It DOES get better, though I'm not sure how fast... I got through the initial cravings the "easy" way, lol, I was in jail and prison long enough to detox completely.
First of all, try to avoid people, places and things that trigger a craving whenever possible. The less cravings you have, the less you have to suffer through. Next, when one hits out of the blue (and they will), try to think how it felt when you had run out, were coming down hard, had spent the rent or whatever, and just plain hated yourself. When you compare the two feelings, the craving is a lot easier to live with.
Hang in there, it gets better. I have over 3 years clean this time and while getting clean didn't magically solve all my problems, it quit adding to them.