Freedom app features
Alcohol craving tools in Freedom app
Alcohol craving tools are short activities you can use to shift your attention when you feel an urge to drink. Freedom app brings nine of these tools together, including guided breathing, grounding and attention games.
What is Freedom app?
Stop Drinking Alcohol: Freedom is an iOS and Android app by SK LABS for adults who want to quit drinking, cut back or take a break. Its Support tab contains the craving tools described here, alongside private mentor messaging.
Choose an exercise that fits the moment
Open Support and select an exercise. You do not have to complete a lesson or write an explanation first. Each tool tells you what to do, with prompts you can follow on your phone.
For example, if you are sitting at home thinking about opening a drink, you could try the number game, then move to another room or message someone you trust. The exercise supplies a short activity; your next action connects it to the situation.
Scroll horizontally to compare all columns.
| If you prefer… | Try this tool | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| A guided breathing rhythm | Gentle breathing | A 60-second circle to follow at a comfortable pace. |
| Noticing things around you | Notice your surroundings | Three things you see, two points of contact and one sound. |
| A task without a countdown | Number game | Tap numbers 1 to 9 in order, with no timer. |
| A touch-based activity | Wave Surfer | Keep your thumb on the wave for 90 seconds; lift it to pause. |
Nine ways to focus your attention
- Gentle breathing: follow the growing and shrinking circle for 60 seconds at a comfortable pace, without forcing or holding your breath.
- Notice your surroundings: identify three things you see, two places where your body touches a surface and one sound.
- Number game: find and tap the numbers from 1 to 9 in order.
- Wave Surfer: keep your thumb on the wave for a 90-second activity. Lift it to pause; vibration is optional.
- Cool your cheeks: focus on a cool, damp cloth resting lightly against your cheeks.
- Gentle movement: follow a short, comfortable movement activity when you feel well and steady.
- Release tension: gently squeeze and relax your hands through three rounds.
- Notice a taste: pay attention to a familiar non-alcoholic drink’s taste and temperature.
- Gentle touch: focus on light contact around the outside of your ear.
Finish with a practical next action
Timed exercises have pause and resume controls. Finishing the timer marks the end of the activity, not a measurement of whether an urge has passed. Afterward, choose to change your surroundings, do another activity or reach out to someone.
The reach-out option gives you a prepared message to copy. Copying puts the text on your clipboard; you choose the recipient and send it yourself.
The app keeps completion counts on your device for your account, so you can see which activities you have finished.
What the tools are designed to do
Grounding means directing attention to things you can notice in the present, such as a sound or contact with a surface. The app’s breathing, sensory and attention exercises give you a specific activity to follow during an urge.
NIAAA’s craving guidance describes recognizing triggers, planning alternative activities and talking to someone you trust. These principles can inform a coping plan. They are not a clinical evaluation of Freedom’s individual exercises.
Follow each tool’s safety instructions and stop if it feels uncomfortable. These activities do not treat alcohol withdrawal. If you may be physically dependent on alcohol, seek medical advice before suddenly stopping.
Sources & further reading [1]
Key takeaways
- Choose an activity you can follow now: breathing, noticing your surroundings or focusing on a simple task.
- The number game has no timer. Breathing and Wave Surfer provide timed activities with pause controls.
- After an exercise, use the next-action screen to change your surroundings, do something different or reach out.
Craving Tools FAQ
How does Wave Surfer work?
Keep your thumb on the wave for a 90-second activity. The timer pauses when you lift your thumb, and vibration is optional. Afterward, choose a practical next action.
Can I pause or switch an exercise?
Yes. You can pause timed activities, resume them or choose another exercise. Follow the individual instructions and stop any activity that feels uncomfortable.
Does the app save how often I use these tools?
It stores tool completion counts on your device for your account, showing which activities you have completed.
Are the craving exercises included in membership?
The Support tools are part of the main app experience accessed through membership. Check the subscription terms and any trial eligibility shown before purchase.
Which alcohol craving tool should I try first?
Choose by the activity you prefer. Gentle breathing provides a rhythm to follow; grounding directs attention to your surroundings; the number game gives you an untimed task. You can switch if an exercise does not suit you.
What if I still want a drink after an exercise?
Finishing an activity does not mean the urge must be gone. Use the next-action screen to change your surroundings, do something different or reach out to someone. You can also choose another exercise. Our evening-cravings guide explains how to prepare a broader plan.
Sources & further reading
- How to Stop Alcohol CravingsNational Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism · Checked
Keep a concrete response within reach
Open Freedom app to choose a short exercise, follow its prompts and decide what to do next.