[Slippers]

Someone asked me to post this in the SI forum, and I did, but the technique was actually designed originally for use for substance abuse relapse prevention - so forgive the double post.

Urge Surfing

Alan Marlatt coined the term used to describe allowing ourselves to think of our urges as waves which we can watch, follow, and see diminish, like ocean waves. The technique works best for people who have had done some work with mindfulness and/or meditation.

The idea is that we can’t just ignore urges. Sometimes doing so allows them to build until they over power us and we give in. Or we turn to other outlets, such as instead of drinking we over eat. So, the idea here is to allow ourselves to let the urge come, and know that we can sit with it, focus on it, know that it will pass, like a wave.

We have not always acted on every one of our urges. So we know already that we CAN let an urge pass. So, practice allowing the urge to come, watch it, feel where it sits…in your gut? in your shoulders? in your fists? Feel where it lives. And let it be. Just watch the urge. Most urges to will pass in 30 minutes or less.

This technique can work for the urge to use drugs, to drink, to emotionally eat, to self injure, etc. Unhealthy urges of all kinds can be watched, studied, and allowed to pass. They died off like that crashing wave on the beach. Yes, another will come. But know that you can watch that one pass as well.

I hope you are willing to try this technique and see if it helps.

Here is some reading on the topic:

http://www.mindfulness.org.au/URGE%20SURFING.htm

Hugs, Slippers

[splitimage]

Thanks for posting this. It's a good way to think about dealing with urges. We learned a little bit about urge surfing in one of the rehabs I was in. And I did a lot of mindfullness meditation in another treatment centre and when I was in the psych hospital.

I find it helps me to remember that an urge is just an urge that I don't have to act on, and that I've lived through urges in the past and can manage this one.

[Slippers]

Glad you like it. I hope more people will try it.

S