Urge surfing is a technique that helps you manage cravings skilfully and effectively as a key part of successful relapse prevention.
Cravings are often the most intense and difficult part of addiction recovery. The desire to relapse can be at once both overwhelming and subtle, flooding with thoughts and urges that sap willpower. The difference between success and failure in recovery and can be a key part of relapse prevention.
Our intuitive reaction, to fight urges, tends to feed cravings and increase chances of relapse. The mindful practice of urge surfing is a very powerful tool in facing cravings and learning to live with it through the recovery journey. In embracing or observing cravings, urge surfing allows one to better understand and overcome these urges, with minimal discomfort.
Healing Emotional Trauma
Pioneered in the ‘80s by late psychologist Alan Marlatt. The urge surfing technique is now accepted, as a very real and effective tool in relapse prevention. Its effectiveness has been reported in a number of studies.
Addictive behaviour is mostly rooted in an emotional trauma of some type. Be it a loss in the death of a loved one, coming to terms with limitations set by chronic health problems, or the end of a relationship. People who have suffered a loss can numb their grief by turning to drugs, alcohol, food, sex, gambling, shopping, etc. This postpones the healing and can drive one further into addiction.
To assist in acknowledging the emotional trauma that triggered the addiction, and support in forming new habits consider AcuDetox treatment.
Knowing that an urge seldom lasts longer than half an hour, one can “ride out” the urges by becoming more aware of their transient nature. The trick is to not fight or suppress cravings. But instead, to learn a technique to experience a craving fully, robbing the craving of its power over you.
Urge surfing is a relapse prevention technique based on the principles of mindful meditation. By paying mindful attention to what a craving actually feels like, through maintaining awareness of the craving on a moment to moment basis … avoiding passing value judgements about what you are experiencing (this is good, this is terrible, this will never end etc.) you learn to ride over waves of cravings eliminating the craving of much of their power.
To Practice Urge Surfing:
- Begin by sitting comfortably and bring your attention to your breath…. It may help to close your eyes…
- You need to come to a place of observation and awareness. As you focus on your breath, slowly become consciously aware of your urge. Be an observer, not a participant of the urge.
Allow the urge to increase in its strength naturally… Let it behave in its natural way… As your awareness catches this urge, it may help to say to yourself “my brain and body is sending me an urge, I do not have to react to it or fight it.”… - Now scan your body. Take note of what part of the body and in what way the urge is manifested… Starting from the souls of your feet to the top of your head to identify what parts of the body the urge impacts… It can be in several places or just one place… It could be in your hands, do they feel sweaty?…. Or it could be in your tongue… Is your mouth salivating?… Is your heart racing?
- Do not judge the observations. Simply observe and note them. An urge usually lasts no more than 20–30 minutes.
As you learn to experience your cravings in this mindful way. Without judging and without giving in. You will find that the frequency and intensity with which you experience them will diminish in time. By learning the Urge Surfing way to experience cravings, you learn a valuable skill in overcoming them.
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I really resonate with the idea of urge surfing. It’s fascinating how counterintuitive it can feel to sit with those cravings rather than fight them. I remember trying to ignore my urges in the past, and it only seemed to intensify them. It’s like pushing against a wave—eventually, you’re just going to get knocked over.
Ah, urge surfing! It’s like being a surfer in the ocean of cravings—except the waves are way less predictable, and there’s no promise of a fun day at the beach afterward. I always chuckle at the visual of me riding those giant, gnarly urge waves like I’m in a slow-motion movie—except in this scenario, my surfboard is made of self-doubt, and there’s a strong chance I’ll wipe out at any moment.
Your insight into urge surfing as a technique for managing cravings really resonates with me. I appreciate how you highlight the importance of embracing rather than battling these urges, as it aligns closely with mindfulness practices that encourage awareness and acceptance. In my own journey of recovery, I found that employing similar strategies—such as grounding techniques and deep breathing—helped transform my relationship with cravings.
I really appreciate how you’ve highlighted urge surfing as such an essential tool for managing cravings in the recovery process. It resonates with me because I’ve seen firsthand how the instinct to fight against cravings can often backfire, leading to even stronger urges. It’s interesting to think about how this technique encourages an acceptance of those feelings rather than a combat against them.
The concept of urge surfing resonates deeply with me, especially as someone who has navigated the challenges of addiction recovery. I appreciate how you emphasize the importance of mindfulness in handling cravings—it’s such a powerful shift in perspective. Instead of resisting those feelings, allowing myself to observe them has truly transformed my approach to recovery.
You’ve touched on a critical aspect of addiction recovery with urge surfing. I’ve found that the conventional approach of resisting cravings often backfires, leading to a cycle of guilt and shame that reinforces the very urges we’re trying to overcome. In my experience, taking a more curious stance—observing my urges without judgment—has been more effective. It echoes mindfulness practices that promote emotional regulation.
You’ve brought up a fascinating point about the conventional approach to cravings. It’s interesting how trying to resist can often intensify the feelings we’re battling. Your idea of taking a curious stance is refreshing and really resonates with the growing emphasis on mindfulness in recovery.
The concept of urge surfing resonates deeply with anyone who has faced the tide of cravings, especially in the context of addiction recovery. It’s fascinating to consider how our instinctive responses to these cravings often lead to a cycle that ultimately feeds the very urges we’re trying to combat. Your explanation of the technique highlights the profound shift we can make when we choose to observe rather than resist these feelings.
You’ve touched on an important aspect of addiction recovery that often gets overlooked: the way we engage with our cravings. The concept of urge surfing really flips the narrative on how we typically respond to cravings, moving away from a mindset of denial or suppression to one of observation and acceptance.
You’ve touched on an important aspect of addiction recovery that often gets overlooked: the way we engage with our cravings. The concept of urge surfing really flips the narrative on how we typically respond to cravings, moving away from a mindset of denial or suppression to one of observation and acceptance. I find that the idea of acknowledging cravings instead of fighting them is not only applicable to addiction but also resonates with how we handle stress and anxiety in daily life.
You’ve raised a compelling point about the importance of engaging with cravings rather than trying to suppress them. The shift from denial to observation can feel revolutionary, especially in a world where we’re often taught to fight against our impulses. It’s fascinating how this approach to cravings has broader applications, not just in addiction recovery, but in everyday scenarios like managing stress and anxiety.