Cravings, Decoded – Part 4
Following on from Part 3, this piece unpacks the difference between physical withdrawal and the mental cravings that often feel just as real.
When we stop drinking, most of us think we’re dealing with one problem: cravings.
But in truth, we’re facing two.
This is what I call the double-barrel problem—two types of cravings that hit from different angles, often at the same time. One comes from the body. The other comes from the mind. And if we don’t understand both, we risk falling into the same cycle over and over again.
Let’s break it down.
The First Barrel: Physical Cravings (Withdrawal)
The first type of craving is physical. It happens when we stop drinking and our body starts to adjust.
Alcohol acts like a chemical stabilizer in the system. When we take it away, the body scrambles to rebalance itself. That rebalancing process is withdrawal—and it can cause irritability, restlessness, fogginess, poor sleep, and a deep, vague discomfort that’s easy to misinterpret.
In most cases, these physical cravings last a few days to a week. But here’s the catch: they don’t always feel like cravings. They feel like being moody. On edge. “Off.”
That’s why they’re dangerous. Most of us don’t even know we’re in withdrawal—we just assume something’s wrong with us or our day.
And so we drink again. And that resets the withdrawal cycle. Which means the next day (or the next skip), we’ll feel those same symptoms again.
If we never stop drinking for long enough to let the withdrawal complete, we end up living in a constant loop of low-grade withdrawal.
It’s not dramatic. It’s just a steady, mild misery. One that alcohol temporarily relieves—so we keep going back, unaware that we’re actually treating the symptoms it created.
The Second Barrel: Mental Cravings
The second type of craving is psychological. And it’s usually more powerful than the physical kind.
As we explored in the previous piece, mental cravings can create physical sensations—even though they’re driven by thought.
These are the cravings that sneak up even after your body has detoxed. They come from thought loops, beliefs, and old associations telling you that alcohol is the answer to your discomfort.
But here’s where it gets tricky: they feel physical.
You might feel a pull in your stomach. A tightness in your chest. An urge that lives somewhere in your body—and so you assume it must be physical.
It’s not. It’s your brain generating a sensation based on a thought.
Why Mental Cravings Feel Physical
Think of a time you were really upset—angry, anxious, overwhelmed. Where did you feel it?
For many of us, it’s the gut. The stomach churns. The chest tightens. The skin crawls.
That’s not imaginary. It’s your nervous system responding to a mental or emotional state.
Cravings work the same way. If you tell yourself, “I need a drink to relax,” your brain doesn’t just nod—it creates tension in the body to match the belief.
That tension feels real. And it is. But it doesn’t mean your body needs alcohol. It means your brain is firing off an old message—and your nervous system is following suit.
How These Two Cravings Interact
Physical withdrawal creates discomfort. Mental cravings explain that discomfort as a need for alcohol.
Together, they create a self-reinforcing loop:
- Your body feels off → your brain interprets that as needing a drink
- You believe the thought → your body responds to the thought with more tension
- The cycle repeats
Even after the physical cravings fade, mental cravings can mimic them—keeping the loop alive indefinitely.
The Importance of Recognizing Withdrawal
For years, I didn’t know I was in withdrawal.
I just thought I was irritable. Tense. Off my game. I blamed work. Life. Other people.
But it wasn’t any of that. It was my body missing alcohol.
Once I saw it clearly—that I was in a constant low-grade withdrawal cycle—it changed everything. It made me realize I wasn’t broken. I was just caught in a chemical trap.
And I could step out of it.
The Solution: Separate the Signals
Cravings become easier to manage once we learn to separate the signal from the story.
- If it’s physical withdrawal: ride it out. It will pass.
- If it’s mental craving: challenge the thought that created it.
Ask yourself:
“What am I actually feeling—and what have I trained my brain to think that feeling means?”
That one question creates space. And in that space, you regain power.
Two Barrels, One Exit
Physical cravings fade. Mental cravings distort. But both can be undone—if we stop reacting blindly to them.
You don’t need to fight harder. You just need to see more clearly.
Because once you understand what you're actually experiencing, you stop solving the wrong problem. And the craving, whether physical or mental, loses its grip.
🔗 Cravings, Decoded: Full Series
Explore the full series below, or jump straight to the article you need.
Part 1: What Causes Alcohol Cravings
Part 2: The Craving Escalation Cycle
Part 3: When Mental Cravings Feel Physical
Part 4: The Double-Barrel Problem ← you’re here
Part 5: The Hidden Triggers That Mimic Cravings
Part 6: How to Weaken and Destroy Cravings (For Good)
Part 7: Practical Tools for Managing Alcohol Cravings
— Brent