When Mental Cravings Feel Physical

Cravings, Decoded – Part 3 of 7

Part 1: What Causes Alcohol Cravings
Part 2: The Craving Escalation Cycle
Part 3: When Mental Cravings Feel Physical ← you’re here
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

Some cravings seem to hit the body before we even realize what’s happening.

It might be a tightness in the chest. A flutter in the stomach. That rising tension that feels like it’s coming out of nowhere… and suddenly we’re thinking, I need a drink.

But here’s the thing. What if those sensations aren’t purely physical?

What if they’re mental cravings so convincing that they create sensations in the body, making us think we’re experiencing something physical?

That’s one of the most important mindset shifts when it comes to understanding addiction:

Not every craving that feels physical is physical.
Some are mental illusions powered entirely by thought.

How the Mind Triggers the Body

We tend to think of the mind and body as separate systems. But they’re more like dance partners, constantly reacting to each other.

Think about a time you were overwhelmed with emotion such as fear, anger, shame, or excitement.

You didn’t just think it. You felt it.

• Your stomach tightened.
• Your chest felt heavy.
• Your breathing changed.
• Your shoulders tensed.

That’s no accident. It’s a feedback loop:

A thought shows up.
That thought sparks an emotion.
The emotion sends a signal to your body.
You feel that signal and assume it’s telling you something urgent.

This is exactly how a mental craving can show up as what feels like a physical need.

Real-Life Examples of the Mind Creating “Physical” Urges

Here’s what this looks like in practice:

You think: I need a drink to take the edge off.
→ Your chest tightens. You feel unsettled. It must be a craving.

You tell yourself: I’ll never be able to drink again.
→ You feel deprived, anxious. Maybe you start sweating or pacing.

You picture a drink, imagining the taste, the relief, the escape.
→ Your gut reacts. Your body starts prepping for something it thinks is coming but doesn’t arrive.

All of these begin in the mind. But they echo into the body.
And because the sensations feel real, we believe the story that comes with them.

Why Dopamine Plays a Big Role

Our brains are wired for reward-seeking.
Dopamine, the brain’s little “motivation messenger,” helps us remember what felt good and pushes us to repeat it.

Here’s the tricky part: dopamine doesn’t care if the “reward” is harmful.
It doesn’t judge. It just records and reinforces.

With alcohol, the process looks like this:

1. You drink in a pleasurable or relieving moment.
2. Your brain releases dopamine.
3. Your brain learns: Alcohol = relief or pleasure.
4. Next time you’re in a similar situation, your brain “lights up” with anticipation before you even take a sip.

And here’s the sneaky detail:

The dopamine spike happens at the thought stage, not after you drink.

Just thinking about alcohol triggers a mini “reward prep” signal.
That signal often feels physical such as a tight chest, increased heart rate, or butterflies in the stomach.

So the craving you feel is not a sign of a real need.
It’s a learned brain habit that says, “This is how we get relief.”

The Illusion Turns into a Cycle

And this is how people get stuck.

• A thought about drinking pops up.
• The brain fires off a dopamine flare.
• The body reacts with tension or urgency.
• You assume it must be a real craving or even withdrawal.
• You drink to relieve it.
• The brain records that the craving went away because of alcohol.
• Next time, the craving is stronger.

This loop runs on autopilot.
It’s not based on truth. It’s powered by a misfiring reward system and a misunderstanding of what the body is really saying.

Breaking the Craving Illusion

The good news is: you can break this loop.

The very first step is recognizing that the craving is a thought-driven illusion.
It feels real, but it’s not.

Here’s a four-step approach that works:

1. Pause and Name It
   • Say: This is a mental craving. It feels physical, but I know where it came from.
   • Just naming it interrupts the automatic belief.
2. Track the Thought
   • Ask: What thought showed up right before I felt this?
   • Maybe it’s: “I’m stressed, I need a drink.”
     Or: “I can’t have fun without alcohol.”
   • Call the thought out. Question it.
3. Let the Sensation Be
   • Don’t fight the feeling.
   • Let your body react while you hold steady in the truth.
   • Remember that sensations pass without you needing to “fix” them.
4. Reinforce the New Belief
   • Remind yourself: This is my brain running an old script. I don’t believe it anymore.
   • Every time you do this, you’re rewiring your brain and weakening the thought-craving link.

“Real” Doesn’t Mean “True”

Here’s what’s worth remembering:

Just because a craving feels physical doesn’t mean your body actually needs anything. It means your brain is replaying an old story, one that used to be connected to relief. Your body is simply echoing that story back to you.

Mental cravings can feel real. They can feel urgent. But they’re not dangerous.
They’re just habits dressed up as needs.

And when you see them clearly for what they are, the illusion starts to fall apart.

You feel the craving.
You watch it pass.
And in that space, you find freedom.

— Brent

Next up: Double-Barrel Alcohol Cravings