Distortions
What is it called when you see things as all good or bad, with no middle ground?
What is:
All-or-nothing (or black-and-white) thinking
What three components make up the cognitive triangle?
What is:
Thoughts, feelings, behaviors
Name your favorite coping skill.
What is:
deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, 5 senses technique, mindfulness, etc.
Name one basic emotion.
What is:
Happy, sad, angry, scared
Why can't we believe everything we think?
What is:
Thoughts are opinions, not facts. They can be wrong or exaggerated.
What is it called when you assume the worst possible outcome will happen?
What is:
Catastrophizing
According to the cognitive triangle, what shapes your feelings and behaviors?
What is:
Your thoughts
Give an example of a healthy and an unhealthy coping skill.
What is:
Journaling, deep breathing, grounding, exercise, 5 senses technique, progressive muscle relaxation, etc.
Vs
Substance use, fighting/punching something, yelling at others, etc.
Name one physical sign your body might give you when you're starting to feel angry.
What is:
Rapid heart rate, clenched fists, clenched jaw, hot face, furrowed brow, flexed muscles, curled toes
Name one question you can ask yourself to check whether a thought is true.
What is:
What's the evidence for and against this thought? How do I know this thought is true?
What distortion is it when you assume you know what someone else is thinking, without asking?
What is:
Mind reading
If someone thinks, "Nobody likes me," what feeling would likely follow?
What is:
Sadness or loneliness
What is the 5 senses technique?
What is:
A grounding technique. Naming 5 things you see, 4 you hear, 3 you feel, 2 you smell, 1 you taste
What do we call it when you push down an emotion instead of dealing with it?
What is:
Avoidance or suppression
What would a more balanced version of this thought sound like: "I'll never get better."
What is:
This is hard right now, but I can make progress with time and support.
What is:
Personalization
Give a behavior that could reinforce the thought, "I have no friends."
What is:
Avoiding people/isolating
Why should you practice coping skills when you're calm?
What is:
They become easier to access automatically under stress if they're already familiar.
What is the difference between a feeling and a thought?
What is:
A feeling is an emotion, a thought is a mental statement or belief
What do we call a thought that pops into your head without effort?
What is:
An automatic thought
What distortion is this: "I feel like a failure, so I must actually be one."
What is:
Emotional reasoning
Why does changing just one point in the triangle change the other two?
What is:
They are interconnected; a shift in one affects the entire cycle
What might make it hard for someone to use a coping skill in a moment of distress, even if it normally works?
What is:
Too overwhelmed to remember it, not having practiced it enough, feeling like it's too much effort in the moment
Name two benefits of expressing emotions in a healthy way instead of holding them in.
What is:
Reduces built-up stress, prevents outbursts, improves communication with others, maintains a neutral emotional baseline, etc.
Someone tells you, "I know challenging my thoughts won't actually change how I feel." How would you respond?
What is:
Thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are connected. Shifting the thought can shift the feeling, even if it takes practice and does not happen instantly.