We all get urges once in a while that are best resisted, whether it’s the temptation to fall back into substance abuse or unhealthy eating habits, or the urge to lash out in violent anger or the desire for an extramarital affair.
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So with that, Psychology Today has 5 strategies to help us deal with these urges, often referred to as DEADS:
Delay – Put off reacting, using, or giving into the craving for a bit of time and know that the urge will go away. That strong emotion will go away. Even if you can delay for 5-10 minutes that may change the experience you have with the emotion and thus make you better able to handle it.
Escape – Remove yourself from the situation that is triggering you. Leave the argument. Take a pause. Excuse yourself from the house with alcohol knowing that you can’t be around that.
Avoid – Avoid situations that you know can be triggering. If you regularly go to places that remind you of using (e.g. clubs, friends houses, etc.) then avoid going to them in the first place. And even if you do again, you can always escape.
Distract – Take control of the urge by getting busy. Don’t just sit there and ruminate on the urge, but put your focus in something else. For some people that may be art work, for some people it could be just watching TV, reading a book, walking, showering, or exercising, which can be particularly helpful if you’re triggered into anger. Put something else in your life to distract yourself of those things that can be triggering.
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Substitute – Substitute your behavior. If you’re having issues with anger, substitute in a walk as your new behavior. If you’re having issues with substance use, change your behavior so that when you get a craving to smoke a cigarette, pick up a piece of fruit or vegetable. Although a carrot or celery stick may not give you the same effect, it still helps you take care of that habit of simply having something to put in your mouth. The trick is to come up with something that can be easily substituted in.
Curated article from:
Psychology Today
