Identifying Triggers
Healthy Coping vs. Surviving Coping
Building a Support Network
Cognitive Bias
Octopus
100
This is the specific person, place, or thing that may cause your symptoms of mental health issues to increase.
100
Why is exercise an effective coping skill?
Forces you to take space to regulate your emotions behavior tackling problems
Releases endorphins which calm the body, maintain positive mood,
Helps with self-esteem
Prevents illness a disease later in life
100
What is a support network?
A group of people or resources you can turn to for help, encouragement, guidance, or connection.
100
What is Attribution bias?
Example: If someone else is late, we think they’re irresponsible. If we’re late, it’s because traffic was bad.
We explain other people’s actions based on their character, but blame our own actions on the situation.
100
How many limbs does an octopus have?
An octopus does have eight limbs. But technically, they're known as arms, not tentacles.
Some scientists refer to octopuses not having eight legs, but six “arms” and two “legs,”
200
What are the two main types of triggers: things happening around you and things happening inside you?
External triggers and internal triggers
200
Name two healthy coping skills and two unhealthy coping skills.
Healthy: Seeking to respond not react
deep breathing/grounding, talking problem out, journaling, exercise/sleep hygiene, therapy, medication, practice naming feelings, practice assertive communication and boundary setting
Unhealthy: Often comes with Cognitive Distortions
Denial, minimizing, mind reading, labeling, deflecting, aggressive communication (threats, hostility, acting out revenge)
200
Name three people or resources that could be part of someone's support network.
Examples: friends, family, therapist, sponsor, support group, doctor, coworker, peer, recovery community, crisis resource, etc.
200
What is Confirmation Bias?
We tend to look for information that supports what we already believe — and ignore anything that proves us wrong.
Example: Only reading news that agrees with your opinion and rejecting other views automatically.
200
What can the mimicking octopus mimic?
Fish, Coral, Sand, Rocks, patterns such as stripes or spots, and other animals.
300
Name two signs that can help you recognize that you have been triggered.
Any two: changes in emotions, racing thoughts, increased heart rate, muscle tension, urge to use/avoid/act impulsively, irritability, shutting down, etc.
300
What is the main difference between a healthy coping skill and maladaptive or a “survival” coping skill?
Healthy coping helps both short-term and long-term; survival coping may provide immediate relief but can create problems later.
300
Why is it usually helpful to have more than one person in your support network?
One person cannot meet every need or always be available; different people can provide different kinds of support.
300
When we rely too much on the first piece of information when making decisions.
Example: If a sweater is marked down from $200 to $50, it feels like a great deal — even if $50 is still too much.
300
Do you think most they have long life spans or short lifespans?
The average octopus has a short lifespan, usually 1 to 2 years, though it varies by species, with some smaller ones living less than a year and larger ones like the Giant Pacific Octopus living 3-5 years
400
True or False: Avoiding every possible trigger is usually the best long-term way to manage triggers.
False. Learning to recognize triggers and develop healthy ways to cope with them is usually more effective.
400
Someone feels overwhelmed and ignores all of their responsibilities by sleeping all day. Is this healthy coping or survival coping, and why?
Survival coping/avoidance because it may reduce distress temporarily but does not address the problem and may make things harder later.
400
What is one way to clearly ask someone in your support network for what you need?
Be specific—for example, “Can you listen for a few minutes?” or “Can you help me problem-solve this?”
400
Which of these biases is "We think people are paying more attention to us than they really are — like there’s a ______ on us all the time."
400
Who Dis?
500
You get criticized at work and immediately think, “I’m terrible at everything,” then feel overwhelmed.
1. Identify the trigger
2. and one possible response you could change.
Trigger = being criticized/receiving negative feedback. Response could include the thought, emotional reaction, or behavior afterward; examples include challenging the thought, taking a break, grounding, or asking for clarification.
500
A coping skill does not have to make you feel better immediately to be healthy. True or False? Explain.
True. Healthy coping may involve tolerating uncomfortable emotions while doing something helpful for yourself long-term.
500
What is the difference between **supporting** someone and **enabling** them?
Support helps someone cope or make healthy changes; enabling protects them from consequences or makes it easier for an unhealthy behavior to continue.
500
What is the difference between a bias and an opinion?
An opinion is a belief or idea that can change with facts
A bias is a feeling that can unfairly affect the way you see things.