Triggers
This type of trigger comes from outside yourself, like a place, person, or smell.
What is an external trigger?
Taking a walk, deep breathing, or journaling are all examples of this.
What are coping skills?
This is the goal of urge surfing—not to eliminate the urge, but to do this instead.
What is ride it out or tolerate it without acting on it?
True or False: Urges always get stronger until you give in.
What is false?
This is the first step in the "pause and plan" process.
What is recognizing the urge or emotion?
Feeling hungry, angry, lonely, or tired are examples of this kind of trigger.
What is an internal trigger?
This type of skill helps you calm your body during high stress.
What is a grounding or relaxation technique?
In urge surfing, urges are compared to this natural force.
What is a wave?
Myth or Fact: If I don’t act on an urge, it will never go away.
What is a myth?
After pausing, this next step helps you slow your reaction.
What is taking deep breaths or grounding yourself?
This word describes the chain of events that can lead from a trigger to a relapse.
What is a relapse chain?
This 5-word phrase describes a method of naming things you see, hear, and feel.
What is the 5-4-3-2-1 grounding technique?
Name one physical sensation someone might feel during an urge.
What is (any of: tight chest, racing heart, restlessness, sweating)?
Myth or Fact: Many people believe this about urges—that they reflect their true self or values.
What is a myth?
This step helps you decide what action fits your goals or values.
What is planning or considering consequences?
This acronym helps identify internal triggers like being hungry, angry, lonely, or tired.
What is HALT?
A coping skill that helps you reframe negative thoughts.
What is cognitive restructuring or reframing?
Focusing on your breath and observing the urge without judgment is a skill from this therapy approach.
What is mindfulness?
This false belief makes people feel powerless against urges.
What is "I can’t control myself"?
This tool helps you reflect on what triggered the urge and how you can cope better next time.
What is a coping plan or reflection journal?
This is the best first step after recognizing a trigger.
What is pausing or creating space between the trigger and reaction?
This coping skill involves accepting your urges without acting on them.
What is urge surfing?
This is what usually happens to the intensity of an urge over time, if not acted on.
What is it decreases or fades away?
Believing that feeling an urge means you’ll definitely relapse is an example of this type of thinking.
What is all-or-nothing thinking?
"Pause and plan" teaches you to respond instead of doing this.
What is react impulsively?