Emotions and Mood
This term means being able to notice, name and understand your own feelings?
What is emotional awareness or self-awareness?
These automatic mental messages--often very fast and negative--can drive cravings and relapse if we don't catch them.
What are automatic thoughts?
This word describes an event—or series of events—that overwhelms a person’s ability to cope and can change the way they see themselves, others, and the world.
What is trauma?
Boundaries in relationships help define what is okay and not okay. Give one example of a healthy boundary.
Examples: “I don’t allow drugs/alcohol in my home,” “I won’t lend money that supports using,” “I don’t accept yelling or name‑calling.”
This “talk therapy” focuses on changing thoughts and behaviors and is widely used for both mental health and substance use.
What is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)?
This common mood disorder involves low mood and loss of interest for at least two weeks and often shows up alongside addiction.
What is depression (major depressive disorder)?
Name one common cognitive distortion that shows up in addiction.
Examples: catastrophizing, all-or-nothing thinking, mind reading, minimization, etc.
Name one common symptom of PTSD or trauma‑related stress.
Examples: nightmares, flashbacks, hypervigilance, avoidance, emotional numbness, startle response, intrusive memories.
Name one sign of an unhealthy relationship dynamic that could threaten recovery.
Examples: controlling behavior, jealousy, emotional/physical abuse, constant chaos/drama, using, no respect for boundaries.
This style of counseling focuses on listening, reflecting, and helping people find their own reasons for change rather than arguing or lecturing.
What is Motivational Interviewing (MI)?
Name two physical signs that you might be feeling anxious, even if you're not fully aware of the emotion yet.
Examples: racing heart, shallow breathing, sweating, muscle tension, stomach issues, restlessness, trouble sleeping.
Core beliefs are deep, often hidden beliefs about ourselves, others, or the world. Give an example of a negative core belief about self that can fuel addiction.
Examples: "I'm a failure," I'm unlovable," I'm broken," "I'm weak," etc.
This system (fight, flight, or freeze) gets activated under threat; in trauma it can become overactive, making people react strongly even to smaller stressors.
What is the stress response (or fight-flight-freeze system/sympathetic nervous system)?
Attachment theory says that early relationships with caregivers shape how we connect with others later. Name one type of attachment style.
What are secure, anxious, avoidant, or disorganized?
This therapy was originally developed for borderline personality disorder and suicide risk and focuses on skills like emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal effectiveness.
What is Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)?
This term describes feeling more emotionally sensitive and reactive than usual in early recovery because the brain and body are adjusting.
What is emotional dysregulation?
In CBT for addiction, there’s a common pattern where a person predicts the future in a negative way without real evidence, with thoughts like “I know I’ll fail,” “Treatment won’t work for me,” or “They’re going to reject me if I’m honest.”
What is the name of this thinking error, and how can it increase the risk of relapse if it’s not challenged?
What is fortune-telling or predicting the future? It can lower motivation and hope, making people less likely to try new behaviors or use support, and can be a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Name three healthy ways to cope with trauma-related triggers without using substances.
Examples: Grounding techniques, breathing exercises, talking with a safe person, therapy, journaling, body‑based practices (yoga, stretching), staying in safe environments, self‑soothing activities.
In many recovery settings, people talk about “people‑pleasing” as a risky pattern. Psychologically, people‑pleasing often develops from insecure attachment and fear of rejection, leading someone to say “yes” when they mean “no,” avoid conflict, and go along with others even when it endangers their recovery.
What is one way this pattern can directly increase relapse risk, and one healthier relationship behavior that could replace it?
Risk: People pleasing can lead to staying in using circles or not setting boundaries, which can put the person in high-risk situations.
Healthier behavior: setting boundaries, choosing better relationships, sharing true feelings.
Many modern treatment programs are described as “trauma‑informed.” Name two principles of trauma‑informed care.
Examples: safety, trustworthiness, transparency, choice, collaboration, empowerment, cultural and gender sensitivity/awareness.
In many models, anger is called a “secondary emotion.” That means it often sits on top of other feelings. Name two primary emotions that might sit under anger.
Examples: hurt, fear, shame, sadness, embarrassment, disappointment, feeling disrespected.
In CBT, when we test a belief by deliberately trying a new behavior and seeing what happens (for example, asking for help instead of isolating), this is called what?
What is a behavioral experiment?
Complex trauma (or developmental trauma) usually comes from what kind of experiences?
What are chronic, repeated, often interpersonal experiences (e.g., ongoing abuse, neglect, unstable caregiving) especially in childhood?
This concept describes the ability to hold two seemingly opposite truths at once (e.g., “I’m doing my best” and “I still need to change”), and is central in DBT and healthy relationships.
What is dialectical?
This trauma‑focused therapy involves safely revisiting and processing traumatic memories so they have less power in the present. Two major examples are PE and EMDR. What does EMDR stand for?
What is Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing?