By Gaby Guzek | Medical journalist · Bestselling author · Sobriety-Coach
There’s a trick against cravings so simple you won’t take it seriously — until you see what it does to your brain. Give your addiction memory an ugly name, and something remarkable happens: your rational mind switches back on.
A really ugly one.
That might sound odd. But it has a solid neurobiological foundation – and in practice, it works with remarkable reliability. Why that is, what happens in your brain when you do it, and how you can use it for yourself – that’s what this is about.
The problem: You’re fighting yourself
If you’ve stopped drinking, you know the moment: The craving rolls in, out of nowhere or triggered by something, and suddenly that urge is right there. Big, loud, pressing. And then you try to fight it. With reason. With good arguments. With the knowledge that you don’t want to drink.
And you fail.
There’s a reason for that, and it has nothing to do with a lack of willpower. Our brains simply aren’t built to fight themselves. Running against your own desire – that’s a programme nature never intended. There’s no neural mechanism for it. That’s why it feels so hopeless: Because it is hopeless.
What nature very much did intend, however, is defence against an external threat. Fighting back against something else, warding off an attacker, repelling an enemy – that’s standard equipment. Survival instinct, as old as humanity itself. And this is exactly where the trick comes in.
Two brains, one head
To understand why naming works so well, it helps to take a brief look at the architecture upstairs. Because you’re essentially carrying two very different brains around with you.
First, there’s the prefrontal cortex – the youngest, most highly developed part. It sits right behind your forehead, and it’s what makes you human. This is where your character lives, your personality, your thinking, your ability to weigh consequences and make decisions. Everything you’d want to be recognised for – that’s prefrontal cortex.
And then there’s the brainstem, the so-called reptilian brain. Ancient. Hundreds of millions of years old. We share this part quite literally with lizards. It doesn’t think. It doesn’t plan. It feels no shame and no regret. It knows only one mode: Want. Now. Immediately.
The addiction memory sits right there. In the reptilian brain. In the instinct basement. Right next to the departments for sex and hunger. When the craving hits, it’s not your self that’s speaking. It’s the lizard.
And here’s the real problem: When the lizard fires, the prefrontal cortex steps back. Your intellect – your shield, your reason – measurably loses influence under acute craving pressure. That’s not a personal failure, that’s neurobiology. The ancient brain structures take over, and your rational mind stands on the sideline, mouth agape, watching in disbelief.
The trick: A name switches your rational mind back on
And now it gets interesting. Neurobiologically, something very important happens when you name and externalise a threat: The prefrontal cortex is reactivated. The very part that had just lost control during the craving.
If you face your addiction memory and think – or better still, say out loud – “There you are again, you miserable booze goblin” – you’re no longer a passive victim of a biochemical process. You’re naming, distancing, taking action. That measurably changes the neurochemistry of the moment.
In plain terms: You bring your rational mind back into play. And with your rational mind back in the game, the odds shift dramatically.
This is also why it’s so important not just to name your addiction memory, but to actually address it – out loud, quietly, internally, it doesn’t matter. Language itself is the activation switch for the prefrontal cortex. Thinking alone isn’t enough. Speaking works.
Three reasons why naming works
First: It activates the prefrontal cortex, our command centre. You’ve just read how – through naming and addressing, the rational mind switches back on, even though it had clocked out during the craving moment.
Second: It turns an impossible fight into a possible one. You can’t win against yourself – that programme doesn’t exist. But you can win against an opponent. Defence, resistance, fighting back against a threat – we’re built for that. Once the addiction memory has its own shape and face, the inner struggle becomes a fight your brain can actually wage. You’re essentially letting the survival instinct and the reward system duke it out in the ancient brain. And the survival instinct is pretty strong.
Third – and this may be the most important point: You lose the guilt. That grinding “I want to drink again, what’s wrong with me?” If you split the craving off and say: That’s not me, that’s the wine troll, that’s the booze goblin – then you’re no longer the weak person who failed. You’re the human being defending against an intruder. In other words: That’s not me. That’s the lizard.
And neurobiologically, this separation is actually correct. Your self – your character, your thinking, your values – lives in the prefrontal cortex. What’s raging about addiction is the reptilian brain. A brain region that doesn’t distinguish you from a lizard. You don’t want to identify with that. That’s not you.
How to name it
Take a moment and picture your addiction memory in truly concrete terms. Not abstract – tangible. What kind of shape does it have? Small and nasty? Big and loud? Slimy? Does it have a voice – and if so, what does it sound like? High-pitched and whiny? Deep and oily-persuasive? Does it talk to you like an old mate – or more like a sleazy salesman who always has a special offer ready?
Some people see a drooling goblin. Others a wine witch with a talent for whispering. A pompous bureaucrat producing endless arguments. A troll under the bridge, blocking every path.
It can be ugly. It can be ridiculous. The only thing that matters is that it belongs to that character – and not to you.
And then give it a name. The Booze Goblin. The Wine Witch. The Beer Troll. Chardonnay Charlie. Sir Drinks-a-Lot. Whatever fits. Feel free to make it nastier than what’s printable here.
What you do with it
From now on, when the addiction memory pipes up – when the whisper starts, the arguments roll in, the romanticising kicks off – address it. “Ah, there you are again, Booze Goblin.” – “I see you, Wine Witch. Sod off.” – “Chardonnay Charlie, you can do one.”
Sounds absurd? Good. Absurdity helps. Humour helps. If you can laugh at something, you have distance from it – and distance is exactly what you need in a craving moment.
What you shouldn’t do: take the creature seriously. Negotiate with it. Show it respect. The addiction memory doesn’t deserve a fair trial. It deserves contempt, humour, and a firmly shown door.
One more thing: this isn’t just a trick
Maybe this all sounds a bit silly to you. Talking to a made-up goblin? Really?
But here’s the thing: it’s not silly at all. Scientists have found that simply putting a strong feeling into words calms down the panicky, out-of-control part of the brain – and brings the calm, thinking part back online. That’s exactly what happens when you give your craving a name and talk back to it.
So you’re not being childish. You’re not “doing it wrong.” You’re using one of the simplest, best-proven tricks your brain has to offer – and it costs you nothing but a little courage to say it out loud.
Interested in more relapse prevention? You’ll find more in our book “Bye, Bye, Booze”
FAQ About Addiction Memory
What is an 'addiction memory'?
It’s the deep, automatic craving pattern stored in the brain’s reward system — mainly the nucleus accumbens and related structures. It forms through repeated alcohol use and can stay active for years, even after long periods of sobriety.
Why does naming a craving actually help?
Naming and addressing a craving re-engages the prefrontal cortex, the brain region responsible for reasoning and self-control. This shifts you from passively reacting to actively confronting the urge, which measurably changes how the moment plays out.
Do I have to say it out loud for it to work?
Speaking — even quietly — activates the prefrontal cortex more reliably than silent thinking alone. If you can’t say it aloud, saying it firmly in your head still helps, but out loud tends to work best.
Can this replace therapy or medical support?
No. It’s a fast, in-the-moment tool for handling acute cravings, not a substitute for professional treatment. It works well alongside therapy, medication, or nutrient-based approaches.