Using Urge Surfing to Manage Addiction Triggers

The key to relapse prevention is learning to manage harmful impulses.  

Urge surfing sounds like a band name or a new extreme sport, but it is actually an advanced behavioral therapy tool. Mindfulness techniques such as this one can prevent or halt people from acting out harmful behaviors. It is a coping mechanism for cravings, particularly helpful early on in substance use disorder treatment.  

Addiction recovery is a long journey, and there will be new twists and turns along the way. One of the most common road bumps people come across are intense cravings and urges to use substances. Although relapse is part of the recovery process, learning to handle triggers is vital.  

Using urge surfing to manage addiction triggers is not just for those who are starting out, however. Those who are far into their recovery journey also rely on this technique as well. Especially when facing new, unforeseen triggers or challenging life events, urge surfing is valuable. 

Quick Facts about Urges: 

Urges typically will not last more than 30 minutes if appropriately handled. Otherwise, they grow when they are fed attention through rumination, planning to fulfill them and justification. Urges will pass if they are let go of and allowed to leave the mind.  

Suppression of thoughts and feelings ultimately leads to magnifying them. Fighting urges often gives them more power to grow. This can prolong their length and strength and make them more formidable.  

 When urges have room to grow larger, they can feel never-ending. They become mentally intrusive and all-consuming. 

Accepting that urges cannot be simply eliminated makes it easier to receive them. It also prepares the mind to deal with them constructively without succumbing to them.  

The Phases of Urge Surfing in Addiction Treatment 

This therapeutic practice is beneficial when managing addiction triggers. So, instead of giving in to a craving, the intense urges are ridden like a surfer on a rip-curling wave. This method does not work the same way for everybody, and the time it takes to override urges can vary. Still, it is highly effective in preventing relapse and can help people feel they have greater control over their addiction. 

The urge surfing steps occur in the following order:  

Trigger: The initial phase starts with being exposed to triggering stimuli, whether it is a person, place, thing or smell. Basically, any sensory experience that is associated with previous substance use. 

Rise: This phase varies vastly for everyone. The increase in craving intensity can be immediate or gradual, spanning the course of days, weeks or even months! 

Peak: When the intensity of cravings becomes so all-encompassing, a person can think of nothing else. The feeling is overwhelming as if it will never subside. 

Fall: Slowly but surely, the intensity of cravings begins to diminish and gradually fade away. 

Urge surfing usually follows this general timeline. However, the length of these phases will depend on each person. The most important part is recognizing the right time to act and using the method before the cravings become unmanageable. 

Practice Using Urge Surfing to Manage Addiction Triggers 

It is difficult to come to terms with cravings in early recovery, and facing them can feel hopeless at times. Craving control methods like urge surfing can provide relief. Those who previously went to great lengths to hide their addiction tend to feel the most impact from this exercise. The urge surfing steps can feel almost liberating, and cravings feel less important as a result. 

Here are some things to keep in mind when using urge surfing to manage addiction triggers: 

Remember to breathe. Like meditation, urge surfing requires focusing on breathing but not so much controlling breaths. Awareness of the body’s inhalation and exhalation of air can be a useful grounding technique that helps with anxiety. 

Make observations. Another anxiety grounding technique can also act as a distraction when triggers strike. The “333 Rule” involves listing three things you can see, hear and touch in the immediate vicinity. This helps snap the brain out of any spiraling rumination.   

Focus on thoughts. When urges come about, focusing thoughts away from the cravings is essential. This helps the brain to remain in a positive space. Sometimes, simply following the body’s breaths is enough to bring the mind back into a centered state. 

Acknowledge the urges. Without breathing life into them, recognize the urges are occurring. Prepare your mind to deploy the addiction recovery techniques learned in counseling, such as urge surfing.  

During early recovery, everyone wants to do their best and prove they are committed to their treatment program. When urges and cravings come along, it can feel like a disappointment or failure. They are certainly not.  

In fact, urges to use substances are expected and part of the recovery process. This is why substance use counselors play a critical role in any effective, evidence-based addiction treatment methods.  

What to do After Using Urge Surfing to Manage Addiction Triggers  

Speaking to a counselor about cravings can be a crucial step in stopping them from leading to relapse. After encountering strong urges, several things can help solidify the urge surfing process as a reliable tool.  

Journaling: Recording the urge surface experience can help track progress. Making notes about which parts were the most difficult is a great place to focus on during counseling sessions.  

Exercise: Urge surfing can deliver a rush of adrenaline for some people. It is important to use that anxious energy wisely. Taking a long walk or a light jog will calm the nerves and help the high energy burn off. 

Self-care: Using the urge surfing technique can sometimes feel draining. Especially after dealing with particularly difficult cravings, soothing the body and mind can be helpful. Taking a nap or long bath helps to reenergize the body and move forward after a bout with urges.  

There are many ways people find comfort after dealing with stressful moments. However, the most significant achievement is using the urge surfing technique correctly and avoiding destructive behaviors.  

Addiction Treatment with Middlesex Recovery 

Middlesex Recovery offers addiction treatment using medication-assisted treatment in a professional and private outpatient medical office. Patients have access to flexible scheduling and specialized medical providers, nursing staff and substance use counselors with our treatment programs. Thousands of people are finding long-lasting recovery from substance use disorder through Middlesex Recovery. To learn more about the intake process and programs available, message or call the nearest location today.