Hi Brooke,
I have started to tackle my skin issue and buffering by scratching. I have had major success with my weight and really trying my lessons learned from this year. I have intolerance to food and cutting out sugar, flour and dairy has helped tremendously with inflammation. I created a Skin Scale, where 0 is neutral, -10 is a hot mess, and +10 is a hot model.
Today, I got to 10 urges, then really, really had a hard time allowing myself to experience the 11th urge. I have been labeling my urges with a skin scale # and a vibration. The 11th urge was -7, and I could not sit with it. I could not just watch it. (As I write this, it does sound like I am resisting the urge) I listen to your over drinking session yesterday and asked for techniques to allow an urge. I know you coach others with physical pain, how do you help them with their thoughts? I am sitting with the learn and move on worksheet and I am stuck on the what did I learn and what will I do next time? I would say the first 10 urges were between -1 and -4, I am mentally trying to wrap my mind around a -5 to -10 urge. I know it will happen, I am as determined to overcome this as I did with sugar, flour, and dairy – my hunger now does not get to -5, either that or I tell myself I can eat later. I haven’t learned what will help me to delay my urge to scratch (a net negative habit).