Seeking Safety Basics
What is one of the main goals of Seeking Safety?
To help people develop healthier ways to cope with substance use, mental health symptoms, stress, and difficult situations.
Name one type of safety besides physical safety.
Emotional, mental, relationship, substance-use, medical, financial, legal, social, or environmental safety.
True or False: Mental health symptoms and substance use can affect each other.
True.
What is grounding?
A technique that helps bring someone's attention back to the present moment when they are overwhelmed, anxious, triggered, or disconnected.
True or False: Recovery means you have to fix everything in your life at once.
False.
Seeking Safety is especially helpful for people experiencing what two major areas of concern?
Mental health concerns and substance use concerns.
True or False: Someone can be physically safe but emotionally unsafe.
True.
Name one mental health symptom that could increase someone's desire to use substances.
Anxiety, depression, anger, stress, trauma symptoms, loneliness, racing thoughts, or emotional distress.
In the 5-4-3-2-1 grounding technique, how many things do you identify that you can see?
5
What is one example of a warning sign that someone may be becoming overwhelmed?
Isolating, increased cravings, anger, racing thoughts, not sleeping, missing appointments, increased mental health symptoms, or wanting to leave treatment.
What comes first in the Seeking Safety approach? (hint from John) its in the name....
Safety.
Give one example of something that could affect someone's emotional safety.
Conflict, criticism, rejection, trauma reminders, unhealthy relationships, or feeling constantly threatened or judged.
Someone is feeling extremely anxious and drinks alcohol because it temporarily makes them feel calmer. What could happen later?
The anxiety or other problems may return or become worse, and the person may begin relying on alcohol to cope.
Name the five senses used during the 5-4-3-2-1 grounding technique.
Sight, touch, hearing, smell, and taste.
If someone recognizes a warning sign early, what is one thing they can do?
Use a coping skill or reach out to a safe/supportive person.
True or False: You have to talk about your trauma in detail to participate in Seeking Safety.
False. Seeking Safety focuses on present-day safety and coping skills. Participants are not required to share details they aren't comfortable discussing.
If someone continues spending time around people who encourage them to use substances, what area of safety could be affected?
Relationship/social safety and substance-use safety.
Complete the cycle:
Stress → ______ → Substance Use → More Problems → More Stress
Emotional distress, mental health symptoms, cravings, or unhealthy coping.
Give two situations where someone might benefit from using grounding.
During anxiety, cravings, emotional distress, racing thoughts, trauma reminders, feeling overwhelmed, or feeling disconnected.
On the safety scale, what does a 0 represent?
Feeling completely unsafe or having very little sense of safety/stability.
Why might focusing on safety be more helpful than immediately trying to solve every problem in someone's life?
Because increased stability and safety can give someone the foundation and coping skills needed to deal with larger problems effectively.
A person has a safe place to live but is constantly around people who pressure them to use drugs. Is the person completely safe? Explain.
No. Physical safety may be present, but their recovery and substance-use safety may be at risk because of the environment and social pressure.
Someone is experiencing depression, stops attending appointments, isolates from everyone, and begins using substances again. Identify at least two points where they could interrupt the cycle.
They could reach out for support, attend an appointment/group, use a coping skill, attend a recovery meeting, talk to staff, address their depression, or use another healthy coping strategy.
You're extremely overwhelmed and feel like using. Name three healthy things you could do before making a decision to use.
Possible answers include using grounding, calling someone, talking to staff, going for a walk, listening to music, meditating, attending a meeting, exercising, journaling, or taking some safe space.
Someone rates their current safety at a 4 out of 10. Instead of asking, "How do I get to a 10?" what is a better Seeking Safety question to ask?
"What would help me move from a 4 to a 5?"