Use this when you are settled enough to plan for an urge to use. It is not a guide to managing withdrawal or an emergency.
Recognise your early signs
An urge may be linked with a place, a person, stress, a feeling or a familiar routine. It can also arrive without an obvious cue. Think of one situation that has been difficult and what you noticed first, rather than trying to explain every craving.
Notice the difference between an urge and new symptoms that may need medical attention. Shaking, marked confusion or other symptoms after reducing use should not simply be labelled a craving. If you use heavily or every day, get medical advice before stopping suddenly or making a large reduction.
Make the first response easy to reach
Choose an action that fits your circumstances and existing care plan. You might move away from a cue where safe, change a familiar route, begin a small absorbing task or contact someone. Prepare what you need beforehand so the plan is not another problem to solve in a difficult moment.
For example, if the journey home is a difficult time, arrange a check-in before leaving and choose a route that avoids a familiar buying place. This is an adjustment to the situation, not a challenge to prove you can resist it. Do not deliberately expose yourself to triggers as a test.
Have another option available
The first idea may be unavailable or unhelpful. Choose a backup: a different activity, a safer place or another contact. Keep the options manageable. A plan with two actions you can actually use may be more helpful than a long list you cannot remember.
Some people find it useful to notice an urge without immediately acting on it, sometimes called urge surfing. Others prefer an external activity or company. If focusing inward increases distress, stop and try another option. The aim is to support your next action; you do not have to feel calm first.
Arrange support before you need it
Agree who you can contact, how and when. Ask whether they are available rather than assuming they can answer at any hour. Decide what to do if they cannot respond. In Victoria, DirectLine provides alcohol and drug counselling and referral on 1800 888 236.
Cravings can fluctuate, recur or last longer than expected. There is no set number of minutes that a craving lasts for everyone. Possible withdrawal or urgent symptoms need medical assessment. Seek a care review if urges are increasing, repeatedly disrupting your life or making your current plan hard to follow.
Learn from what happened
Later, ask what helped even a little, what was missing and what should change. Continuing an agreed treatment plan and telling your clinician about difficulties are useful actions. If the plan was not enough, adjust the care and support around it. It does not mean you are weak.
A return to use needs attention to safety first. You can reconnect with care without waiting to understand everything. Coping skills are one part of treatment, and this short plan cannot promise that cravings will stop or become easier every time.
For health professionals
Using the sheet in practice
An original planning aid informed by coping-skills guidance, not a validated craving measure or standalone treatment. Distinguish urges from intoxication, withdrawal and other medical or psychiatric symptoms. Use alongside individual assessment and ongoing care.
Use the sheet alongside your clinical assessment. It does not produce a diagnosis, measure risk or determine treatment. If seeking a specialist opinion, state the clinical question and relevant history using the usual referral pathway.