What to Do When You Want to Drink Right Now
If you want to drink right now, don’t decide yet. Get away from the alcohol, call or text someone, eat something, pray in one sentence, and wait fifteen minutes. The urge feels permanent, but it isn’t. You only have to get through this part.
In danger, or thinking about hurting yourself? Call or text 988 now. Emergency: 911. More at crisis help.
Do these five things now
1. Put distance between you and the drink. Pour it out. Leave the store. Get out of the kitchen. Walk outside. Physical distance buys you time.
2. Reach out to one person. Don’t wait until you know what to say. Text: “I really want to drink. Can you call me?” A sponsor, a friend, your pastor, someone from a meeting.
3. Eat and drink something else. Food, then a big glass of water or something cold. An empty stomach makes the pull stronger.
4. Pray, even a short sentence. “Jesus, help me not drink right now.” That’s a whole prayer.
5. Set a timer for fifteen minutes. Tell yourself you can decide when it goes off. Then keep busy until it does: walk, shower, clean something, sit in a public place.
When the timer goes off, set it again if you need to. There’s no limit on how many times you can wait. Each round you get through makes the next one a little easier.
“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.”
A very present help. Present means now, in this room, with you.
While you wait
Ask yourself a few honest questions:
- What happened in the last hour? A fight, bad news, being alone, being exhausted?
- How did the last time I drank actually end?
- Who would I have to tell tomorrow?
- How will I feel at 7 a.m. if I don’t drink tonight?
You don’t have to solve anything. Just answer them in your head or on paper. Answering pulls you out of the urge and into the facts.
If you’re alone tonight
Being alone is when this gets hardest. Some options:
- Find an online meeting. There are meetings running at almost every hour of the day.
- Go somewhere with people and no alcohol: a coffee shop, a gym, a church, a grocery store.
- Call a family member and just talk about something else for ten minutes.
- Put on worship music or a sermon and listen while you walk.
“…and call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me.””
God says call on Him in the day of trouble, and He’ll deliver you. This is the day of trouble. Call.
After it passes
When the urge eases, and it will, do two things:
- Tell someone it happened. Not to confess a failure. To keep it in the light.
- Write down what set it off. Over time you’ll see your patterns, and you can plan for them.
For a longer plan for cravings, including HALT and how to prepare for the next one, read how to stop alcohol cravings. For Scripture to keep on your phone, see Bible verses for cravings.
If you already drank
Stop where you are. It’s a slip, not the end of your story. Tell someone today and read relapse after sobriety.
Safety first. If you drink heavily every day, stopping suddenly can be dangerous. Talk to a doctor before you quit.
A button for this exact moment
Steps & Scripture has an “I’m struggling” button that walks you through the next few minutes and puts your call list right in front of you. The crisis screen, with 988, works offline and is never behind a paywall or AI limits.
Talk it through with Jimmy or Sarah — first month free
Jimmy and Sarah are AI sponsors who know the Twelve Steps and the Bible. They'll listen, walk the steps with you, and keep pointing you to real people: a meeting, a sponsor, a church.
Free to download · first month free, no card · adults 18+
After the first month, talking with Jimmy or Sarah needs Plus ($9.99/month or $59.99/year).
A prayer for right now
“Jesus, I want to drink so badly. I can’t do this on my own. Be here, right now, in this room. Give me the strength to put it down, make the call and wait. Get me through the next fifteen minutes, and then the next. Amen.”
Common questions
I already poured the drink. Is it too late?
No. Pour it down the sink right now. Wanting to drink, even holding one, is not the same as drinking. You can still choose.
Who do I call if I don't have a sponsor?
Anyone safe: a friend who doesn't drink, a family member, your pastor. Many recovery groups also list phone numbers for people who want to talk. If you're in crisis, call or text 988.
Does wanting to drink mean I'm failing at sobriety?
No. Almost everyone in recovery wants to drink at times. What matters is what you do next. Reaching out right now is exactly what sobriety looks like.
Talk it through with Jimmy or Sarah — first month free
Jimmy and Sarah are AI sponsors who know the Twelve Steps and the Bible. They'll listen, walk the steps with you, and keep pointing you to real people: a meeting, a sponsor, a church.
Free to download · first month free, no card · adults 18+
After the first month, talking with Jimmy or Sarah needs Plus ($9.99/month or $59.99/year).
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