I Can't Even (Cope)
Identify a group member that you think has good coping skills. Explain why you think they may have good coping skills/name a coping skill you've seen them use.
Group member was able to name a person and describe a coping skill or reason for why they think they have good coping skills.
What gets wet while drying?
A towel!
True or False: The best way to deal with anger is to try to find a healthy way to express it.
TRUE! Anger can build up over time and if we don't engage in activities to help us release it, it can suddenly be released all at once like a volcano leaving us feeling out of control.
Name a reason someone may choose to go to therapy
What can you catch but not throw?
A cold!
What is an unhealthy coping strategy. Name 2 unhealthy coping strategies
These would be skills that do not benefit themselves, are bad for their health, cause harm to themselves or others, and/or are illegal.
Examples: punching a wall, hitting another person, smoking cigarettes, destroying property, doing drugs, etc.
What can travel all around the world without leaving its corner?
A stamp.
True or False: Boys are naturally angrier than girls.
FALSE! This is a stereotype that society has normalized about genders.
True or False: People who go to therapy are weak.
FALSE! There's nothing wrong with admitting you need help with your mental health. More often than not, people who go to therapy are brave and grow stronger by being in therapy.
Silence
True or False: Is taking deep breaths a coping skill?
TRUE! Taking deep breaths all the way down to our bellies can help us calm down and stabilize our breathing.
You walk into a room that contains a match, a kerosene lamp, a candle, and a fireplace. What would you light first?
The match!
True or False: Some people are just worriers and will never get better.
FALSE! Many people struggle with anxiety, but going to therapy and learning to identify triggers and coping skills can help us learn how to handle our anxiety.
True or False: Different types of therapy may work better for different types of people.
TRUE! Just like how we get along better with certain teachers and perform better in certain school subjects than others, we may get along better with certain types of therapists and cope better with certain types of therapies than others.
Who can shave 10 times a day and still have a beard?
A barber!
Name 5 coping skills that are most effective for you.
Name any healthy, safe, and legal activities that help them to calm down and doesn't cause harm to themselves or others.
What runs, but never walks. Murmurs, but never talks. Has a bed, but never sleeps. And has a mouth, but never eats?
A river
True or False: A little anxiety makes a person alert, focused, and ready to head off potential problems.
TRUE! This type of anxiety is called "productive anxiety" and is useful in times when we need extra adrenaline to keep moving.
True or False: Anger Management is about learning to suppress your anger.
FALSE! Anger Management is about learning how to cope with your anger by learning how to channel it in a nonviolent and nonthreatening way.
What stays in the corner, but travels all over the world?
A stamp!
Name a "Grounding Technique"
5,4,3,2,1 Exercise
Naming items in a category
Body Awareness (deep breaths, clenching hands, stretching, muscle relaxation)
Mental Exercise (naming steps in an activity, describing an object, counting backwards from 100)
What belongs to you, but everyone else uses it.
Your name.
Some people can seem upbeat and cheerful; when inside, they're struggling with depression.
TRUE! Not everyone who has depression looks sad all the time. Someone can be depressed and still experience joy, and some people who are depressed may grow used to "wearing a mask" to hide their sadness.
True or False: Anxiety is the most common mental health diagnosis given to adults and teens.
TRUE! Anxiety disorders are the most common mental health disorders in both adults and adolescents, followed by depression.
I have holes all over, yet I still hold water. What am I?
A sponge!