Posted by judyb Remember that urges, in and of themselves, are normal. We all experience craving in varying The "three Ds" can be helpful in coping with urges and craving, whether these urges are related Decatastrophizing, Decatastrophizing Remember that urges are normal and typically decline in intensity as you continue changing. Disputing Expectancies "How will I feel later if I give in to my urges?" Another way to cope with urges is to imagine that someone very close to you is having the urge. Distracting Cognitive distraction can be very powerful as well as convenient. You can use imagery to take Mentally writing the perfect epic novel or screenplay. What you choose will depend on your interests, but the key is to make it something easy, 5/29/98 Robert Westermeyer, Ph.D. is a licensed psychologist with the Center for Cognitive Therapy
on 6/9/2001, 6:58 pm
Changing an addictive habit usually means coping with sometimes relentless urges. Urges often
dominate thinking and interfere with the daily routine. Many people give up because they
believe they can't function without their habit.
degrees every day. Because your habit has been important to you for a long time, it is
unreasonable to expect urges to vanish completely. If they do, don't be surprised if they occur a
month or two down the road.
to alcohol or drug use, overeating, tobacco use or any habit you are attempting to change. The
Ds stand for:
Disputing expectancies, and
Distracting
Especially early in your change efforts, cravings can seem excruciating. Everything you see can
remind you of your habit. If you smoke, every room you enter may bring to mind the image of a
cigarette and associated pleasure. The inability to satisfy the urge can lead to frustration and
inner statements like, "I can't stand this!" or "There is no way I will be able to live without giving
in." "I'll just go crazy!" Statements like this can be overwhelming.
Avoid extreme adjectives like "horrible" or "unbearable." Belief in horrible extremes only makes
you feel worse. Just how unbearable is your urge right now? To accurately answer, think of truly
unbearable suffering. Is your current state as unbearable as getting punched repeatedly in the
stomach? Bamboo shoots under your fingernails? Watching a loved one get hurt? What have you
endured which was worse than your current urge? Did you survive? If so, does it follow that your
urge is less than unbearable and perhaps only "very uncomfortable?"
Urges are, in essence, positive expectations. When we crave something, we expect it will create
a pleasurable state, or reduce an unpleasant one. Urges are "myopic," they can only see
advantages. You must shed some light on your craving to effectively control it. One good way
to decrease the potency of an urge is to focus on its negative consequences. Ask yourself
questions like:
"What consequences might I suffer if I give in?"
"Will the negatives outweigh the positives in the long run if I give in?"
How would you convince them to resist? Separating ourselves from urges is often required to
respond to them objectively.
Some urges are so relentless that talking back to them doesn't work. Good old-fashioned
distraction is sometimes the only medicine that can pull your thoughts away. Distraction can be
"cognitive," in the form of some mental exercises, or "behavioral," in the form of an alternate
activity. Alternate activities are usually the most effective, in that urges tend to occur in
environments similar to those the habit occurred in the past. If an urge feels overwhelming,
remove self from the situation until it subsides.
your mind off particularly powerful urges. Conjuring a pleasant place like a beach, or a raft on a
lake can help you take your mind off the urge and relax. Relaxing images are not helpful for
everyone. Some even find that relaxation increases the strength of a craving. This makes sense.
Many habits are associated with relaxation and pleasure. If this is true for you, find some
mental task that will be very difficult to finish but is interesting and consuming. Think about
developing Mental Tapes. Examples of helpful tapes are:
Planning the perfect vacation.
Creating the ideal money-making business.
Interpreting a dream from the night before.
Picking an acquaintance and trying to "figure them out."
interesting, and fun to do. Here's what NOT to do: choosing to think about all the mistakes
you've made this year; how you could have done things differently, what a failure you are ...
These "tapes" won't be enjoyable. They may even increase your urges, especially if stress has
precipitated your habit in the past. Though these techniques may feel awkward initially, with
practice they can become almost automatic. Give them a try! What do you have to lose?
in La Jolla, California. He specializes in the treatment of Addictive Behavior.
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