urge surfing
 

this was a technique that helped me a lot in the early days to deal with cravings.

It's all about observing our craving - trying not to be a part of it, if that makes sense?

We can feel the feeling, but we don't need to act on it - as simple a concept as it is, that was a real revelation for me :)

We can, if you like, learn to surf the 'wave' of our cravings...and not end up wiped out :)

http://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/...e-surfing.html

https://www.rasa.org.au/urge-surfing/

https://www.psychologytoday.com/au/blog/some-assembly-required/201706/applying-mindfulness-in-relapse-prevention

D

I've read the 1st one you posted.
For me, who is petrified to post, this is fabulous.
///back to reading
*read the other and am on the 3rd*
The last one? Is REALLY GOOD.

I am ashamed of my inability to post. So things like this help a lot.

At the tail end of the last one is this "Please share what works for you below or any comments and questions you may have. Your interaction provides a living wisdom for us all to benefit from."


Thank you Dee! :-)

This is great, Dee. I agree with this approach. I am three weeks out and craved a lot the first few days, and am still having some but a lot less. I try to acknowledge the craving and then think to myself, I'd love to drink but I am not going to. I think about how it will not lead to anything good for me and then I try to let it go and move on to something else. I'm sure I'll be practicing this a lot for quite awhile to come.

thanks dee. That third one links to a very interesting site. I am really interested in mindfulness. When i practice it, all of life improves for me. Saved it to my favourites to learn more later.
I also look at cravings or any desire to drink as coming from something that is not the true 'me'. It is separate, and can throw all the tantrums it likes!

Sounds kind of similar to how I listen to my alkie voice but don't act upon it. I try to hear what it says, then analyse the mechanisms behind it, how my mind is trying to get me to drink. Good stuff Dee, thanks.


camedown :headbang:

Thank you for posting this. I don't have a long time sober, and I've always had a hard time controlling my emotions in general maybe because in the past I was always drunk and would flip out over the smallest things, and now it's because I am learning how to deal with situations in a way I never developed before-- as a sober adult. Recently I read about a technique similar to this. It is the same principle except it involved simply observing your emotions and leaving them there until they washed over you. Not acting on them or feeling any certain way about them, just observing them. I don't know why I didn't think of it at the time to apply this way to thinking to my cravings. Thanks for the helpful reads.

I'm glad that I checked the links out. Thanks Dee.

This is interesting Dee. I'm going to look into this technique further.

This look really useful. I'm definitely going to look in to this :)

Dee,
yes, i found and keep finding that really useful. seems like i stumbled upon it in early sobriety with my first "craving"...suddenly, i could step back, distance myself from the emotion and just look at myself and say "well, isn't that interesting! look at that: i have the wannawannagottagottagetdrunkNOW"thing going on....wonder why now? what's going on, anything else???" and the grateful relief of knowing i could just BE with it; didn't have to do a thing!
(did figure out, by sitting with it, that it had everything to do with not wanting to feel what i was feeling at that moment, which was lonely and deserted and naked, really.)
tremendously helpful; thanks for bringing it to our attention

:bump

I'm gonna need a bigger board for this typhoon

Going to have to look into this.xx

Exellent link D

thanks, Dee!!

Very timely and appreciated.

I only just read the first one. Amazing insight. What an awesome way to be in the moment. I never really thought of taking that angle. Thx Dee

Thank you Dee. I read it all. I'm definitely going to try the urge surfing, and also recognize the space between the stimulus and the response. I think that one is very, very hard for me.

Thank you.

:You_Rock_ thanks my first days in the crave is unreal thank u for letting me know im not the only one

Welcome Lencal