How do people cut all the urges and keep focused
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Welcome by either working a program, reading about our addiction, exercise, hobbies, coming here for support etc
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What’s up Aaron, Try and think forward and think about what’s gonna happen if you take that first drink or use. The urges come pretty often in the beginning but they pass quick. I find something else to do. Go to the gym, listen to a sobriety podcast, or look for a meeting either in person or online.
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Love u guys thank you, i havent been clean for more than 4 months since 2014, im not a daily user of cocaine but im so sick of always slipping up
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There’s a saying, When the only tool you have is a hammer, everything resembles a nail.
Alcohol was my hammer. When I was bored, hammered. When I was mad, hammered. When I was celebrating, hammered. You get the point.
Over the years, I lost all tools but the one, and so I used it all the time.
When I got sober, I had to pick up some new tools to replace that worn out hammer.
H.A.L.T. - Hungry, Angry, Lonely, Tired. Most cravings and urges derive from one (or more) of these 4 states. Fix the state, eliminate the urge. If your hungry, eat. If you’re tired, rest. Etc.
Play the tape through - When you get an urge, play the tape through to the end. Using all of your past experiences with alcohol, imagine what will happen if you drink. Imagine how you will feel the next day. Most times, you get to the end and just say “Yuk, nevermind”.
Meditation- meditation is a powerful tool. I use it to manage anger, frustration and just to clear my head. It takes practice, sometimes a lot, but once you get the hang of it, it is almost magical.
Change your Relationship with Alcohol - Understanding your true relationship with alcohol and understanding the real benefits of drinking helps change your mind before you even have a chance to get the urge to drink. You can read my process here Change your Relationship with Alcohol
Stay active here - as @Wunderbar says, “Don’t crave alone” and as @Yoda-Stevie says, “The only drink you have to say no to is the first one.” - Spend time here and you’ll start to pick up on these gems of wisdom and make some friends in the process!
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there is a map being drawn inside of you right now. And to a large degree you are the cartographer. your cravings are now a tool for you to use, they will help you draw this map. These cravings are no longer an indicator that you need to drink or use, they are something far better now. And they are guides and teachers that show you all the things in your life that are dangerous to you. They show you the parts of yourself they need to be reinforced and built up and strengthened. When you experience a craving, give yourself a little time with it and stop and look around and notice what kind of environment you’re in, what kind of situation you’re in, what kind of people are around you and Mark those things on your map. Knowing truly is half the battle here and I promise you if you pay attention to these cravings and use them to your advantage, they will lose any control over you that they have. So draw your map, use it well and navigate differently . You’re on the fast track now.
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Also of urges come from mineral deficiency. I have noticed that when I start to slack on my magnesium and inositol the urge comes back. I am also now taking potassium chloride and l-theanine. Have been learning so much about malnourishment causing our emotional and mental drops. Especially with the good sugars/b vitamins we need, when we don’t get them we start to crave this even worse. A lot of alcoholics and drug addicts are severely mineral deficient from what this does to us but a lot of doctors or therapists even will even address that. Going to a wellness clinic and getting a panel on minerals and hormones has been super helpful
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Lots of great advice being put here I’m a huge fan of halt as most of my Cravings come from being tired or hungry or some sort of emotional precursor. Honestly though most of my Cravings nowadays are thwarted through one simple technique:
Letting go
Sometimes the more energy you spend fighting something the more time and opportunities the addiction has to trick us. Instead as simple and yet difficult as it can be I try to just let it go.
Just like when someone cuts me off in traffic in the rage starts boiling or someone wrongs me or I feel the impulse to gossip or any other lesser inclination that my mind presents I find letting it go instead of dwelling gives me my time back and allows me to create more space between the stimulus and my reaction. That way when I make a reaction it is my own and it is not influenced by my lesser natures. FOMO is only as real as we let it be.
Keep reading keep exploring understand this can be done get rid of any victim mentality you may have. that you have to do anything at all in life and embrace the truth that this is your life and you have 100% control. use that to strengthen you along with the programs they give you the specific techniques to flip the script on your addiction.
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What I’ve learned is that you can never fully cut the urges out. And that may sound scary, but as time goes on you get better at fighting the urges. And with each time you deny the urges, you get stronger. All that strength leads to more time sober and with more time sober, the urges get less and less.
When the long term goal seems overwhelming, focus on short term. Winning the battle in the short term leads to the long term.
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I accepted what I am and that no matter how much I tried drinking and using would result in the same outcome.
The urges stopped when I accepted what is.
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I’m still struggling with quitting weed after smoking it daily for approximately 6 years. One thing that’s helped break my habit of blazing at night though is changing gyms to one with 24hr access. Now whereas I’d usually be stoned, eating a second pack of biscuits, instead I’m leaving for the gym. Get home exhausted and the sleep quality is tip top 
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Extra bold ginger beer. It reminds me of the burn I felt when I drank whiskey, so I always drink that when I have a craving. Or I take a shot of hot sauce. it helps me. But I’m only 8 days into my 3rd time getting sober. I threw my year coin down the drain February 23, 2022.
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The recovery process is called the steps, not leaps and bounds.
Alcohol does terrible, often, terminal things to both our mind and body.
As the BB says ‘its a daily reprieve’, and that’s it.
You only have to stay sober for today, you can have a drink tomorrow, if you go to bed sober when you wake up it will be today so can’t drink as your only going to drink tomorrow.
A bit tenuous but IF you can put off that 1st drink, it’s the 1st drink that gets you drunk not the last as by then your already drunk.
The body never craves anything, it may give you signals that it needs things, but never alcohol your body is to smart for that. It’s your mind that craves, your body only responds to needs, not wants, this is the worst part of the disease, the mind trys to trick you that 1 drink won’t hurt and will make things better.
That is never ever the case for an alcoholic.
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I am so greatly appreciative and thankful for you guys typing and using time out of your lives and helping me and sharing advice im so happy an appreciative thank you guys from the bottom of my heart every answer is beautiful and going to make not only me successful you all as well lets fucking go!!!
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Welcome Cap. For me, in early days I used a lot of distraction…sleep, journal, read, gym, running, walking, eating, baking, fizzy water drinking…anything to take my mind off. I also reminded myself over and over and over WHY I chose this new path. Who did I want to be? How did I want to lve my life? How did I want to feel? That helped me a lot. I kept a list on my phone and when I felt the urge, I read that list, really read it…and reminded me of who I didn’t want to be anymore and what I was fighting for (my life and self respect).
Take it one minute at a time if you need to, but I promise you, waking up sober/clean and regret free never gets old. 
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Thank you sassy i love the advice
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I followed the 12 steps. The urges for me went away after completing step 3. While it may not be the answer you were hoping to hear–its the only solution I keep hearing come up time and time again to resolve cravings and urges. Step 3 serves as a new way of life that leads to true comfort.
You can live a much better and happier life without alcohol and without any desire to drink alcohol. However it’s the 12 step program that has the highest chance of getting you there. It worked for me and many others. While I was working towards step 3 I occupied my time with side jobs and responsibilities.
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This was my experience as well. I am consistently “working” Steps 1-3.
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I play out the whole impending scene. Its never just one drink. I play it all the way through to the misery that is headed my way if I drink. Waking up sick, fearful, full of regret, the committee in my head setting up the next drink, all the madness. The first drink does taste good, Im not gonna lie and I have tried everything in my power to drink like a normal person, (whatever that is) but the wreckage that is soon to insue is just not worth it anymore. The more I accept this fact, the less the cravings come. It gets better with time. Stay out of your head and keep pushing through. You can do this.
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