Published October 23, 2025 | By Alyx E, Founder of Collectors MD

In recovery—especially when trying to practice complete abstinence—urges can feel like tidal waves, especially when everyone around you is talking about the latest product release, showing off their latest hits, or hyping how hot the hobby is. That constant energy—the buzz, the noise, the excitement—can make it feel impossible to stay grounded. You see the wave forming long before it hits, and part of you already knows what’s coming.

An urge usually starts small—a thought, a feeling, a trigger. Maybe it’s seeing a post about a record sale, a big pull, or a familiar product that once brought you that rush of elation. It might be stress, boredom, or nostalgia that cracks the door open. But once that door’s open, the tide starts to rise. The urge intensifies—sometimes gradually, sometimes suddenly—and logic starts to lose its footing. You feel it in your chest, in your hands, in the back of your mind whispering: just one more rip, one more bid, one more box.

Then comes the peak—the breaking point. It’s that sharp, desperate moment where the craving feels unbearable. You might tell yourself the only way out is to give in, that the wave won’t pass unless you ride it all the way down into the same cycle you’ve been trying to escape. But the truth—the one thing addiction never wants you to remember—is that no wave lasts forever. It will crash, it will fall, and it will fade, no matter how powerful it feels in the moment.

The cycle of an urge mirrors the movement of an ocean wave—trigger, rise, peak, fall. The goal isn’t to stop it—because that may be impossible—but to learn how to stay on the board until it breaks.

That’s what urge surfing is all about. You’re not trying to stop the wave or fight it—you’re learning to ride it out. Breathe through it. Let yourself feel the rise without surrendering to it. Observe what’s happening inside you like a storm you know will eventually clear. The goal isn’t to erase the urge—it’s to change your relationship with it. To recognize that every craving is temporary, and every time you ride one out, you strengthen your ability to stay afloat.

Still, some urges hit harder than others. Some feel like they’ll pull you under no matter what you do. When the current feels that strong—when the urge consumes your thoughts, hijacks your peace, and convinces you that you can’t resist—it’s time to reach for structure and support.

If the manufacturers, platforms, and breakers won’t create real oversight or guardrails, then you build your own.

• Use app-blocking tools like Gamban to eliminate temptation at the source.

• Lean on accountability partners, sponsors, or professionals who can step in when your resolve wavers.

• Join support groups like Collectors MD, Unboxed, or Gamblers Anonymous to connect with people who understand the rhythm of these waves.

• Explore self-exclusion if available on certain platforms.

• Have someone you trust help manage your finances—not as punishment, but as protection.

These safeguards aren’t limitations. They’re lifelines—anchors that keep you steady when the surf gets rough. Because if the devil on your shoulder has ripped the steering wheel away, it’s your job to take it back by any means necessary.

Urge surfing isn’t about perfection—it’s about presence. It’s about understanding that the urge itself isn’t the problem—it’s what you do with it that matters. Every time you stay on the board instead of wiping out, you prove something powerful: that you’re capable of enduring discomfort without letting it define you.

Every wave will rise. Every wave will crash. And every time you ride one out, you get a little stronger, a little steadier, a little more at peace.

#CollectorsMD
Every wave will rise and fall—but your peace is found in how you ride it.

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