The First & Second Arrow (Intro Concepts)
The raw, inevitable pain of getting dumped, failing a test, or having a craving is known as this arrow.
What is the First Arrow?
TIPP skills are emergency hacks for when your distress hits the "Red Zone," meaning your stress level is over this number out of 100.
What is 75?
Playing a video game for 20 minutes to calm down is a distraction skill. Playing a video game for 12 hours while your life falls apart is this.
What is Avoidance?
The mind-bending formula for this module is: Pain + Non-Acceptance = [Blank].
What is Suffering?
Research shows that if you don't feed it, an average intense craving usually only lasts about this long.
What is 15 to 20 minutes?
This is the arrow we shoot ourselves with when we catastrophize, tell ourselves we are failures, or self-medicate.
What is the Second Arrow (Suffering)?
Clue: Splashing ice water on your face triggers this biological "brake pedal" that rapidly drops your heart rate.
What is the Mammalian Dive Reflex?
If you are furious and want to punch a wall, but you force yourself to listen to calm music instead, you are using this "E" skill in ACCEPTS to starve the emotion.
What is Emotions (Opposite Action)?
True or False: Radically accepting a situation means you approve of it and agree that it is fair.
What is False? (It just means acknowledging reality as it is so you can decide your next move).
Instead of trying to "white-knuckle" an urge or scream at yourself to stop, Urge Surfing teaches us to treat a craving like one of these in the ocean.
What is a Wave?
True or False: Distress Tolerance skills are designed to solve your long-term problems and build a life worth living.
What is False? (They are for surviving a short-term crisis without making it worse)?
To hit the brakes using Paced Breathing, this part of your breath needs to be longer than the other.
What is the Exhale? (Exhaling longer than inhaling).
Biting into a raw lemon, eating a Warhead, or holding a freezing ice cube forces your brain to reboot using this "S" in ACCEPTS.
What is Sensations?
Digging your heels in, throwing a fit, or acting like a stubborn Zax is known as this behavior.
What is Willfulness?
A standard Pros & Cons list has 2 columns, but a DBT Pros & Cons matrix has this many quadrants.
What is 4?
Crisis or Nah? You are bored on a Tuesday night and your chores aren't done.
What is Nah? (This is an everyday problem, not a crisis).
Squeezing your fists or shoulders super tight for 10 seconds and then letting them drop completely is this "P" in TIPP.
What is Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR)?
When you use the "C" in ACCEPTS (Comparisons), you shouldn't compare yourself to other people. You should compare your current self to this person.
Who is "Old You" (or You from 6 months ago in active addiction)?
Doing what a situation effectively calls for, even if you hate the situation, is known as this "W" word.
What is Willingness?
Acting on an impulsive urge almost always gives you this type of relief, but carries terrible long-term consequences.
What is Short-Term relief?
Clue (Role-Play): Crisis or Nah? You find a baggie of your drug of choice hidden in your old coat pocket. Tell the group if this is a crisis, and act out the first 10 seconds of what you should do next.
What is CRISIS! (Action should involve immediately stepping away, calling someone, or safely disposing of it).
Clue (Role-Play): Your teacher just loudly accused you of cheating in front of the whole class. Freeze! Show the group exactly how you would covertly use a TIPP skill at your desk right now.
(Acceptable answers: Demonstrating paced breathing, squeezing calf muscles under the desk, etc.)
Clue (Role-Play): The "E" in IMPROVE stands for Encouragement. You have 30 seconds to step into the ring and be the ultimate "Hype Man" for a group member who wants to give up today. Go!
(Participant must enthusiastically cheerlead and encourage a peer).
Clue (Role-Play): A peer is going to tell you a highly unfair new rule (e.g., "No phones for a month"). Show the group what "Willfulness" looks like for 10 seconds, then instantly switch and show what "Willingness" looks like.
(Participant must act out arguing/complaining, then switch to a calm, accepting posture/response).
Clue (Role-Play): Name one thing in your personal "20-Minute Defusal Kit" (Physical, Mental, or Social) and explain to the group exactly how you will use it the next time an urge hits.
(Participant must name a specific, realistic distraction technique they plan to use).