EMERGENCY

What do you like? (Not this thing)

 

Exercise! Run as far as you can! Cold shower! Flex!

 

In these situations I try to sit back and think.. I don't worry that the urges are there, just allow myself to choose that they will not be acted upon.

They don't last forever and you can observe how they make you feel. They will be intense sometimes but each time you resist, the more power you gain over them.

If you can find an activity which fulfills you this can help, but you will likely have to fight the urges with no alternative at some point.

 

That's a really incredible way of thinking about it. I'd always denied them and pretended they didn't exist, but I'd never even considered accepting that they are there and a part of me, and accepting that I am saying no to them. That's, like... a really cool way of thinking about it! Love it!

 

Do some meditation or breathing exercises. It's hard to depend on willpower alone. Sharing with us is also a great idea, good on you!

 

That is a better way to go about it! If you accept them on why they are there as a part of healing, it'll keep reminding your brain that what you're going through is okay.

The more you confront the urges and tell them no, the more your brain will understand that you don't want them around, at least that works pretty well for me.

 

Yeah, it totally makes sense! Denying that they're there and a part of you will only make them stay there, but accepting that they are a part of you and you're simply choosing not to act on them is really the only way to heal. I've considered having that mindset when overcoming things like anorexia or depression, but I've never stopped to consider how much it holds true for addiction/urges as well!

 

While each addiction is different, they are similar in their own way. Like you say for instance, you can use that mindset for other addictions. You may need to tweak the method a bit but it should still work, as I've quit others using the same kind of mindset and it worked.