This blog entry is the third in a series devoted to defining some of the terms and ideas that get tossed around in conversations about substance use disorders, their treatment, and the recovery journey. Almost every community has its own specialized jargon that only insiders really understand. (To be honest, sometimes even the insiders don’t understand. Ask your favorite baseball fan about the “infield fly rule” or the “rule five draft.”)
When the community in question is the recovery community, everyone must have a shared understanding of various words and phrases because misunderstandings can lead to bad outcomes.
So far in this series, we have defined “dry drunk,” “high-functioning alcoholic,” “rock bottom,” and “pink cloud syndrome.”
This time out, we will take a look at a phrase that sounds like something out of a Beach Boys song and another that names a particularly dangerous situation that can arise for a person in recovery from a substance use disorder.
What is ‘Urge Surfing’?
Given that Wooded Glen Recovery Center is located in Indiana, we seldom have reason to think about surfing—other than the mindfulness technique known as “urge surfing,” that is.
Urge surfing is a way to effectively address cravings for drugs or alcohol when they arise. Often, a person experiencing a craving will try to ignore or push that feeling away. But that resistance can actually be counterproductive. The urge surfing strategy addresses the problem of cravings in a much different way.
When you are urge surfing, you are intentionally bringing your attention to the ways in which your cravings show up as sensations in your body. By acknowledging these bodily sensations—maybe a headache or an upset stomach or a pins-and-needles tingling—without judgment, you can ride the wave of the craving without succumbing to it.
Cravings come and go like waves on the ocean, and urge surfing can help you stay afloat during challenging moments. If you are ready to give it a try, you can find simple instructions for urge surfing in this previous blog post. And you can find much more about mindfulness practice in this entry.
What is a ‘Substitute Addiction’?
When you have regained your sobriety and your recovery journey is underway, you might understandably feel as though you are sailing along in a positive direction as long as you don’t return to drugs or alcohol. But for some people, the tendency toward addiction can lead to new problems. Those problems can take the form of a “substitute addiction” (sometimes called a “standby addiction”).
A substitute addiction can take any number of forms. For example, after you have gotten sober, you might find yourself eager to prove to your co-workers that they can count on you going forward. That is admirable, to be sure. But as time passes, you might find that you are arriving to work before everyone else, eating lunch at your desk (if you bother to eat at all), being the last to leave each day, and treating your weekends as two extra days to get more work done. Taken together, those behaviors may indicate that you have substituted an addiction to work for your addiction to drugs or alcohol.
Other behaviors that can develop into substitute addictions include engaging in intensive exercise beyond healthy limits, gambling in a financially irresponsible way, eating to excess for comfort or to replicate some small sense of the highs formerly offered by drugs, engaging in various (and often risky) sexual behaviors, and many more.
It is extremely important that you recognize a substitute addiction for what it is and then talk to your doctor or therapist about the best ways to address it. A substitute addiction can be devastating in and of itself—and it can also lead to a relapse, upending all your hard work to get and stay sober.
You can learn more about substitute addictions in this previous blog post.
Two More Terms to Tackle
We are one entry away from the end of this series about substance use disorder, treatment, and recovery jargon. As noted, having a clear idea of what various terms mean is useful as you seek out help for a substance use disorder and as you embark on your recovery journey. We are committed to providing the definitions you need to know.
We Are Ready and Able to Help
Recognized as one of the nation’s top substance use disorder treatment centers, Wooded Glen Recovery Center offers inpatient, outpatient, and virtual options to help you regain and maintain your sobriety. Our approach is evidence-based and powered by our experience, expertise, and empathy.
Located in Henryville, Indiana, Wooded Glen Recovery Center provides personalized treatment for substance use disorders and mental health disorders that may be entangled with your struggles with drugs or alcohol. Our holistic approach is designed to heal your mind, body, and spirit as you reclaim the life you want for yourself. When you are ready to make a change, we are ready and willing to help you reach your goals.