What does a craving feel like?

I smoke occasionally with friends, and when I am under stress i will get the "I want a cigarette" thought pop into my head, followed by the "wait a minute, why do I need a cigrette? I don't need a cigarette". But there is no physical feeling that goes along with it (other than stress).

Does it vary from people to people? Is it just a recurring thought or is it something more? What does a craving feel like to you?

I'm poly addicted to a lot of different drugs, including nicotine in cigs. I haven't smoked in 9 months or so. I've been clean for 18 months from pot. I haven't touched hard drugs in about 20 years, with one or two exceptions.

Cravings con't be described using the English language, I don't believe. I guess it is like the force of gravity, not that strong, but persistant. It will wear me down, if I let it.

Hope this helps.

an obsession to do something. can't get your mind off of it. feeling a compulsion to do something even if it's not good for us.
with alcohol it causes one to feel they must drink even if one's logic says don't. or if not trying to stop it still obsseses one's mind.
overpowering all other thoughts.
one feeling helpless unless one acts on the craving.

Yes, obsession/compulsion - I had a feeling of powerless over my drug addiction. It wasn't until I empowered myself with a good addiction treatment action plan that I began to be free from all that mess.

I had smoked for 25 years until recently and I quit, I have no idea why I did it but I do know that I was addicted, I started smoking when I was at school, I always felt like a cigarette mostly when I had eaten. I am now glad that I have gave them up

....it's a feeling that makes it very hard to resist following up on it.

sometimes it's the body wanting it....forcing the mind to consider it....by demonstrating how bad it needs it.

sometimes it's the heart and soul wanting it....fooling the mind into considering it....by demanding it can't live without it.

ultimately it's the mind that has the say so!

....craving is an 'abnormal' desire, I know the feeling....and it's "uncomfortable". time stands still, blood pressure rises.....
things get frantic wild....the mind propels thoughts insanely forward...accelerating...calculating...evaluating...activating

I have pulled some radical stunts to satisfy cravings at various times.
just how radical depends on the demand, could be a cigarette, could be sex, could be an injection....a donut....or a beer or 80.

it can make a person go nutso!

as time since indulgence increases...I have learnt that intensity of craving decreases.

but it don't take much to reverse that!

There is physical tension, like a spring that is wound up too tight or a rubber band that is stretched too far. The physical senses seem narrower, but it is more of a narrow focus that is harder to notice when it is happening. Peripheral vision, as an example, tends to not work as well. Mentally the same sorts of thoughts tend to repeat and more quickly. Emotionally it feels almost like holding the breath; there is tightness and pressure like and effort to contain something. And then when the craving is being satisfied there is an enormous release of tension as all of these effects wash away and the senses open up again and the body relaxes.

a craving makes you want to put a bullet in your head

A craving to me is a strong want and unfortunately I have a hard time saying no to myself and others for that matter.