L4T1 — Riding Out the Urge to Drink
Cravings for alcohol feel like they will last forever, but most peak and pass within 15–20 minutes if you don’t act on them. The skill is not to fight the urge or distract from it completely, but to notice it like a wave — observe it rise, peak, and fall, without needing to “win” against it.
A simple technique:
- Name it: “I am having an urge to drink right now.”
- Rate it: On a scale of 0–10, how strong is it?
- Wait and breathe — check the rating again in 10 minutes.
- Notice: has it changed?
Reflect (type your answer):
Where could you be, physically, for those 15–20 minutes, that would make it easier to just wait out the urge to drink?