Relapse Prevention
This type of relapse happens first and involves bottling up emotions, skipping meetings, and poor self-care.
What is emotional relapse?
This communication style is about expressing yourself clearly while respecting others’ boundaries.
What is assertive communication?
This “STOP” mindfulness acronym stands for a quick method of interrupting automatic responses.
What is Stop, Take a breath (or Take a step away), Observe, Proceed?
CBT stands for this.
What is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy?
One key risk of ignoring grief in early recovery is this emotional state that often leads to relapse.
What is emotional numbness or suppression leading to emotional relapse?
The acronym BHALT stands for common triggers; name at least four of them.
What are Bored, Hungry, Angry, Lonely, and Tired?
This skill involves listening to understand instead of listening to respond.
What is active listening?
This quick grounding technique involves identifying 5 things you can see, 4 you can touch, 3 you can hear, 2 you can smell, 1 you can taste.
What is the 5-4-3-2-1 grounding technique
This common thinking trap involves assuming what others think about you without real evidence.
What is mind reading?
This stage of grief (from the Kübler-Ross model) often involves talking back and forth with ourselves or a higher power about what could’ve been done differently in the past.
What is bargaining?
This type of distorted thinking sounds like “Well, I already messed up, might as well keep going.”
What is the abstinence violation effect or all-or-nothing thinking?
The “I feel ___ when ___ because ___” format is part of this skill.
What is using “I statements”?
This part of the nervous system is activated when mindfulness helps the body calm down.
What is the parasympathetic nervous system?
What are the 3 components of a CBT triangle?
Thought -> Emotion -> Action
A common grief-related belief in early recovery is “If I had only done ___.” This is an example of what kind of thinking?
What is guilt-based or self-blaming thinking?
This is the term for believing that a substance is the only way to feel relief or pleasure again, or only remembering the good aspects of substance use, which increases relapse risk.
What is euphoric recall or cognitive distortion of “substance as solution”?
This conflict style avoids confrontation but leads to resentment and unspoken tension.
What is passive-aggressive communication?
This specific type of breathing involves longer exhales to activate calm and regulate emotions.
What is 4-7-8 breathing or diaphragmatic breathing?
CBT helps you change your thinking so you can feel better and do this differently.
What is act differently or make better choices?
Grief is a normal response to this.
What is loss?
This relapse prevention skill involves visualizing yourself successfully resisting a high-risk situation before it happens.
What is mental rehearsal or imagery rehearsal?
This skill, often used in DBT and interpersonal effectiveness, stands for Describe, Express, Assert, Reinforce.
What is the DEAR MAN skill?
In mindfulness, the skill of observing your thoughts without identifying with them is called this.
What is cognitive defusion or non-identification with thoughts?
This common thought trap is when you expect something bad will happen without proof.
What is catastrophizing or jumping to conclusions?
These emotions are common in grief: sadness, anger, and this feeling that things aren’t real.
What is shock or denial?