Author: Gary Jackson

Curbing Alcohol Cravings: Medications, and Home Remedies for Alcohol Use Disorder AUD

Coping tips can absolutely offer short-term solutions when you’re trying to cut back on alcohol. That said, permanently changing your relationship with alcohol may require a more in-depth approach. External triggers refer to the environmental cues you link to alcohol, including places, times, people, and situations. But in spite of your goals and no matter how committed you are to changing your habits around drinking, avoiding alcohol might prove a little more difficult than you expected. Although the available evidence is mixed or lacking in humans, the following natural supplements, herbs, and vitamins might help curb alcohol cravings (5, 6, 7). The protein in poultry and fish helps in the production of dopamine, which can help improve your mood as you fight alcohol cravings.

Most people with alcohol problems do not decide to make a big change out of the blue or transform their drinking habits overnight. Even after admitting you have a drinking problem, you may make excuses and drag your feet. It’s important to acknowledge your ambivalence about stopping drinking. If you’re not sure if you’re ready to change or you’re struggling with the decision, it can help to think about the costs and benefits of each choice.

Strategies To Take Control When Drinking Is The Main Event

When taking disulfiram, drinking even a small amount of alcohol can produce effects such as flushing, headache, and nausea. Acamprosate is believed to work by restoring balance to certain neurotransmitters in the brain that are disrupted by long-term alcohol overuse. These thoughts, feelings, sensations, and beliefs are not necessarily negative.

“Try doing a ‘dry’ month like Dry January, Go Dry for July or Sober October,” says Moore. In January 2020, more than 6 million people reportedly participated in Dry January, a campaign to reduce alcohol consumption organized by Alcohol Change UK. Follow-up research suggested that most tended to drink in healthier amounts afterward. “Once you have a sense of how much you’re drinking, it’s helpful to track how many drinks you’re having per day,” says Witkiewitz. “You could use a calendar, journal or any number of tracking apps.” Drink Control Alcohol Tracker or Less are two examples of free tracking apps available on iOS devices. But even when you don’t know anyone else trying to make a similar change, friends and loved ones can still offer emotional support.