Recognise the trigger
External triggers include people, places, times and situations. Internal triggers include thoughts, emotions and physical sensations. For one week, note the time, trigger, strength of urge, action you took and what happened next. Look for repetition rather than judging individual moments.
A three-part craving plan
- Recognise. Say what is happening: “This is an urge after a difficult call.”
- Avoid where useful. Leave the alcohol aisle, skip a high-pressure event, change the route home or remove alcohol from the usual spot.
- Cope when it cannot be avoided. Delay, call someone, eat, use an alcohol-free drink, walk, shower, distract yourself or leave the situation.
This recognise, avoid and cope approach comes from the NIAAA Rethinking Drinking cravings guide, which also notes that urges are often short-lived and controllable.
Write the plan before the urge
- My most common external trigger is…
- My most common internal trigger is…
- The person I can contact is…
- The place I can move to is…
- The activity that can occupy twenty minutes is…
- The reason I want a different outcome is…
Save the answers where you can reach them quickly. The quality of the plan matters more than sounding inspirational.
If the urge appears on a night out
Order for yourself rather than joining a round, put distance between you and the bar, switch to an alcohol-free drink and bring your leave time forward. If someone keeps pushing, use one direct sentence: “No thanks, I’m done for tonight.” Then leave if the pressure continues.
HeelClick can hold the plan
HeelClick can keep a limit, hard stop, leave time and reason for tomorrow in view during a planned social night. It is not craving treatment and cannot protect you from withdrawal or a medical emergency.
Make a plan with HeelClick ↗When to get more support
Speak to a health professional if urges are difficult to manage or repeatedly lead to drinking you did not intend. If you may be dependent, do not stop suddenly without medical advice. Withdrawal can be dangerous. See support options and urgent warning signs.