Myths about Emotions
Challenge this myth:
"There is a right way to feel in every situation."
Challenge: "Every person responds differently to a situation There is no correct or "right" way."
(Page 6 & 7)
Describe skills breakdown and what to focus on when you are at skills breakdown
Skills breakdown (7 or higher on the thermometer)
- Your distress is extreme
- You are overwhelmed
- You cannot focus your mind on anything but the emotion itself
- your mind shuts down; your brain stops processing information
- You cannot solve problems or use complicated skills
What to focus on:
CRISIS SURVIVAL SKILLS
- TIP your body chemistry
- DISTRACT using Wise Mind ACCEPTS
- Self-Soothe with 5 senses
- IMPROVE the Moment
(Page 74)
What are three other words you can use for sadness?
despair, grief, misery, agony, disappointment, homesickness, neglect, alienation, discontentment, pity, anguish, dismay, hurt, rejection, crushed, displeasure, insecurity, sorrow, defeat, distraught, disconnected, suffering, dejection, gloom, loneliness, unhappiness, depression, glumness, melancholy, alone, woe
(Page 17)
Name the three skills used to help change emotional responses.
- Check the facts
- Opposite action
- Problem solving
(Page 22)
What does A stand for within ABC PLEASE
Accumulating Positive Emotions
Short-term: By doing pleasant events/things that are possible now
Long-term: By making changes in your life so that positive events will happen more often in the future. Build a "life worth living" by focusing on and living out your values
(Page 47)
Challenge this myth:
"Some emotions are stupid."
Challenge:
"Every emotion indicates how I am feeling in a certain situation. All emotions are useful to help me understand what I am experiencing."
(Page 6 & 7)
How many questions or "steps" are within troubleshooting ER Skills (When what you are doing isn't working)?
6.
1. Check your biological sensitivity
2. Check your skills
3. Check for reinforcers
4. Check your mood
5. Check for emotional overload
6. Check for emotional myths getting in the way
(Page 75 & 76)
What are potential BIOLOGICAL changes when experiencing anger?
- Muscles tightening.
- Teeth clamping together.
- Hands clenching.
- Feeling your face flush or get hot.
- Feeling like you are going to explode.
- Being unable to stop tears.
- Wanting to hit someone, bang the wall, throw something, blow up.
- Wanting to hurt someone.
(Page 13)
What opposite action (provide an example to explain).
Opposite action is acting opposite to an emotion's action urges when the emotion does not fit the facts or when acting on your emotions is not effective.
Examples:
Fear: The action urge is to run away; OA would be to approach.
Anger: The action urge is to attack; OA would be to gently avoid or be a little nice
Sadness: The action urge is to isolate; OA would be to get active
Shame: The action urge is to hide; OA would be to expose yourself
(Page 28)
What does PLEASE stand for and focus on?
P - Treating physical illness
L - Getting light and air
E - Balanced eating
A - Avoiding mood-altering substances
S - Balanced sleep
E - Getting movement/exercise
Take care of your mind by taking care of your body. Decreasing vulnerabilities to emotion mind.
(Page 47 or 63)
Challenge this myth:
"If others don't approve of my feelings, I obviously shouldn't feel the way I do."
Challenge:
"I have every right to feel the way I do, regardless of what other people think."
(Page 6 & 7)
Describe two of the four "steps" or items within The Wave Skill (Mindfulness of Current Emotions)
- Experience your emotion
- Practice mindfulness of emotional body sensations
- Remember you are not your emotion
- Don't judge your emotion
(Page 72)
List/describe two potential prompting events for fear.
- Having your life, your health, or your well-being threatened.
- Being in the same situation (or a similar one) where you have been threatened or gotten hurt in the past, or where painful things have happened.
- Flashbacks.
- Being in situations where you have seen others threatened or be hurt.
- Silence.
- Being in a new or unfamiliar situation.
- Being alone (e.g., walking alone, being home alone, living alone).
- Being in the dark.
- Being in crowds.
- Leaving your home.
- Having to perform in front of others.
- Pursuing your dreams.
(Page 16)
1. Ask: What is the emotion I want to change?
2. Ask: What is the event prompting my emotion?
3. Ask: What are my interpretations, thoughts, and assumptions about the event?
4. Ask: Am I assuming a threat?
5. Ask: What is the catastrophe?
6. Ask: Does my emotion and/or its intensity fit the actual facts?
9Page 23)
Describe build mastery.
1. Plan on doing at least one thing each day to build a sense of accomplishment
2. Plan for success, not failure
3. Gradually increase the difficulty over time
4. Look for a challenge
(Page 61)
Challenge this myth:
"Extreme emotions get you a lot further than trying to regulate your emotions."
Challenge:
"Extreme emotions can often cause trouble for me and for other people. If an emotion is not effective, emotion regulation is a good idea."
(Page 6 & 7)
Name two of the six factors that make it hard to regulate your emotions.
1. Biology
2. Lack of skill
3. Reinforcement of emotional behaviors
4. Moodiness
5. Emotional overload
6. Emotional myths
(Page 5)
Describe a potential interpretation(s) of envy.
- Thinking you deserve what others have.
- Thinking others have more than you.
- Thinking about how unfair it is that you have such a bad lot in life compared to others.
- Thinking you have been treated unfairly by life.
- Thinking you are unlucky.
- Thinking you are inferior, a failure, or mediocre in comparison to others whom you want to be like.
- Comparing yourself to others who have more than you.
- Comparing yourself to people who have characteristics that you wish you had.
- Thinking you are unappreciated.
(Page 15)
Provide an example of the difference between opposite action and problem-solving for fear.
Opposite Action (Unjustified Fear): Do what you are afraid of, approach what you are afraid of, do what gives you a sense of control and mastery
Problem-solving (Justified Fear): Freeze/run if danger is near, remove the threatening event, avoid the threatening event
(Page 42)
Why is it important to accumulate positive emotions in the short term?
Increasing pleasant events leads to positive emotions.
It helps increase mindfulness such as focusing, not multitasking, participating fully, decreasing worries, and decreasing avoidance.
(Page 48)
Describe what an emotional myth is.
A myth is a mistaken belief about emotions that get in the way of your ability to regulate emotions.
Examples:
Myths that emotions are bad or weak lead to avoiding emotions.
Myths that extreme emotions are necessary or are part of who you are to keep you from trying to regulate your emotions.
(Page 5)
Identify two of the three reasons "why emotions are good" (or what they do for us/others).
1. Emotions give us information
2. motions communicate to, and influence, others
3. Emotions motivate and prepare us for action
(Page 4)
Can you observe how someone else is feeling?
NO!
You can only observe through your senses and describe what you are seeing, hearing, etc. You cannot observe someone else's feelings.
When would you use problem-solving?
When the emotion does fit the facts; Changing, avoiding, or solving the problem would change the emotion (and be effective).
(Page 39)
Create a cope ahead plan for finding out you received a C- on a report card and that you will need to follow up with your parents.
Answers vary
1. Describe the situation
2. Decide what skills you are going to use
3. Imagine the situation
4. Rehearse coping effectively
5. Practice relaxation after rehearsing.
(Page 61)