Addiction Cravings: What They Are And Tips to Manage Cravings

Cravings are a normal part of recovery. They can feel overwhelming, but they also provide important information about the connection between thoughts, emotions, and biology. Instead of treating cravings as something to “fight,” research suggests that approaching them with curiosity and acceptance can reduce their intensity and make them easier to manage.

What Are Cravings?

Cravings are strong urges to use a substance, often triggered by stress, certain environments, or emotional states. Studies describe them as a “push-pull” dynamic: people often want to prolong pleasurable states and avoid uncomfortable ones. But using substances to manage these urges can increase distress over time and weaken coping resources.

Cravings are a useful source of information that can illuminate the complex interplay of cognitive, biological, and affective processes associated with substance use. According to Witkiewitz and colleagues (2013), a mindfulness perspective on cravings assumes a push-pull dynamic wherein an individual may wish to prolong pleasurable states while minimizing and avoiding unpleasant states. However, engaging in substance use or other addictive behaviors may lead to more discomfort and distress in the long-term and may reduce one’s coping resources.

Taking a mindfulness approach, with its emphasis on acceptance and acknowledging the transitory and impermanent nature of our experiences, may offer an alternative path for managing cravings.

A Mindfulness Perspective

Mindfulness approaches encourage patients to notice cravings without judgment. Instead of resisting or suppressing them—which may actually prolong their intensity—patients can learn to observe cravings as temporary experiences that rise and fall like waves. This skill, sometimes called urge surfing, uses breathing and body awareness to help ride out cravings until they naturally pass.

“…by focusing one’s attention on cravings and adopting a negative stance towards them, we inadvertently prolong their duration and possibly increase the intensity of how they are experienced.”

Research shows that mindfulness-based relapse prevention reduces craving intensity and strengthens self-efficacy, the belief that a person can cope without turning to substances.

Understand Cravings with Urge Surfing

One useful strategy for working with cravings is the practice of “urge surfing” as developed by Bowen and colleagues (2012). Urge surfing relies on an image of a wave paired with breathing practices to help reduce the intensity of the physical and psychological reactions to a craving, and also to help foster an accepting and compassionate stance towards one’s experiences in the moment.

“This alternative stance is one that allows for observation of the experience with an open and curious attitude rather than judgment.”

Many people experience cravings as negative or overwhelming, often trying to avoid or suppress them. An alternative approach is to observe the craving with openness and curiosity instead of judgment.

In treatment, people are guided through a practice called urge surfing. This involves focusing on the physical sensations, emotions, and thoughts that arose during the craving. People then visualize a wave, recognizing that cravings rise and fall in intensity over time.

Breathwork is introduced as a “surfboard,” helping the patient stay steady while the craving peaked and subsided. Together, they explored what the craving might represent beneath the surface. For example, was the craving an attempt to relax, or a signal of wanting relief from anxiety? By approaching the experience with curiosity and compassion, the patient began to understand underlying needs and consider healthier ways to meet them.

Learning From Cravings

Cravings don’t have to be seen as failures. Instead, they can reveal unmet needs. For example, a craving may signal a desire for relaxation, connection, or relief from anxiety. Exploring what’s underneath the craving creates opportunities to respond in healthier ways, such as through stress management, social support, or relaxation strategies.

Practical Strategies for Managing Drug or Alcohol Cravings in Recovery

• Pause and notice. Identify the physical sensations, thoughts, and emotions tied to a craving.
• Practice urge surfing. Visualize a craving like a wave. Use your breath as a “surfboard” to ride it until it subsides.
• Reframe the experience. View cravings as information, not commands.
• Build alternative responses. Replace the urge to use with healthier coping tools—such as reaching out to a friend, journaling, or taking a walk.
• Strengthen resilience. Incorporate stress-reduction practices like meditation, exercise, or therapy into daily routines to lower the likelihood of strong cravings.

By observing cravings without judgment, patients can learn that urges do not require immediate action. With practice, this approach supports long-term recovery.

Ready to take the next step in recovery?

If cravings are getting in the way of your progress, you don’t have to manage them alone. Find addiction treatment programs near you that provide evidence-based strategies and compassionate support to help you stay on track.

FAQs

Q: Are cravings normal in recovery? 

A: Yes. Cravings are a natural part of the brain’s adaptation to substance use. They may feel uncomfortable but do not mean relapse is inevitable.

Q: Why is mindfulness helpful for cravings? 

A: Mindfulness teaches acceptance and awareness, helping patients recognize cravings as temporary. Research shows that mindfulness-based relapse prevention lowers craving intensity and relapse risk.

Q: What is urge surfing? 

A: Urge surfing is a mindfulness technique where cravings are visualized as waves. Patients focus on their breath to “ride out” the urge until it passes, rather than reacting automatically.

Q: Can cravings teach me anything about recovery? 

A: Yes. Cravings can highlight unmet needs, such as the desire for stress relief or connection. Exploring the meaning behind cravings can help patients find healthier ways to meet those needs.

Q: Do cravings ever go away completely? 

A: Cravings often decrease in frequency and intensity over time. However, they may still appear during stress or exposure to triggers. Having strategies to manage them is key to maintaining recovery.

Sources

1. Bowen, S., Chawla, N., & Marlatt, G. A. (2010). "Mindfulness-based relapse prevention for addictive behaviors: A clinician’s guide." Guilford Press.
2. Brewer, J. A., Mallik, S., Babuscio, T. A., Nich, C., Johnson, H. E., Deleone, C. M., … & Carroll, K. M. (2011). "Mindfulness training for smoking cessation: Results from a randomized controlled trial." Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 119(1–2), 72–80.
3. Garland, E. L., Franken, I. H., & Howard, M. O. (2012). "Mindfulness-oriented recovery enhancement for addiction, stress, and pain: Clinical outcomes and neurocognitive mechanisms." Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 80(3), 437–448.
4. Kober, H., Kross, E. F., Mischel, W., Hart, C. L., & Ochsner, K. N. (2010). "Regulation of craving by cognitive strategies in cigarette smokers." Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 106(1), 52–55.
5. Miller, W. R., & Rollnick, S. (2012). Motivational Interviewing: Helping People Change (3rd ed.). Guilford Press.
6. Tiffany, S. T., & Wray, J. M. (2012). "The clinical significance of drug craving." Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1248(1), 1–17.
7. Witkiewitz, K., Bowen, S., Douglas, H., & Hsu, S. H. (2013). "Mindfulness-based relapse prevention for substance craving." Addictive Behaviors, 38(2), 1563–1571.
8. Witkiewitz, K., Marlatt, G. A., & Walker, D. (2005). "Mindfulness-based relapse prevention for alcohol and substance use disorders." Journal of Cognitive Psychotherapy, 19(3), 211–228.