Cravings, Decoded - Part 2 of 7
Part 1: What Causes Alcohol Cravings
Part 2: The Craving Escalation Cycle ← you’re here
Part 3: When Mental Cravings Feel Physical
Part 4: Double-Barrel Alcohol Cravings
Part 5: Hidden Triggers That Mimic Alcohol Cravings
Part 6: How to Weaken and Destroy Cravings (For Good)
Part 7: Practical Tools for Managing Alcohol Cravings
We often think of cravings as sudden and overwhelming, like they crash in out of nowhere. But in reality, that's not what happens. They build.
Like a slow wave gathering strength and getting bigger, a craving moves through predictable mental phases. And if we don’t recognize the pattern early, we find ourselves pouring a drink almost automatically, wondering how we got there.
That pattern is what I call the Craving Escalation Cycle. Once you understand how it works, you can break it long before the urge hits its peak.
What Is the Craving Escalation Cycle?
The Craving Escalation Cycle is the internal loop your brain runs when a trigger sparks the desire to drink.
It’s not just one thought. It’s a sequence.
Each phase builds momentum toward the next.
That’s what makes cravings feel so powerful. But that’s also what makes them predictable and breakable.
The Five Stages of a Craving
1. Trigger
It starts with a trigger. Something small, like a stressful moment, a familiar place, or a certain time of day, activates your old drinking pattern.
At this stage, there’s no craving yet. Just the opening cue.
2. Thought
The brain floats the idea: “Maybe just one…”
It might feel harmless, but this is where the loop begins. If you pause here and recognize it, you’ve already started breaking the pattern.
3. Fantasy
If you keep entertaining the thought, the craving deepens. You start picturing the drink and imagining how it tastes and feels.
This isn’t neutral. Your brain doesn’t distinguish between a vivid mental image and the real thing. By rehearsing it, you strengthen the craving.
4. Debate
Now the tug-of-war starts:
“Should I? I’ve been good. Just one won’t hurt. But I’ll feel awful tomorrow. But maybe this time will be different…”
This stage is mentally exhausting. Logic tries to talk you out of it, but the urge is already halfway to winning.
5. Peak Urge
By now, the craving feels physical. You might be restless, tense, and distracted. Not drinking seems harder than drinking.
This is the tipping point. If you reach this stage, it takes real effort to resist and often ends with giving in.
But here’s the thing: you don’t have to get this far.
Why the Cycle Feels So Powerful
Each time you move through the Craving Escalation Cycle and end up drinking, your brain learns: “This loop works.”
Dopamine rewards the process, even if you regret it later. The brain doesn’t care about long-term consequences. It only remembers the short-term relief.
Over time, the loop activates faster and feels stronger. That’s how cravings get wired in.
The good news is the same system can be rewired in your favor.
How to Interrupt the Cycle
You don’t have to wait for the peak urge to act. In fact, the earlier you step in, the easier it is to stop.
Here’s how to break it at each stage:
At the Trigger Stage
Use awareness. Notice what just happened.
“Ah, there’s my old cue.”
No judgment. Just recognition.
At the Thought Stage
Label it.
“That’s a craving thought.”
It’s not a command or a truth. Just a thought.
At the Fantasy Stage
Interrupt the movie. Move your body, shift your attention, change the mental channel. Fantasizing is fuel, so cut it off.
At the Debate Stage
Use a preloaded line:
- “I’ve seen how this ends.”
- “That’s just the loop talking.”
- “Alcohol won’t give me what I’m really looking for.”
Having a phrase ready short-circuits the back-and-forth.
At the Peak Urge
Ride it out with compassion. Remind yourself cravings rise and fall. Breathe. Move. Ground yourself. You’re not failing. You’re feeling something temporary.
You Don’t Have to Be Stronger, Just Sooner
Cravings aren’t about willpower. They’re about patterns.
And patterns can be broken, not by pushing harder, but by seeing them sooner.
The Craving Escalation Cycle only feels unstoppable when it runs unchecked. But if you notice it early, name it, and interrupt it, even gently, you weaken the loop.
Each time you do, the craving gets quieter.
What once felt automatic starts to fade, one choice, one interruption, and one moment of awareness at a time.
That’s not resistance.
That’s freedom in motion.
— Brent
Next up: When Mental Cravings Feel Physical