Brain Games
What Is Sensation?
The process of detecting information
You have to introduce yourself at your first recovery meeting and you're nervous. Uncomfortable or unsafe?
Uncomfortable
Every time you're asked to share in group, you leave for the bathroom because speaking makes you anxious. What behavior are you using?
Avoidance
Name one thing recovery or treatment may ask you to do even when you don't feel like doing it.
Examples include attending meetings, going to group, following rules, asking for help, completing responsibilities, talking to a sponsor, or practicing coping skills.
What animal has fingerprints so similar to human fingerprints that they can be difficult to tell apart?
Koala
What Is Perception?
The way the brain organizes and interprets sensory (sensations) information.
During an argument, someone blocks the doorway when you try to leave and refuses to let you pass. Uncomfortable or unsafe?
Unsafe
During an argument, you become overwhelmed and say, “I need 15 minutes to calm down, but I'll come back and finish this conversation.” Is this avoidance or healthy coping?
Healthy coping
Name one uncomfortable thing a person may have to do when repairing a relationship damaged by addiction.
Examples include apologizing, taking accountability, listening, respecting boundaries, accepting consequences, or rebuilding trust over time.
What is the only food that doesn't spoil?
Honey.
Sensations
You set a healthy boundary and the other person becomes disappointed or upset with you. Uncomfortable or unsafe?
Uncomfortable
You're anxious about attending a meeting where you don't know anyone, so you repeatedly tell yourself, “I'll start going next week.” What is this an example of?
Procrastination
Name one thing you can do when experiencing a craving instead of immediately trying to escape it.
Examples include telling someone, calling a sponsor/support person, grounding, distraction, attending a meeting, urge surfing, or using another healthy coping skill.
What movie features the famous line, “Why so serious?”
The Dark Knight.
Two people ride the same rollercoaster. Both have racing hearts. One thinks "This is amazing!, and the other thinks, "I need to get off!" What explains why they experience the situation differently?
Perception: their brains interpret similar sensations differently
You're experiencing a strong craving and feel restless, irritable, and anxious. Does experiencing the craving itself mean you're in danger and have to act on it?
No. A craving can be extremely uncomfortable without requiring you to act on it.
Why can constantly avoiding uncomfortable situations make them harder to face in the future?
Avoidance can reinforce the belief that we cannot handle the discomfort and prevents us from learning that we can tolerate it.
Complete this sentence with your own example: “I can feel _____ and still _____.”
Any appropriate response demonstrating that an emotion or sensation doesn't have to determine behavior.
What is the only mammal capable of true sustained flight?
A bat.
True or False: If something feels extremely uncomfortable, that automatically means you are unsafe.
False. Discomfort can occur even when there is no actual danger
Someone repeatedly threatens to physically harm you after you've told them to leave you alone. Uncomfortable or potentially unsafe?
unsafe.
Name three unhealthy ways someone might try to escape uncomfortable emotions instead of dealing with them.
Examples include substance use, isolation, aggression, compulsive behaviors, excessive sleeping, procrastination, etc...
What's the difference between “I don't want to do this” and “I can't do this”?
Not wanting to do something means it may be uncomfortable or undesirable. “I can't” means being unable to do it. Feeling unwilling or uncomfortable does not necessarily mean you're incapable.
Name all seven dwarfs from Snow White.
Doc, Grumpy, Happy, Sleepy, Bashful, Sneezy, and Dopey.