Red Road to Wellbriety
The Red Road to Wellbriety uses teachings from this animal to symbolize wisdom and strength.
What is the eagle?
This is seeing things in strict black and white categories with no middle ground, and usually involves words like "always" or "never"
What is all or nothing thinking?
A phrase that reminds us that all hard things will eventually come to an end
What is "this too shall pass?"
This is self-reflection tool to monitor your anger on a scale from 1-10
What is an anger meter?
This coping strategy increases self-reflection and self-awareness through regularly writing down your inner thoughts and emotions
What is journaling?
This number is significant in the book, representing both the number of steps and the traditional values of many indiginous cultures
What is 12?
This is expecting only the worst possible outcome
What is catastrophizing?
This phrase focuses on staying sober today rather than worrying about a lifetime of sobriety
What is "one day at a time?"
This basic anger management strategy allows you to pause a conversation and collect yourself after you've noticed your anger is rising
What is a timeout?
This coping skill involves focusing your awareness internally while letting thoughts and feelings drift by without getting distracted by them
What is meditation?
According to the book, the four directions represent these four key areas to personal wellbeing
What are emotional, mental, physical, and spiritual?
"If I hadn't hoped something bad would happen to him, he wouldn't have gotten into an accident" is an example of this type of cognitive distortion.
What is magical thinking?
This phrase reminds us that recovery programs or 12-step programs only help if we put in the effort
What is "it works if you work it?"
This phase of the aggression cycle comes before the explosion or outburst phase.
What is the buildup phase?
This coping skill involves repeating positive phrases to challenge negative self-talk
What is positive affirmations?
According to the elders, this was the first mind changer.
What is the Liquid? (also accept alcohol, or spirit)
This cognitive distortion uses critical language that puts a lot of pressure on yourself or others, usually involving strict rules
What is should-ing?
This phrase engourages us to not give up before the magic can start to take place
What is "don't quit before the miracle happens?"
This approach to controlling anger involves telling yourself a series of self-commands to stop thinking the thoughts that increase your anger
What is thought-stopping?
This coping strategy redirects mental and emotional energy into physical energy
What is exercise?
Arranging the 12 steps in this shape aligns them more closely with Native traditions
What is a circle?
This cognitive distortion could look like focusing only on the negative and not believing anything else.
What is disqualifying the positive?
Said a different way, if you don't do anything differently, nothing will be different.
What is "nothing changes if nothing changes?"
These are the four categories of warning signs, or cues, that signal to yourself that your anger has been triggered or is escalating
What is physical, behavioral, emotional, and cognitive?
This coping resource reduces isolation by reaching out to a friend or a sober community
What is social connection or support groups?