Alyce Galea, Psychologist Urge surfing is a helpful technique when your way of dealing with stress and overwhelm is particularly unhelpful, unhealthy or harmful.
For example, if your automatic response to feeling overwhelmed is to over eat, use substances or self harm, then this technique is an important one to learn and practice. The goal of this technique is to delay acting on the urge, until the feeling of the urge goes away. One way to think about an urge is like the urge being a wave and you being a surfer. A surfer doesn’t fight against the wave or run away from the wave, instead, they ride the wave until they reach the shore. Urge surfing is about riding the emotional wave. Not fighting with the need to resist the urge, and not giving into the urge. Simply noticing the urge and letting it run its course. Mastering this technique will take some time, patience and practice. But once you are able to get the hang of it, you’ll be better able to regulate your emotions in a helpful and healthy way. The easiest way to practice urge surfing is to set timed intervals between when you first notice the urge, and when you allow yourself to act on the urge, and then do something during that time to distract yourself and keep you busy. Things you could do to distract yourself could be to:
The more you practice this skill, the easier it will be for you to ride out the urge wave and not let the urge dominate your thoughts. If you are struggling with managing unhelpful thoughts or urges, please book an appointment with one of our psychologists Your 15-year-old daughter has been in her room more than usual lately… spending more time in the bathroom… moody and irritable. You may think that this is all part of the ‘terrible teens’. And you may be right as so many new experiences occur during adolescence, which in turn creates really strong feelings. The good times are A-M-A-Z-I-N-G but when things don’t work out, it can feel like the world is crashing down around them. Adolescents cope with these life experiences in various ways, some helpful and others may not be so helpful and even harmful. They tend to be closer and feel more comfortable with their friends at this time rather than family members, so talking (or texting… a lot!) about every detail of the day with their friends is common and a great way to cope. Others may write in a diary, focus on their hobbies or interests, listen to music etc. These are all really helpful and positive ways that young people can surf the waves of being an adolescent. What about the unhelpful and harmful ways of coping that are still quite common such as drinking excessive alcohol, smoking cigarettes, substance misuse, withdrawing from social groups, overeating/under-eating or getting involved in multiple or harmful intimate relationships? Fortunately, parents tend to clue in on these behaviours fairly quickly and then take appropriate action to help their child. Then there is deliberate self-harm (DSH) as a way of coping. Other than that vague scenario that was described at the very beginning, there may be no other indicators noticed by parents that their child is physically hurting themselves, which can include cutting or burning skin, poisoning and/or banging their head. Parents may notice their child wearing clothing inappropriate for the weather (e.g., long sleeves/jumpers in summer) but there could be a variety of reasons for this and a parents’ first thought won’t tend to be concern that their child is self harming (understandably). Parents may also notice sharp objects like razor blades hidden away in the child’s room. This is more of a clear sign for parents but doesn’t usually happen since DSH is done in a very private, secretive manner. Parents tend to find out that their child is physically harming themselves by their child’s school teacher, wellbeing co-ordinator or counselor, as friends of the person self-harming are the ones who let a caring adult know. One of the reasons why DSH remains to be one of the most misunderstood and stigmatised behaviours is because the range of emotions and responses it can create in those who are confronted with it. When a parent sees their child’s arms, thighs or stomach covered in cuts or burns, it can elicit feelings of shock, fear, panic and confusion. On the other hand, DSH can also be seen as “simply” attention seeking behaviour and brushed off, ignored or even punished. Neither panicked responses, punitive responses or ignoring the behaviour are helpful ways to connect with someone who is engaging in DSH as they often experience intense feelings of guilt and shame after self-harming, and they are actually really trying to cope with something that is highly distressing. Some evidence-based information about DSH:
What do you do if your child is self-harming?
There is help available and you definitely do not have to go through this alone. If there is an immediate significant risk of harm, call 000. Other important contact numbers to have easily accessible: Kid’s Helpline: 1800 55 1800 Lifeline: 13 11 14 |
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