Aims: Craving is commonly described as an ‘intense desire’ to use drugs. Due to its relevance for addiction theories and treatment, much effort has been put into understanding how and when craving occurs. An undisputed definition of craving is however still lacking. The aim of this article is to explore how craving is experienced and resisted after cessation of substance use.

Methods: This article analyses interviews with former addiction treatment clients. By analyzing the described event of craving, the study shows the complexities in such narratives.

Findings: We found that the interaction between temporal, relational and material forces move people toward or away from craving. Craving thus seemed to be both relational and located in-between forces.

Conclusions: We conclude that craving appeared in the studied narratives to emanate from different atmospheres, with a concurrent focus on settings rather than on substances. A relational understanding of craving can add to the typical, but limited, account of craving as an individual issue. It also avoids stigmatizing ideas that people who do not resist cravings simply fail to say no. We end by asking if craving is a relevant concept within the addiction field at all.