What is Urge Surfing and How Do You Use it in Recovery?

Addiction is a common problem in the United States, with 46.3 million people meeting the criteria for a substance use disorder in 2021.[1] When you suffer from addiction, the best way to regain control over your life is to attend professional treatment. During an addiction treatment program, you will learn numerous coping mechanisms that help you stay sober even during the most difficult times.

One of the most important coping mechanisms to be aware of is called “urge surfing”. This recovery technique helps people come to terms with their urges to abuse substances and healthily overcome them.

If you are in recovery from alcoholism or drug addiction, knowing what urge surfing is and how you can use it to stay sober will lessen your chances of relapse.

What is an Urge?

When you suffer from addiction, you will experience strong urges or cravings to abuse the substance you are dependent on. Unfortunately, these urges can follow you well into recovery, continuing to tempt you to abuse drugs even after you complete a treatment program.

Typically, urges are caused by internal or external triggers. Being aware of your triggers can help you combat your urges before they turn into negative behavior.

Common triggers that may cause urges in addiction recovery include:

• Feelings of boredom or loneliness
• High levels of stress or anxiety
• Feelings of anger or irritability
• Being in a social situation that includes drug or alcohol use
• Experiencing low self-esteem or thoughts of worthlessness
• Experiencing relationship issues or arguments with loved ones
• Walking by a place or thing that reminds you of your substance abuse (i.e. a bar, liquor store, or drug paraphernalia)
• Being around people you used to abuse drugs with
• Dealing with a breakup or divorce
• Stress from work or school

These situations are usually what trigger you to experience an urge or craving to abuse a substance. Being aware of your triggers and developing healthy coping mechanisms to combat them can prevent you from relapsing.

What is Urge Surfing?

Urge surfing is a coping technique that can be used to avoid acting on any behavior you want to reduce or stop. Rather than giving in to your cravings, urge surfing teaches you how to ride them out until they pass.

Urge surfing was created to be used in addiction recovery and compares cravings for substances to the waves in the ocean. While waves can be strong and powerful, they pass quickly. Instead of attempting to fight against an urge, urge surfing asks you to move with it until it has passed.

This technique is a mindfulness exercise that asks you to acknowledge the craving and allow it to move through you while you observe it. When you aren’t trying to fight your urges, you will notice that they pass you by faster.

How Can You Use Urge Surfing in Addiction Recovery?

Dealing with cravings in addiction recovery can be extremely difficult. Because the addiction relapse rate is between 40 to 60%, it’s vital to have coping mechanisms that help you stay sober.[2] With that being said, knowing how to use urge surfing in recovery can promote long-term sobriety from drugs and alcohol.

If you want to try urge surfing to cope with cravings, use the following steps:[3]

1. Find a quiet place where you can be comfortable and sit with your eyes closed
2. Focus your attention on the source of your craving
3. Observe and calmly describe to yourself what you are feeling
4. After a minute or two of acknowledging your emotions, begin to focus on your breathing patterns
5. After getting control over your breathing, take another look at what caused you to experience an urge
6. As your breathing becomes calmer, you should notice that your urges begin to lessen
7. Repeat this exercise any time you experience an urge or craving to abuse substances

Rather than white-knuckling your cravings, urge surfing allows you to acknowledge them, accept them, and let them go. This will help you combat cravings that could lead to a relapse in early recovery.

Find Help for Alcoholism or Drug Addiction

If you or a loved one suffers from alcoholism or drug addiction, it’s time to seek professional help. After you complete a drug and alcohol rehab program, the transition from facility life to independent living can be difficult. The best way to ease this transition is to attend a sober living program.

At New You Sober Living, we can provide you with the support and tools you need to maintain long-term sobriety. To learn more about our sober living program, contact us today.

References:

1. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS): SAMHSA Announces National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) Results Detailing Mental Illness and Substance Use Levels in 2021, Retrieved October 2023 From https://www.hhs.gov/about/news/2023/01/04/samhsa-announces-national-survey-drug-use-health-results-detailing-mental-illness-substance-use-levels-2021.html
2. The National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA): The Science of Addiction Treatment and Recovery, Retrieved October 2023 From https://nida.nih.gov/publications/drugs-brains-behavior-science-addiction/treatment-recovery
3. Yale University: Urge Surfing Important Points, Retrieved October 2023 From https://modlab.yale.edu/sites/default/files/files/UrgeSurfing.pdf