Skills
This skill encourages you to focus on the "here and now".
What is Anchoring In the Present?
*This skill is especially helpful when you are ruminating about things that have happened in your past that you cannot change, or feeling anxious and helpless about your future which has not come to pass yet!
Symptoms of this Mental Health Disorder can include:
-Loss of touch with reality
- Hallucinations
-Abnormal Body Movements
-Avoiding Social Interactions
-Disorganized and/or Delusional Thoughts
-Paranoia
(Source: National Institute of Mental Health)
What is Schizophrenia?
This form of treatment involves meeting with peers in structured setting and sharing struggles, successes, tips, and stories. This can be out in the community, or inpatient. This is usually facilitated by a professional or paraprofessional trained in this area.
What is group therapy?
50 bonus points:
True or False: NAMI (National Alliance for Mental Illness) has support groups for individuals living with mental health disorders, as well as their families/loved ones.
What is a Psychiatrist?
True or False: It Snows in the Sahara Desert
TRUE!
Deserts are known to have very low precipitation. And if rainfall is rare, wouldn’t snowfall be even rarer? Well, the impossible happened in 2018 and the Sahara Desert was covered in a blanket of white snow. However, the snow only lasted for a day before melting under the hot sun.
The first recorded snowfall was in 1979 — a snowstorm that lasted half an hour. Although temperatures drop to freezing in the night, the lack of moisture makes it almost impossible to produce any snow. But who knows, you might be lucky enough to see it on your next trip to the Sahara!
(Source: Travelintern.com)
When you use this skill, you may not get immediate relief from a trigger, but are instead setting yourself up for a long term change.
What are Alternative Actions?
*Depending on your level of distress, you may need to use a distress tolerance skill like TIPP(Temperature, Intense Exercise, Paired Muscle Relaxation & Paced Breathing) to de-escalate before attempting your alternative action. This is perfectly fine!
Symptoms for this Mental Health Disorder can include:
-Unusually risky/impulsive behaviors
-Feel very sad, “down,” empty, worried, or hopeless
-Feel very “up,” “high,” elated, or irritable or touchy
-Racing thoughts/trouble concentrating/difficulty making decisions
-Loss of interest/pleasure in hobbies/life
(Source: National Institute of Mental Health)
What is Bipolar Disorder?
*
This form of treatment involves pharmaceutical intervention-this may include pill, injection, patch or liquid.
What are medications?
This person is responsible for assisting in after care or helping to locate community resources.
What is a Case Manager or Social Worker?
In which city was Jim Morrison buried?
Paris: The cemetery is called Père Lachaise
This skill encourages you to find evidence that validates, or invalidates negative thinking.
What is Questioning Automatic Negative Thoughts?
*Remember also that it is important to identify ways to cope, or work through distressing emotions if you find evidence to support or validate any negative or automatic thoughts you have!
People can be diagnosed with this mental health disorder if experiencing any/all of these symptoms consistently for at least 2 weeks:
(Source: National Institute of Mental Health)
What is Depression?
This therapy involves general anesthesia and either bilateral or unilateral electrodes placed to induce a brief seizure with the outcome being improvement in the patients symptoms.
What is Electro Convulsive Therapy or ECT?
*ECT is most often used to treat severe, treatment-resistant depression, but it may also be medically indicated in other mental disorders, such as bipolar disorder or schizophrenia. It also may be used in life-threatening circumstances, such as when a patient is unable to move or respond to the outside world (e.g., catatonia), is suicidal, or is malnourished as a result of severe depression.
ECT can be effective in reducing the chances of relapse when patients undergo follow-up treatments. Two major advantages of ECT over medication are that ECT begins to work quicker, often starting within the first week, and older individuals respond especially quickly.
(Source: National Institute of Mental Health)
This person can help you talk through and work towards solutions that are practical for you and help you learn and practice distress tolerance skills. They generally will not GIVE you the answer, but guide you towards realizing the answers on your own. They can be certified in a number of treatment modalities including CBT, DBT, ACT, Expressive, EMDR etc.
What is a psychologist or therapist?
What is the tallest breed of dog in the world?
The Great Dane
When you practice this skill, it gives you the chance look at the individual pieces of your emotions.
What is Breaking Down an Emotion?
*Our emotions are composed of 3 distinct areas that often overlap, but when we take time to separate our emotion into Thoughts, Feelings, and Behaviors, it gives us a better understanding of how we respond to specific triggers.
This mental health disorder may consist of the following symptoms:
(Source: National Institute of Mental Health)
What is Generalized Anxiety disorder?
This treatment involves 1:1 with a licensed psychologist.
What is psychotherapy or talk therapy?
This person is known to help you manage your physical health and make referrals to specialists.
What is a Primary Care Doctor?
When Michael Jordan played for the Chicago Bulls, how many NBA Championships did he win?
6!!
We have used this skill unconsciously throughout our lives. Without it, we may not gain mastery.
What is Learning By Doing?
*Examples often used to describe this skill include riding a bike or swimming. For 100 bonus points, what is one way you can use Learning By Doing to continue your recovery?
To be diagnosed with this mental health disorder an adult must have all of the following for at least 1 month:
Re-experiencing symptoms include:
What is Post Traumatic Stress Disorder?
For 150 bonus points: Can PTSD also affect children and adolescents?
This form of therapy can be used to help people living with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. The therapy calls for spending time in the very situation that triggers compulsions (e.g. touching dirty objects) but then being prevented from undertaking the usual resulting compulsion (e.g. handwashing) – is effective in reducing compulsive behaviors in OCD, even in people who did not respond well to medication.
(Source: National Institute of Mental Health)
What is Exposure Response Prevention Therapy?
100 Bonus Points: What ATF Skill does this remind you of?
This person can help you to learn about the importance of a balanced/healthy diet for your needs.
What is a Dietician?
*Dietitians and nutritionists counsel clients on nutrition issues and healthy eating habits. Dietitians and nutritionists are experts in the use of food and nutrition to promote health and manage disease. They plan and conduct food service or nutritional programs to help people lead healthy lives. *
(Source: BLS.Gov)
What is an ice hockey puck made from?
Rubber