Crisis Survival 101
What is the GOAL when using one of the a Crisis Survival skills?
A - To fix the problem
B - To stop yourself from acting on an urge
C - To make other people leave you alone
B - The goal when using Crisis Survival skills is ONLY to prevent yourself from acting on urges and make sure we don't make the situation any worse.
What does STOP stand for?
STOP
Take a step back
Observe
Proceed mindfully
Which situation WOULD be effective to use Distract with ACCEPTS?
1. I'm so anxious about starting my taxes that I feel like I might throw up
2. I am so mad at my partner that I want to ask for a divorce
3. I am so stressed out about getting the mail and seeing my bills that I want to cry
Name 2 of the 5 Acceptance Skills
Radical Acceptance
Turning The Mind
Willingness
Half Smile Willing Hands
Allowing the Mind (mindfulness of thoughts)
True or False:
Leaves on the Stream is an example of one way to practice Mindfulness of current thoughts
True
Name at least 2 of the 6 Crisis Survival Skills
STOP
TIPP
Pros and Cons
Distract with ACCEPTS
IMPROVE the moment
Self Soothe
Temperature (ice on the face)
Intense exercise
Paced Breathing
Paired Muscle Relaxation
What do the letters in ACCEPTS stand for? (points if you can get at least 4 correct)
Activities
Contributes
Comparison
different Emotions
Pushing away
other Thoughts
Sensations
Does Half smile need to be visible to others in order to work?
No, it only needs to be perceptible to the person doing it.
What are the 4 steps of Mindfulness of Current Thought?
1. Observe your thoughts
2. Adopt a curious mind
3. You are not your thoughts
4. Don't BLOCK or PUSH them away
1. It is SHORT term
2. It is is HIGH STRESS/PRESSURE
3. It is happening NOW
What do we focus on when using Self Soothe?
(hint: there are 5 of them)
The 5 senses: sight, smell, touch, taste, sound
What do the letters in IMPROVE the moment stand for? (points if you can get 4 of them)
Imagery
Meaning
Prayer
One thing at a time
Vacation
Encouragement
Name at least 3 things we have to STOP doing to Radically Accept reality?
Half Assing (we have to accept ALL THE WAY!)
Ignoring reality/facts
Throwing tantrums
Staying Willful
Acting as if reality were the way we wanted it to be/think it "should be"
"Should"ing on ourselves, others, the facts
What is 1 of the "silly" tips for not blocking our thoughts that we went over in group?
- Imagine a cartoon character saying it
-say it in super slow motion over and over
- repeat in over and over in a silly voice
-imagine that the person bullying you (if it's someone else saying these things) is 5 years old
Which of the following is NOT a crisis?
1. I just fell down the stairs and my leg feels broken
2. I'm stranded on the highway at 1am with a flat and it's snowing
3. I am so overwhelmed about studying for my math exam next week that I feel sick to my stomach
#3 is not a crisis and would it NOT be appropriate to use most crisis survival skills to address it
How long does the I in TIPP supposed to last, more or less?
Imagine you are in a crisis and have an urge to yell at someone. What would you write into the 4 boxes of a Pros and Cons grid?
Pros of yelling
Cons of yelling
Pros of NOT yelling
Cons of NOT yelling
How do you do half smile/willing hands? (in about 3 steps)
1. let the face and upper body go loose
2. flip palms up
3. gentle pull up the lips into a subtle "mona lisa" smile
What does it mean to be "willful"?
Stubborn
Refusing to tolerate
My way or the highway
If the Crisis Survival skills from Distress Tolerance are JUST meant to help us tolerate distress, which skill sets are meant to help us change or fix our problems?
Emotional Regulation Skills and Interpersonal Skills are designed to actually help us solve our problems
Explain how to do the T in TIPP in about 3-4 steps.
(the WHOLE way, the version that sets off your dive reflex)
1. fill a sink/bowl with ice water
2. set a timer for 20-30 seconds
3. hold your breath
4. dunk your face until the timer goes off
Give an example of how you might skillfully use Comparison (one of the C's in ACCEPTS)
Compare how you have felt at another time
Think about people who have worse situations than yours
Compare your situation now to one you overcame in the past
What are the 4 steps to Turn the Mind?
1. Observe that you're rejecting reality
2. Make a commitment to accept reality
3. Do it AGAIN
4. Make a plan for when you fall out of acceptance
What are the 5 steps of Willingness?
1. Observe that we're feeling willful
2. Radically accept that you feel willful right now
3. Turn the mind toward acceptance/willingness
4. Half Smile
5. Ask yourself "what do I think is a threat here?"