Name That Emotion
What are:
motivating and organizing us to action
communicating to and influencing others
communicating with ourselves
Does the emotion fit the facts?
Someone expresses disappointment in something you did and you think the person is trying to control you
Opposite Action means doing the opposite of what?
What is your emotion-driven action urge?
In the PLEASE skill, what does the “P” stand for?
What is treating Physical illness?
Someone cuts in front of you in line. You feel annoyed. What is one DBT skill you could use before reacting?
What is mindfulness, Check the Facts, or STOP?
What emotion could you be experiencing in this situation?
Someone has something you really want or need but don’t or can’t have
What is envy?
Does the emotion fit the facts?
You lose a round of cards and think you're a loser.
No!
If fear tells you to avoid something thatis actually safe, what might Opposite Action involve?
What is approaching rather than avoiding?
Name two things you can do to reduce emotional vulnerability before a stressful situation.
What are getting enough sleep, eating regularly, exercising, treating illness, or avoiding mood-altering substances?
Your friend doesn't invite you to a party. You immediately think, “They don't like me any more.” What skill could help you separate what you know from what you're assuming?
What is Check the Facts?
What emotion could you be experiencing in this situation?
You feel like you belong somewhere or with someone or a group
What is happiness?
Does the emotion fit the facts?
Someone cuts ahead of you in the canteen line, and you get angry and start yelling at them
No (the intensity does not fit the facts)
You feel angry and want to say something mean to your peer. What might Opposite Action look like?
What is waiting, using a calmer tone, or communicating respectfully?
What DBT skill involves intentionally creating or noticing pleasant experiences in your life?
What is accumulating positive emotions?
You're extremely angry after an argument and want to say something t you'll probably regret. What could you do before responding?
What is pause/use a distress-tolerance skill, check the facts, and/or wait until the intensity decreases?
What emotion could you be experiencing in this situation?
Thinking about everything you have not gotten
What is sadness?
Does your emotion fit the facts?
You see two people laughing while looking in your direction. You think they're laughing at you and you become angry.
Maybe
You feel ashamed after making a mistake and want to hide from everyone. The facts suggest the mistake was minor and repairable. What might Opposite Action look like?
What is staying engaged, acknowledging the mistake, and continuing to participate?
You’re already emotionally overwhelmed, haven't eaten all day, slept four hours, and have been isolating yourself. Which DBT concept suggests addressing these physical and behavioral vulnerabilities?
What is PLEASE / reducing vulnerability to emotion?
You feel anxious about going to a new group because you're afraid everyone will judge you. There is no actual danger, but your urge is to stay on your unit and not go to group. Which emotion-regulation strategy might be most appropriate?
What is Opposite Action?
What emotion could you be experiencing in this situation?
Having emotions/experiences that have been invalidated
What is shame?
Someone cancels plans on you twice. You conclude that nobody cares about you. Using Check the Facts, identify one fact, one assumption, and one additional piece of information you would want before deciding how to respond.
Fact = cancelled twice
Assumption = nobody cares about me
More info = why did they cancel?
You’re terrified about giving a presentation. Your urge is to call in sick. You know the situation is uncomfortable but not dangerous, and avoiding it will reinforce your fear. What emotion are you targeting, what is the action urge, and what would Opposite Action be?
What are fear → avoidance → preparing and giving the presentation anyway?
You know you tend to become emotionally reactive when you're sleep-deprived, hungry, and isolated. What are three things you can do using DBT Emotion Regulation skills.
Example: Eat regularly + prioritize sleep + schedule a positive/social activity.
You receive critical feedback from your supervisor. You feel shame, think “I'm terrible at my job,” and want to quit immediately. Walk through the DBT process: What emotion is present? What is the interpretation? What should you check? What is the action urge? What skill might you use?
Possible answer: Shame → “I'm terrible at my job” → Check the Facts → hide/quit → evaluate the facts and consider Opposite Action/problem-solving rather than quitting impulsively.