Coping Skills (The Toolbox)
This concept refers to a set of techniques that help individuals reconnect with the present moment, manage overwhelming emotions (like anxiety, panic, or trauma flashbacks), and stabilize themselves by focusing on their physical body or immediate environment
what is grounding
This almond-shaped part of the brain is responsible for the "Fight, Flight, or Freeze" response.
What is the Amygdala?
This trap involves seeing things in only black or white, with no middle ground or "gray area."
What is All-or-Nothing Thinking?
This type of communication style involves standing up for your rights while respecting the rights of others.
What is Assertive Communication?
This is the practice of focusing one’s awareness on the present moment, without judgment.
What is Mindfulness?
This 4-step breathing technique involves inhaling for 4 seconds, holding for 4, exhaling for 4, and holding for 4.
What is Box Breathing?
This feel-good neurotransmitter is often associated with the brain's reward system and motivation.
What is Dopamine?
When you assume you know what others are thinking without them telling you, you are doing this.
What is Mind Reading?
These are the "invisible lines" we draw to protect our time, energy, and physical space.
What are Boundaries?
This term refers to the return to use or symptoms after a period of improvement.
What is Relapse?
Extra Points: Distinguish between lapse and relapse
In DBT, this acronym stands for strategies to manage a crisis: Temperature, Intense Exercise, Paced Breathing, and Paired Muscle Relaxation.
What is TIPP?
This mindfulness practice involves mentally scanning your body from head to toe to notice areas of tension or discomfort without trying to change them.
What is a Body Scan?
This distortion occurs when you predict the worst possible outcome for a situation, regardless of the evidence.
What is Catastrophizing?
In an argument, using these types of statements (rather than "You" statements) helps express feelings without sounding accusatory.
What are "I" Statements?
Extra points - What is the formulation Curtis wrote on the board for effective self expression using an "I" statement
HALT is an acronym for four states that make us more vulnerable to poor decisions: Hungry, Angry, _____, and Tired.
What is Lonely?
This sensory grounding exercise asks you to name 5 things you see, 4 you can touch, 3 you hear, 2 you smell, and 1 you can taste.
What is the 5-4-3-2-1 Technique?
This is the name for the 24-hour internal clock that cycles between sleepiness and alertness.
What is the Circadian Rhythm?
This trap involves taking a single negative event and seeing it as a never-ending pattern of defeat (often using words like "always" or "never").
What is Overgeneralization?
This term describes a relationship where one person’s needs are met at the total expense of the other, often involving a "fixer" role.
What is Codependency?
This is the act of speaking kindly to yourself as you would to a friend.
What is Self-Compassion?
This term refers to "self-soothing" by using sights, sounds, or smells that provide comfort during high distress.
What is Sensory Regulation?
This concept describes the "optimal zone" of arousal where a person can function and manage emotions effectively.
What is the Window of Tolerance?
This is the habit of ignoring positive experiences and focusing exclusively on the negatives.
What is Mental Filtering?
This DBT skill acronym helps maintain self-respect during a conflict: Gentle, Interested, Validate, and Easy manner.
What is GIVE?
These people, places, or things can increase the urge to engage in old, unhealthy behaviors.
What are Triggers?