Emotions
True or False: people with psychosis or other mental illness sometimes have problems with detecting and evaluating the facial expressions of others (e.g., sadness, happiness)
True
Individuals with mental illness may have trouble accurately interpreting emotions conveyed through facial expressions due to cognitive impairments, perceptual disturbances, and other factors, which may lead to misunderstandings in social interactions.
True or False:
You are more likely to make a correct judgement about a person or situation when you follow your gut or initial reaction.
False. The more information that is considered, the more likely you are to make a correct judgement.
True or False: Not everything we recall has actually happened
True
Tony has taken the bus. It is 5pm and it is crowded. Tony is sitting down, while most of the passengers are standing. Several times, Tony's eye caught other passengers glancing at him for a few seconds before looking away. He feels threatened, watched by everybody.
Name 1 fact about the situation.
The facts of the situation are:
What is a coping skill?
A coping skill is a strategy or technique that individuals use to manage and navigate stressful or challenging situations effectively. These skills help people adapt to difficult circumstances, regulate their emotions, and maintain psychological well-being.
Define empathy:
A) A strong emotional attachment to someone.
B) The skill of persuading others to see things from your point of view.
C) The ability to understand and share the feelings, thoughts, and perspectives of others.
D) A form of manipulation to control others' emotions.
C) The ability to understand and share the feelings, thoughts, and perspectives of others.
True or False: You should only draw firm conclusions about another person if you know the person well or if you have observed the person in different contexts. Explain why.
True! Making assumptions about the thoughts or feelings of others, especially those we don't know well, can often lead to misunderstandings or misinterpretations of the situation. It's important to communicate openly and ask clarifying questions rather than jumping to conclusions.
True or False: Remembering only negative things about a camping trip (e.g., it was too hot, there were a lot of bugs, you got terrible sleep from sleeping on the ground) is an example of depressive memory bias.
True! Depressive memory bias refers to the tendency for individuals experiencing depression to selectively recall or interpret information in a negative manner, while minimizing or overlooking positive or neutral information. This bias can influence how individuals remember past events, perceive current situations, and anticipate future experiences.
In the current example, it is unlikely that the camping trip was completely terrible with absolutely no positive aspects. With depressive memory bias, you may overlook other details, like the beautiful sunset you saw, or how much you enjoyed telling stories around the campfire.
Tony has taken the bus. It is 5pm and it is crowded. Tony is sitting down, while most of the passengers are standing. Several times, Tony's eye caught other passengers glancing at him for a few seconds before looking away. He feels threatened, watched by everybody.
What is Tony's opinion in this situation? How might his opinion (or thought) influence his feelings of fear?
What is Tony's opinion?
Tony thinks that everyone is watching him on the bus.
His opinion might influence how he feels because if he believes that everyone is watching him, even if they are just glancing casually, he may start to feel self-conscious, paranoid, or anxious. His thoughts (e.g., they want to hurt me) about the situation can intensify his feelings of being threatened, even if the other passengers' glances were not intended to be menacing. It's a classic case of how our interpretations of others' actions can shape our emotional responses to a situation.
List 3 coping skills
Coping skills can vary widely and may include techniques such as problem-solving, seeking social support, practicing relaxation or mindfulness, engaging in physical activity, reframing thoughts, and seeking professional help when needed.
Name 3 emotions/feelings
Joy, surprise, fear, sadness, anger, disgust, pain... etc.
True or False: During psychosis, people tend to misinterpret or over-interpret facial expressions or actions of others.
True! A lot of things are in the eye of the beholder. Our emotions impact our perceptions, especially when we feel threatened. When we are anxious, our environment seems hostile. When we are extremely happy, an exaggerated feeling of invincibility and being loved may arise.
Which term describes when people remember things that didn't really happen because they were given wrong information or suggestions?
A) Memory distortions
B) Memory enhancements
C) Memory retrievals
D) False memories
D) False memories
Tony has taken the bus. It is 5pm and it is crowded. Tony is sitting down, while most of the passengers are standing. Several times, Tony's eye caught other passengers glancing at him for a few seconds before looking away. He feels threatened, watched by everybody.
Name 2 past or current experiences that might have led to Tony feeling threatened by others looking at him?
What past or current experiences might have led to Tony feeling threatened by others looking at him?
Past experiences of bullying; he was robbed on a bus before; he was raised in an environment where eye contact is considered rude or confrontational; he has psychosis and feeling paranoid; he is already anxious about others disliking him; etc.
What are 2 key advantages of using coping skills?
The goal of coping skills is to enhance resilience and reduce the negative impact of stressors on mental health. They can improve relationships with family, reduce stress, help with emotion regulation, improve mental health, promote better problem solving, and build confidence, in addition to other benefits!
The way we ____ in the moment can affect how we interpret events or situations around us.
The way we [feel] in the moment can affect how we interpret events or situations around us.
Important clues for understanding what a person is feeling are ____ and ____. However, these things can be misleading at times.
Name one clue that can help you interpret what others are feeling.
1. Facial expressions
and/or
2. Body language/gestures
Name 2 strategies to memorize things better.
repetition; using examples or mnemonic aids; combine information with existing knowledge; avoid studying too long; go to bed after learning; avoid substance use; involve many senses while learning (e.g., listen, watch, write things down)
Tony has taken the bus. It is 5pm and it is crowded. Tony is sitting down, while most of the passengers are standing. Several times, Tony's eye caught other passengers glancing at him for a few seconds before looking away. He feels threatened, watched by everybody.
What 4 reasonable reasons why the other passengers could be glancing at Tony based on only what we know about the situation?
Based on the facts of the situation, other passengers could be looking at Tony because...
they want his seat; they are curious and looking around at everyone, not just Tony; people are looking around to maintain awareness of their surroundings; etc.
True or False: Coping skills are always healthy.
False!
Coping skills can be healthy or unhealthy. Unhealthy coping skills are strategies or behaviors that individuals may use to manage stress or difficult emotions, but they ultimately have negative consequences for their well-being. Examples of unhealthy coping skills include substance use, avoidance, self-harm, denial, self-isolation, etc.
A person covers their mouth with their hand while they are talking.
Discuss with your team different reasons someone may do this. How might they be feeling? What are they possibly thinking?
Consider your knowledge about the person - do they often feel shy talking in front of others?
Environment /situation - did they just eat a lot of garlic?
self-observation- on what occasions do you cover your mouth while talking?
facial expression - do they seem embarrassed, surprised, scared, etc.?
Share an instance, either hypothetical or real, where either you or someone else overlooked key information and misinterpreted a situation.
Offer examples of factors that should have been considered to arrive at a more accurate judgment.
A correct response includes the following:
1. An example was provided (yes or no)
2. Examples of other factors that should have been considered were provided (yes or no)
Approximately ___% of the details of a story we have heard half an hour ago cannot be actively recalled.
40%
Tony has taken the bus. It is 5pm and it is crowded. Tony is sitting down, while most of the passengers are standing. Several times, Tony's eye caught other passengers glancing at him for a few seconds before looking away. He feels threatened, watched by everybody.
What are 2 other reasons the passengers could be looking at Tony outside of what we know about the situation? Be creative!
Tony is acting in a strange manner or wearing vibrant clothing, which is drawing attention to himself; some of the passengers recognize Tony - Tony is a famous musician; Tony has an adorable dog with him; etc.
Engaging in this coping skill can help reduce stress hormones and increase feel-good neurotransmitters like endorphins.
Physical activity/exercise