coping skills
This technique involves naming 5 things you see, 4 you feel, 3 you hear, 2 you smell, 1 you taste
5,4,3,2,1
This emotion often includes worry about future events
Anxiety
This condition involves persistent sadness and loss of interest
Major Depressive Disorder
This term refers to something that causes a strong emotional or behavioral reaction
Trigger (stimulus causing an emotional or behavioral reaction)
This skill means noticing thoughts without judging them
This emotion is a common response to loss
Grief / Sadness
This anxiety disorder involves sudden intense fear episodes
Panic Disorder
Triggers can be internal or this type (outside the person)
External trigger
This DBT skill stands for “Observe, Describe, Participate”
DBT “What Skills” (Observe, Describe, Participate)
This feeling can show up as anger, frustration, or irritability
Anger / Irritability
This condition includes difficulty maintaining attention and impulsivity
ADHD (Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder)
This is when a current situation activates a past emotional memory
Re-experiencing / emotional memory activation
This coping strategy involves slowing your breathing to activate the parasympathetic nervous system
Deep breathing / paced breathing (activates parasympathetic nervous system)
This emotion can sometimes mask sadness or vulnerability
Hurt / Resentment (often linked to rejection or betrayal)
This condition involves intrusive thoughts and compulsive behaviors
OCD (Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder)
This nervous system response is responsible for “fight, flight, or freeze”
Fight-or-flight response (sympathetic nervous system activation)
This acronym helps people work through stressful situations by Imagery, Meaning, Prayer, Relaxation, One thing in the moment, Vacation, Encouragement
IMPROVE skill (Imagery, Meaning, Prayer, Relaxation, One thing, Vacation, Encouragement)
This term describes having mixed or conflicting feelings at the same time
Ambivalence
having mixed or conflicting feelings
This condition involves mood swings between depression and mania
Bipolar Disorder
This type of trigger involves sensory input like sounds, smells, or sights that activate memories or emotions
Sensory trigger (sound, smell, sight, etc.)