So Many Emotions!
How does DBT view emotions?
e.g. DBT does not judge emotions. Emotions are neither good or bad, they just are. They are automatic and valid. How we respond to them can be either effective or not effective.
How do you ride the waves of your emotions?
Disengage with thoughts, tune into body sensations, mindfully watch them change/decrease nonjudgmentally, notice when you re-engage with thoughts and move back into your body. Use willing hands and paced breathing
Why do we build mastery? How is it helpful...
It helps us build a sense of confidence and competency. It helps us increase sense of control in our lives and a practice mindset approach.
What is your skills breakdown point? How do you know you are in it?
Your distress is extreme, overwhelmed, cannot focus your mind on anything but the emotion itself, mind shuts down and brain stops processing information, or cannot solve problems or use complicated skills
T/F - You wait until you feel motivated to use opposite action. Why or why not?
Bonus: What is an opposite action behavior to being afraid to speak up for yourself and advocate when someone is being mean or rude?
False - because emotions love themselves and urges to be ineffective are often mood dependent. Acting opposite is needed because natural motivation/desire is not there.
Bonus: Approach! Use confident body posture, speak clearly and firmly. Say your truth or use your FAST skill.
I want to start using Lyft but am scared that something bad will happen. I have heard terrible stories on the internet and don't like having to talk to people i dont know.
Help me use my check the facts skill.
Check for other interpretations, separate facts from interpretations and emotion minded thoughts. Are you engaging in thinking mistakes? What is the probability of the worst case scenario happening? Can you imagine coping well with it?
Why is it important to use your cope ahead skill?
It increases our likelihood of moving through a situation more skillfully and in line with our values. It also gives us a chance to do a "dress rehersal" of the situation, identify helpful skills to use, and visualize being successful!
What are the components of the PLEASE Skills?
Treat PhysicaL illness, balance Eating, avoid mood-Altering substances, balance Sleep, get Exercise.
Anger - give us a prompting event, an action urge, and body sensation.
urge - attack physically or verbally
sensations - surge of energy, increased heart rate, getting hot, thoughts racing, feeling like your head is going to explode
I am feeling overwhelmed and stressed at school (or work)... I am tired from staying up late and I didn't have time to eat breakfast. Now it's lunch and I want to be skillful. What skill is this scenario referring too and how could i use it during my lunch break?
Bonus: Name a strategy for improving your sleep hygiene.
PLEASE skill
e.g. I could eat something (thoughtful about what I eat), go for a walk, take a nap, get a coffee and be mindful of the caffeine content. I could use this info of my vulnerability factors to give myself self-validation and gauge how i participate in the rest of my day.
Bonus: Having a dark, cool room; using sound machine, having a sleep routine, avoid being on your phone, only use your bed for sleeping.
Why do we want to learn to ride the waves of our emotions?
Because:
We cannot avoid painful/uncomfortable emotions. We can gain useful information from experiencing emotions and it reduces our fear of painful emotions. We feel more confident and in control of our emotions when we can experience them without it leading to reactivity/impulsivity. Suppressing our emotions is ineffective and unhelpful.
What are vulnerability factors?
Bonus: How do we reduce our emotional vulnerability?
Vulnerability factors: factors that can make us more sensitive to emotions (i.e., didn't sleep well, didn't eat breakfast, having gone through a similar experience recently)
How to reduce: Accumulating positive experiences, build mastery, cope ahead, and PLEASE Skills
What is the difference between guilt and shame in DBT?
guilt occurs when your behaviors do not line up with your moral code or value system
Shame occurs when your behaviors are rejected by another group because they do not line up with the groups moral code or value system.
A common myth that shows up when you are struggling is "Reaching out for help is bad; I should be able to figure things out on my own". You notice that when you buy into this myth you end up isolating, feeling overwhelmed, and the problems you struggle with continue to grow. Show us how you would use the problem solving skill to come up with a solution.
1. State the problem 2. Check the facts 3. Identify the goal 4. Brainstorm Solutions -no judgments 5. Choose one to try 6. Try it 7. Evaluate how it went
Why is it important to have short term and long term accumulating positive activities/actions in your life?
ST = helps manage vulnerabilities and build positive experiences/emotions into our day.
LT = builds our LWL goals, sense of deeper satisfaction and value in our lives.
What are some suggested ways to engage in opposite action for shame (when not justified OR not effective to act on it)?
Opposite actions: Make public your personal characteristics or your behavior (with people who won't reject you), or repeat the behavior that sets off shame over and over.
All-The-Way Opposite Actions for Shame: no apologizing or trying to make up for a perceived transgression, take in all the information from the situation, change your body posture (look innocent and proud, lift your head; maintain eye contact, keep voice tone steady and clear, "puff up" your chest.