Ghosts of Thoughts Past
“If I can’t do recovery perfectly, I’m a complete failure.”
All-or-nothing thinking.
This four-letter DBT skill reminds you to pause before reacting.
STOP
This Halloween creature is wrapped in bandages and rises from a tomb.
A mummy
A person, place, feeling, or situation that brings up an urge to use is called this.
A trigger
“I won’t stay at a gathering where people are using substances.” This is an example of what?
A boundary
“My roommate didn’t say hello. She must be mad at me.” You’re assuming you know what someone thinks.
Mind reading.
HALT reminds you to check whether you’re experiencing these four things.
Hungry, Angry, Lonely, Tired.
A witch’s favorite flying transportation.
Broomstick
This coping skill uses activities like walking, listening to music, or doing a puzzle to shift your attention away from a craving.
Distraction
“I feel frustrated when I’m interrupted” is an example of this type of statement that expresses feelings without blaming.
An “I” statement.
“I had a difficult day. Now I’m going to lose my job, my housing, and everything else.”
Catastrophizing.
Slowly breathing in and out can help calm your body when you feel stressed.
Deep breathing.
Say this movie character’s name three times, and he appears.
Beetlejuice
This skill involves noticing a craving as it rises and falls, like a wave, without acting on it.
Urge Surfing
This DBT skill helps you make a clear request or say no. Its name starts with “DEAR.”
DEAR MAN
“I feel like a bad parent, so that means I am a bad parent.”
Emotional reasoning: treating a feeling as proof.
Naming five things you see, four you feel, three you hear, two you smell, and one you taste is an example of this skill.
Grounding.
This character from The Addams Family is a hand with a mind of its own.
Thing
This relapse prevention strategy means thinking beyond the temporary relief of using and considering the consequences that could follow.
Play the tape forward.
Acknowledging that someone’s feelings make sense, even when you don’t agree with their actions, is called this.
Validation
“I had a craving today, so I’ll never be able to stay sober.” This thinking trap predicts a negative future without knowing what will happen.
Fortune telling.
This DBT state of mind balances your emotions with logic and facts to help you make decisions.
Wise Mind
In The Nightmare Before Christmas, he is known as the Pumpkin King.
Jack Skellington.
This written recovery tool identifies your triggers, warning signs, coping skills, and people to contact for support.
A written relapse prevention plan.
This behavior involves repeatedly putting someone else’s wants ahead of your own needs to avoid conflict or gain approval.
People Pleasing