Crisis Survival
Reality Acceptance
Skills 101
Safety
100

This scale is used to help determine whether to use Distress Tolerance or Emotional Regulation skills. 

What is the SUDS (Subjective Units of Distress) Scale? (Distress levels from 0-100)

100

These two skills ask a person to change their posture and expression to create a calm and open feeling and often are used in conjunction with one another. 

What are willing hands and half-smile?

100

These are the 5 senses one uses when practicing soothing with the 5 senses. 

Vision, Hearing, Smell, Taste, Touch

100

This is a service this office provides to clients to help coach them through skills over the phone. 

What is DBT call time?

200

This is the primary purpose of crisis survival skills. 

What is to lower SUDS level? (or to decrease levels of distress that may result in ineffective and/or unsafe behavior/urges).

200
Accepting these things when starting to practice reality acceptance is the most effective way to develop the skill. 

What are "small" things? (i.e. not capital "T" traumas or complicated life circumstances. Start instead with things like the weather, a flat tire, canceled plans, etc.)

200

These four actions make up the "S," "T," "O," and "P" in the STOP skill.

What is "Stop what you are doing," "Take a step back," "Observe," and "Proceed mindfully."

200

This is when a person can call the SWBH crisis line (812-422-1100).

24-hours a day, 7 days a week, even on holidays and weekends for any crisis or need.

300

These are 5 of the crisis survival skills. 

What is STOP, Urge Surfing, TIPP, Pros and CONS, Soothing with the 5 sense, Distractions, Improve the moment?

300

This skill helps a person move their thinking out of willfulness, rejection of reality, and/or avoidance of reality. 

What is turning the mind?

300

These four actions make up the "T," "I," and "P's" in TIP.

What are Temperature, Intense Exercise, Paced Breathing & Paired Muscle Relaxation?

300

This is something a client can build with their therapist to help cope effectively in times of crisis to keep themself safe. 

What is a crisis response (safety) plan?

400

This skill is used to help ride out strong desires to engage in ineffective behavior caused by distress. 

What is urge surfing?
400

This barrier to radical acceptance can look like trying to control too many things or refusing to let go of something.

What is willfulness?

400

These are 5 of the options for using the distract skill. (hint: remember abbreviation "ACCEPTS")

Activities, Contributing, Comparisons, Emotions, Pushing away, Thoughts, and Sensations

400

This is the name of a group of skills (usually distress tolerance skills) that a client can develop for themself to help manage high distress and crisis. 

What is a skills chain?

500

This is the best time to develop pros and cons lists.

What is when not in severe distress (i.e. not above 70 in the SUDs scale?)

500
A person who has used radical acceptance once about a situation that is complicated or deeply distressing may have to do this: 

What is radically accepting it again and again, over and over?

500
These are 5 of the options when using Improve the moment. (Hint: Remember the abbreviation "IMPROVE")

Imagery, Meaning, Prayer, Relaxing, One thing in the moment, Vacation, and Encouragement and rethinking (affirmations).

500

This is the top priority of any clinician at Southwestern Behavioral Healthcare. 

Client safety. 
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