How to Urge Surf and understand Eating Disorder Behaviors

Adapted from Brain Lock (Schwartz, 2013)

OBJECTIVES:

As part of breaking the cycle of acting on ED behaviors in response to negative body image, you can learn skills to help tolerate urges for eating disorder behaviors.

1. RELABEL

   • Recognize obsessive thoughts and compulsive urges to gain a deeper understanding.

2. REATTRIBUTE

   • The goal is to learn to reattribute the intensity of the thought or urge to its real cause, to recognize what the feeling and the discomfort are due to.

3. REFOCUS

   • In refocusing, you have work to do: You must shift the gears yourself.

4. REVALUE

   • Do not take the thoughts at face value. By changing your behavior, you find that your feelings also change over time.