Riding the Cravings Wave by Urge Surging

While in recovery, especially in the first few months, it sometimes feels as though every negative thought or sensation is amplified to the highest degree. This is especially true with cravings and other impulses. While the natural reaction is to resist, use your next recovery checkup to learn more about urge surfing and if it might be a better approach. 

What is Urge Surfing? 

When things are going well, it’s easy to accept that different thoughts and feelings are simply part of being human. But when you’re stressed, overwhelmed, or battling with the effects of past trauma, these mental and physical challenges might seem too much to handle. Your distress tolerance level can exceed its limit rather quickly—which is a key reason why you might struggle with cravings and potentially relapse.

Fighting your way through cravings or difficult sensations isn’t the only way to deal with them. Sometimes it’s easier to simply let go and move through what you’re experiencing without shame, guilt, or judgment–or, conversely, any type of action. In behavioral therapy, this is a distress tolerance skill known as urge surfing.

Developed by clinical psychologist G. Alan Marlatt, this approach is a successful dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) technique to work through conflict, painful emotions, and stress. DBT offers a foundation of the following four principles:

• Cultivating mindfulness by staying in the present moment.
• Managing distress tolerance to increase resiliency in the face of challenges—not to  avoid them.
• Emotional regulation that enables your ability to manage and change difficult feelings.
• Interpersonal effectiveness enhanced by assertive and respectful communication.

For more than 30 years, Marlatt studied addictive behavior and the patterns of old habits. He identified that many people in recovery for alcohol use disorder (AUD) and substance use disorder (SUD) frequently feel urges that begin with sensations such as: 

• Dry mouth
• Chest tightening
• Excessive sweating
• Extreme headaches
• Nausea
• Muscle tension
• Tingling or numbness

You might also experience a negative thought loop featuring fragments of difficult conversations, misdeeds, or abuse. Marlatt’s research revealed that these sensations revive maladaptive impulses or an urge to use drugs and alcohol again. 

He developed urge surfing as a means for a person to recognize the emotional and physical sensations accompanying an urge, but not judge or act upon them. He once said, “The focus is on identifying and accepting the urge, not acting on the urge or attempting to fight it.” By acknowledging that these reactions are part of the normal ebb and flow of life, you could “surf the urge,” get to the point where it fades, and accept that cravings and triggers are temporary. This realization puts you back in control and builds stronger distress resilience. 

Try Urge Surfing

Reminding yourself to stay in the present moment and ride the wave of an impulse is a powerful tool. You might not always be able to control what’s happening externally, but you can continue to improve your internal focus and control. 

1. When you first feel uncomfortable physical or emotional sensations, acknowledge them but remain calm.
2. Then, find a quiet place where you can sit or lie down.
3. Close your eyes and focus on your breath. Notice the gentle rise and fall of your chest. Count to four with every inhale, and again on each exhale. Do this for a few minutes.
4. Next, focus your internal gaze on the sensation that gave you an urge cue, such as dry mouth, shoulder tension, tingling in the fingertips or hands, or something else.
5. If you had more of an emotional reaction, such as chest tightening, racing thoughts, or an “empty” feeling, shift your attention to those sensations.
6. Use guided imagery to help you urge surf—for example, maybe your breath flows back and forth just like waves over sand. Use whatever visual helps you observe the rise, crest, and fall of the urge without judgment.
7. Recognize that you’re safe as you allow the urge to pass. Inhale deep from the belly and then release the breath in a slow, long exhale to finalize this realization.

If you’d like more detailed guidance, try this handout or watch these videos: 

• Three-minute urge surfing mindfulness meditation
• Urge surfing practice with Turn Team

Find Recovery Success at Seabrook

Seabrook’s four award-winning addiction treatment centers in New Jersey provide access to many techniques designed to empower your choice of sobriety. When you have more therapeutic tools to make deliberate choices, you’re in more control of your wellness journey. If you’re ready for this type of progressive care, talk to our admissions team to learn how we can help.