Coping & Crisis Skills
DBT Toolbox
Emotional Awareness
Recovery Brain & Body
Interpersonal Insights
100

What are the four trauma responses often abbreviated as the 4 F’s?

What is: Fight, Flight, Freeze, Fawn 

100

What does the “G” stand for in the GIVE skill from DBT?

A. Gofer

B. Grasp

C. Give

D. Gentle 

What is: D. Gentle 

100

What are the ABCs of emotional regulation?

A. Acclimate to your environment, Build a support network, Curb cravings

B. Assess your risks, Build legos, Cry alot

C. Accumulate positive emotions, Build mastery, Cope Ahead

D. Assist peers, Buy a jet plane, Celebrate small wins

What is: Accumulate positive emotions, Build mastery, Cope ahead

100

This nerve is key to calming the nervous system.

What is the Vagus Nerve?

100

Name the three types of boundaries.

What is: Rigid, Porous, Healthy

200

Name one healthy way to cope with a “freeze” response.

ACCEPTABLE ANSWERS: 

What is: 

Grounding techniques,

deep breathing,

 focusing on the five senses, 

 gentle movement. 

200

What is the FAST skill used for in DBT?

A. To shapeshift into Lightening McQueen

B. To emotionally regulate yourself

C. Practice patience and encourage healthy coping strategies 

D. Maintain Self Respect and effectiveness in interpersonal situations


What is: D. Maintaining self-respect and effectiveness in interpersonal situations 

200

What emotion is often underneath anger?

ACCEPTABLE ANSWERS: What is: 

Vulnerability, such as sadness or fear

200

Name one way to activate your vagus nerve.

Acceptable Answers: What is:

  • Deep, slow diaphragmatic breathing

  • Cold exposure (e.g., splash cold water on your face)

  • Singing, humming, or chanting

  • Meditation or mindfulness practice

  • Gentle neck massage or carotid sinus massage

  • Yoga or gentle stretching

  • Laughing

  • Gargling

  • Social connection and positive touch (like hugging)

200

Which of the following is a sign of porous boundaries?
A) Saying "no" when needed
B) Avoiding all emotional connection
C) Oversharing personal information
D) Expressing needs clearly

What is: C, Oversharing personal info

300

This skill involves riding out cravings like a wave without acting on them.

A. Progression of Relapse

B. Desire Drifting

C. Craving Cruising

D. Urge Surfing

What is: C. Urge Surfing

300

This DBT skill is about balancing acceptance and change. 

What is: Middle Path 

300

List two benefits of regulating your emotions in early recovery.

 

ACCEPTABLE ANSWERS: 

What is:

 Increased self-awareness 

Better stress management 

Enhanced empathy 

Improved patience and tolerance 

Greater emotional resilience 

Stronger interpersonal relationships 

Improved focus and concentration

300

What does P.A.W.S. (Post-Acute Withdrawal Syndrome) commonly involve? 

A) Immediate physical symptoms that last only a few hours
B) Long-lasting emotional and cognitive symptoms after quitting substances
C) Increased physical strength during early recovery
D) Improved sleep and mood immediately after stopping use

What is: B) Long-lasting emotional and cognitive symptoms after quitting substances

300

Someone with imposter syndrome might experience which of the following thoughts in a new job or recovery group?
A) "I don’t belong here; they’ll figure out I’m a fraud."
B) "I’m proud of how far I’ve come."
C) "I deserve this success just like anyone else."
D) "I feel confident sharing my story."

What is: A "I don't belong here; they'll figure out I'm a fraud 
400

What does the acronym P.A.W.S. stand for?

What is: Post Acute Withdrawal Syndrome

400

What are the three goals of interpersonal effectiveness in DBT? 

A. Personal effectiveness, conversational effectiveness, and self-respect effectiveness 

B. Objective effectiveness, relationship effectiveness, and self-respect effectiveness 

C. Emotional effectiveness, spiritual effectiveness, physical effectiveness 

What is: B. Objective effectiveness, relationship effectiveness, and self-respect effectiveness 

400

Name the four main styles of anger expression

What is: Passive, Aggressive, Passive-Aggressive, Assertive 

400

What is the main goal of urge surfing in recovery?

A) To distract yourself from cravings by doing other activities
B) To avoid thinking about cravings entirely
C) To notice cravings without acting on them and let them pass like a wave
D) To immediately satisfy cravings before they get worse  

What is: C) To notice cravings without acting on them and let them pass like a wave

400

Which trauma response is most likely linked with people-pleasing?

What is: FAWN

500

Which of the following is an example of the CBT skill “cognitive restructuring”?

A) Challenging the thought “I always mess up” by finding evidence that you have succeeded before
B) Convincing yourself that every mistake means you’re secretly a superhero in disguise
C) Deciding that since you tripped once, the floor is out to get you forever
D) Believing that if you think happy thoughts hard enough, you’ll never have problems

What is: A. Challenging the thought “I always mess up” by finding evidence that you have succeeded before

500

When you start feeling angry during an argument, you can use this DBT skill STOP by...

A: Pause, take a deep breath, and step away to avoid saying something hurtful.

B: Put on a fake mustache and sunglasses, then walk away while singing your favorite song. 


What is: A. Pause, take a deep breath, and step away to avoid saying something hurtful.

500

Which of the following are effective emotional regulation strategies? 

A) Deep breathing exercises
B) Impulsive decision-making
C) Progressive muscle relaxation
D) Avoiding all emotions
E) Mindfulness meditation

What is: A) Deep Breathing Exercises, C) Progressive Muscle Relaxation, E) Mindfulness Meditation


500

During recovery, which of the following best describes how activating the vagus nerve can help your nervous system? 

A) It increases your heart rate and stress levels.
B) It calms your nervous system by slowing your heart rate and lowering stress.
C) It teleports you to Las Vegas 
D) It makes you feel more anxious and alert.

What is: B) It calms your nervous system by slowing your heart rate and lowering stress. 

500

In a recovery group, someone interrupts you while you’re sharing your experience. What is the healthiest way to respond?
A) “Please wait until I’m finished before you speak.”
B) Give them side eye while crossing your arms and stomping your feet
C) “If you think you can share my story better go for it sister”
D) Be passive aggressive towards them the rest of the day  

What is: A "Please wait until I am finished before speaking" 

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