strong craving to drink. I am telling myself it is my addiction talking and that helps.Thanks

    jimmy February 24, 2010 at 12:09 am

    I’ve been in the A.A. program,on and off,for over 5 years.I have not had more than 60 days sober in those 5 years.I am a binge drinker,user.A weekend warrior,who can go a week or 2 with no drinking or using,but then will go on a binge all weekend.I’m 31,married with a newborn.Alcohal has got me 2 d.u.i.’s,and I declared bankrupcy due to it.This past weekend,with close to 60 days sober,I went on another bender.It was a bad one,and I am lucky(mabey)to be hear to talk about it.I don’t have a desire to drink,but I know in a few weeks I will.A.A. is not working for me.Once I get an urge to pick up,usualy a month or two in between,there is NOTHING that can stop it.Not A.A.,a sponcer,rehab,friends or family.I am scared about the next urge,THE BEAST(as I call it),comes out.In A.A. meetings I zone out.I’m not interested in other peoples lives.It might sound selfish,but what do I care about the people there,and what do they care about me.They say they help me to help themselves get better,so they don’t care about me,nor do I want them to.My last sponcer was very strict on me,and whenever I told him what I was feeling,he would tell me I was full of it or make some other comment downtalking to me.I wouldn’t say what was on my mind to him,because I didn’t feel like being yelled at for 20 minutes every day.I have a busy life.I work 60 hours a week and am a father to a newborn.I don’t have time to go to meetings every day,nor a desire to go.What can I do to help me the next time the BEAST comes out?

    Patrick February 24, 2010 at 5:00 pm

    Well Jimmy, you might look into AVRT therapy, as that is what it sounds like you are describing anyway. They talk about a beast and how to deal with the “addictive voice.” If AA did not work for you then perhaps this is a good way to go…..

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