Urge surfing! How do you do it?

[friedabee]

It's April first, and no foolin', it's time for me to perfect the art of living alcohol free. I've been a bit shy about posting on MWO, but wanted to start a thread about turning my attention from thoughts and urges to use. From Smart Recovery, common misconceptions about urges:

:wahh: Urges are excruciating or unbearable.
:schmokin: They compel you to use.
:surrender: They will not go away until you drink or use.
:zonedout: They will drive you crazy.

What are some of the methods you al-free folks use to "surf the urge?" Thanks to all in advance!

[almost free]

Urge surfing! How do you do it?

Hey, Friedabee,

Haven't been posting for a while. Usually hang out in the Nest. It moves so fast, it's almost a full time job, just keeping up with everyone over there. Was just cruising around to see how everyone else is doing.....

I truly believed all of the things you posted above. I try to remember the things that K9 always says: a craving never lasts as long as a hangover. And: You will never regret in the morning, that you didn't drink the night before. Another saying I liked is: 'I have an urge, but I won't satisfy it; I can't satisfy it....'

I have heard a lot about Smart Recovery and will check it out.....thanks! About surfing the urge, it helps to think of it as a wave that will crest and then pass on instead of something unbearable that will never dissipate. Getting distracted also helps, especially coming on mwo and sharing with others who are struggling.

I saved myself from an almost irresistible urge to go out for booze late on Christmas Eve, but decided to stay posting until it was too late and the liquor store was closed. I would have blown 23 days at that point. So glad that I didn't go out. I have 121 days today.

Have a great day. I'm going to check out your link to Smart Recovery......thanks!

[Siren136]

Urge surfing! How do you do it?

Hi Frieda,

I'm afraid I don't have any good advice - I'm back on Day 1 myself. There are a bunch of us turning April in our first AF month in a long time. Feel free to join us. Hopefully someone will be along to answer your question soon.

[friedabee]

Urge surfing! How do you do it?

almost free;1486182 wrote: Hey, Friedabee,

Haven't been posting for a while. Usually hang out in the Nest. It moves so fast, it's almost a full time job, just keeping up with everyone over there. Was just cruising around to see how everyone else is doing.....

I truly believed all of the things you posted above. I try to remember the things that K9 always says: a craving never lasts as long as a hangover. And: You will never regret in the morning, that you didn't drink the night before. Another saying I liked is: 'I have an urge, but I won't satisfy it; I can't satisfy it....'

I have heard a lot about Smart Recovery and will check it out.....thanks! About surfing the urge, it helps to think of it as a wave that will crest and then pass on instead of something unbearable that will never dissipate. Getting distracted also helps, especially coming on mwo and sharing with others who are struggling.

I saved myself from an almost irresistible urge to go out for booze late on Christmas Eve, but decided to stay posting until it was too late and the liquor store was closed. I would have blown 23 days at that point. So glad that I didn't go out. I have 121 days today.

Have a great day. I'm going to check out your link to Smart Recovery......thanks!

Thank you, almost! What you do, I call "thinking it through." How I'll feel getting in the car to get a bottle, buying it, hearing the clerk say, "You're a wine drinker!," taking the first sip, ugh, and etc. I do like checking back with Smart Recovery periodically. They have a nice collection of articles and tip sheets in their toolbox.

Sober and Siren, do we need a 4/1 gang thread? I've been jealous of the 311 gang...!

[Hippyman]

Urge surfing! How do you do it?

For me it was more than an urge. It was an over whelming constant compulsion and it took the help of meds to give me the strength to say NO to that compulsion. Now I am happily indifferent to drinking. ...and it feels so good!

[bettygirl]

Urge surfing! How do you do it?

some ideas for riding that crave wave...aknowledge the craving, really feel it and let it know you see/feel it, sometimes that can take away it's power and you are able to move on.
also, exercise...if you know when your "witching hour" is, then use it to go for a walk, or a bike ride...any kind of movement is going to make you feel better and help remove those obsessive thoughts.
call someone up who knows what you are going through, and talk it out.

take up tea drinking! I was OBSESSED with loose leaf tea and brewing it in a lovely glass tea pot for a few months during the beginning.

in other words, replace your old habit with new healthy ones...you put a lot of energy into drinking, now it's time to put it into NOT drinking!

come here and talk it out as well, we can ALLLLLLLLL relate.

peace!

[Nelz]

Urge surfing! How do you do it?

bettygirl;1486404 wrote: some ideas for riding that crave wave...aknowledge the craving, really feel it and let it know you see/feel it, sometimes that can take away it's power and you are able to move on.
also, exercise...if you know when your "witching hour" is, then use it to go for a walk, or a bike ride...any kind of movement is going to make you feel better and help remove those obsessive thoughts.
call someone up who knows what you are going through, and talk it out.

take up tea drinking! I was OBSESSED with loose leaf tea and brewing it in a lovely glass tea pot for a few months during the beginning.

in other words, replace your old habit with new healthy ones...you put a lot of energy into drinking, now it's time to put it into NOT drinking!

come here and talk it out as well, we can ALLLLLLLLL relate.

peace!

THAT is great advice! The way I tried to surf them was to ask myself who was stronger......me....or the urge. Im pretty competitive, and really HATE to lose. So far, so good.

Motivation is the key, but also resisting the urge over and over. Because the more you do it, the easier it gets.

When the urges used to hit, I would tell myself.......I dont drink.....and then I would think of or do anything else I could. I kept telling myself that, and eventually I believed it.

Stay strong, you can do this

[Byrdlady]

Urge surfing! How do you do it?

EAT! So many times we mistake hunger for a bad craving!!! Eat until you are FULL, this is the laser guided bullet for urge surfing! A craving lasts about 15 minutes, you can get thru anything for 15 minutes, right? You do not have to cave to the crave....ride it out, no matter what and no matter who! Byrdie

[Siren136]

Urge surfing! How do you do it?

Hi Frieda,

There is a thread for all of us - I included you - who want to be AF for the entire month of April - for starters, anyway!

Here's the thread - come join us! https://www.mywayout.org/community/f1...-af-74967.html