DEADS is an easy way to remember strategies when faced with an urge.
Urges can muddy your cognitive abilities, making it hard to think clearly.
DEADS can help you think clearly about how to deal with the urge, no matter how intense.
D = Deny / Delay (Don’t give in to the urge) — Remind yourself, repeatedly if necessary, this urge will pass. Refuse to give in to it — no matter what!
E = Escape the trigger — If you know what is causing the urge, leave immediately.
A = Avoid the trigger — You can keep track of when you get urges using an urge log. Urges can occur routinely as part of your daily pattern. If you know you will be in a situation that triggers an urge, plan to avoid the situation. The earlier in your recovery that you identify high-risk stimuli that trigger urges, the earlier you can avoid those situations or escape when unexpectedly faced with them.
A = Attack the urge — Dispute irrational beliefs and obsessive thoughts, or do an ABC (a process of identifying and working through your thoughts and feelings about a specific issue or event that causes you discomfort). Practice relaxation or meditation.
A = Accept the urge — Tell yourself that the urge will pass soon and that if you don’t give in to it, the next urge will be less intense, and they will become less frequent. You may want to sit quietly by yourself to surf the urge: feel it build and fade while you acknowledge your thoughts and feelings about the urge, the present, and your future. Remember, don't turn the urge into a bigger issue by pretending it doesn't exist.
D = Distract yourself with an activity — Do something: go for a walk, read a book, or watch TV. If you're putting your mind on something else, then it can't focus on the urge. Simple activities, such as counting objects or saying the alphabet backward also can fill up your attention. Do something, even if you don't want to (clean your bedroom, walk the dog.) Motivation may follow the action.
S = Substitute for addictive thinking — Send in healthy substitute thoughts to squeeze out the urge:
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Replace an irrational belief (This urge will kill me) with a rational one (This urge is bad, but it won’t kill me, and it will pass).
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Substitute feeling down and alone by going to the gym or by sharing your thoughts or asking a question on Loosid.
