THE F WORD
These two automatic survival responses prepare the body to either confront or escape a perceived threat.
What is... Fight or Flight.
When you detach, segregate and disconnect from others.
What is Isolation.
Isolation is a significant risk factor for returning to substance use.
Often called the brain's reward chemical, this neurotransmitter drives motivation and craving by reinforcing behaviors the brain wants repeated.
What is...Dopamine.
Other neurotransmitters affect mood, but dopamine is about reward and motivation--what the brain learns to chase in substance use disorders.
This coping skill involves slowing your breathing to calm the nervous system when stress or cravings increase.
What is... "deep breathing" or "paced breathing".
This common recovery slogan reminds people to focus on putting effort into their recovery today rather than worrying too much about the future.
What is... "One day at a time".
This survival response causes a person to shut down, feel stuck, or become mentally numb during stress or trauma.
What is...Freeze.
These can include people, places, emotions, routines, or experiences connected to substance use and is a common cause of relapse, especially for people in early recovery.
What is...Triggers
Relapse risk increases when multiple risk factors pile up without adequate support or coping.
This part of the brain is responsible for decision-making, planning, impulse control, and can be weakened by substance use.
What is... the prefrontal cortex (PFC), or "thinking brain".
This part of the brain gets stronger with time and practice. Purposely engaging this part of our brain speeds the recovery process.
This skills helps reduce cravings by shifting attention away from urges until they pass.
What is..."distraction"
The acronym H.A.L.T. means this.
What is Hungry. Angry. Lonely. Tired.
HALT reminds us when our coping skills and decision-making are weaker, making us more vulnerable if those needs aren't addressed.
This emotional state can keep people stuck in resentment or shame and may interfere with healing and recovery.
What is...Fear.
This common relapse risk occurs when pressures build faster than coping skills.
What is... Stress.
This part of the brain focuses on survival and emotion, and can drive cravings even when someone "knows better".
What is... the limbic system, also known as the "emotional brain" (What Miss Jess calls your "Caveman brain").
This part of your brain is primitive and reacts much faster than your thinking brain! It's why when you walk into a tense room you "feel it" before you can consciously figure out why. Also why it's important we learn to pause, reflect, and get curious about our own thoughts and feelings.
This coping strategy helps to calm the body by intentionally relaxing muscle groups, one at a time.
What is...Progressive Muscle Relaxation.
This slogan reminds us that emotions can feel intense and real without accurately reflecting reality or requiring immediate action.
What is... "Feelings aren't facts".
Feelings give us information, like the lights on the car dashboard, and pausing to check the facts helps us prevent emotional reactions from turning into harmful decisions.
In recovery, this process may involve forgiving past behaviors without excusing harm, while still taking accountability.
What is...Forgiveness.
Getting into a sexual or romantic relationship in recovery before being adequately prepared to handle that relationship (or its demise) may lead to ….
What is... lapse/relapse.
This can be emotional/psychological, physical, or both. This is why it is advised not to begin new relationships for at least a year, giving you time to strengthen both coping skills and external supports.
In recovery, this brain ability improves over time, allowing people to pause, think, and choose coping skills instead of reacting.
What is... self-regulation.
("Impulse control" is also an acceptable answer)
This coping skill involves setting clear limits to protect recovery, even when it feels uncomfortable or disappointing to others.
What is...Setting Boundaries.
This slogan explains how repeated thoughts and behaviors strengthen brain connections, making habits-healthy or not-easier over time.
What is..."Neurons that fire together, wire together."
(The slogan "Practice makes pathways" is also a valid answer here.)
The brain strengthens what we repeat. Skills feel awkward before they feel automatic. Practicing coping skills builds new neural pathways, making healthier responses more automatic with repetition.
This "F" word describes the ability to stay present, tolerate discomfort, and choose value-based actions instead of rigid or impulsive responses.
What is... Flexibility.
Psychological Flexibility helps a person adjust plans, expectation, & coping strategies WITHOUT returning to old patterns when things don't go as expected.
This relapse risk can appear when progress leads to comfort and comfort leads to less motivation/less effort to keep using recovery tools and/or supports.
What is... Complacency.
(Overconfidence is also an acceptable answer)
This set of higher-level brain skills allows a person to plan ahead, regulate emotions, control impulses, stay focused, and consider consequences--skills that can be disrupted by substance use but strengthened in recovery.
What is...Executive Functioning.
Executive Functioning skills are life skills. Includes: Task initiation, goal-setting, meeting deadlines, problem-solving, evaluating priorities, organization, flexible thinking, self-control, time management, perseverance, planning, and working memory.
This DBT/ACT skill is about "unhooking from thoughts" and involves creating distance from thoughts by noticing them as mental events-rather than facts or commands-so they have less power over behavior.
What is..."Cognitive Defusion".
You don't have to obey or respond to every thought just because it shows up. This skill may be practiced using visualizations such as Leaves on a Stream, Cloud Watching, Sand and Surf, or Popping Bubbles.
This recovery slogan aligns with brain science by explaining how avoiding or fighting thoughts and emotions can keep the "emotional brain" activated, while noticing and accepting them helps the "thinking brain" regain control.
What is... "What you resist, persists."