Cognitive Distortions
This distortion involves seeing things as all good or all bad.
What is black-and-white thinking?
Name one 5-senses grounding activity.
What is naming 5 things you see, 4 touch, 3 hear, 2 smell, 1 taste?
Writing about your emotions can help process them.
What is journaling?
This common disorder involves persistent sadness or loss of interest.
What is depression?
Co-occurring disorders mean someone has both a mental health disorder and...
What is a substance use disorder?
Believing something will go wrong before it happens.
What is catastrophizing?
Grounding helps bring focus to this moment instead of…
What is worrying about the past or future?
Physical activity like walking or dancing helps release these brain chemicals.
helps release these brain chemicals.What are endorphins?
Panic attacks are associated with this type of disorder.
What is an anxiety disorder?
Using substances to cope with emotions is an example of this behavior.
What is self-medication?
Thinking one mistake means total failure.
What is overgeneralization?
This breathing technique involves inhaling for 4, holding for 4, and exhaling for 4.
What is box breathing?
The “COPE” acronym stands for one of these four healthy strategies.
What is communicating, optimism, problem-solving, or emotion regulation?
One myth about mental illness is that it means a person is “weak.” What’s the truth?
What is mental illness is a health condition, not a weakness?
Integrated treatment focuses on treating both disorders…
What is at the same time?
Believing others are judging you harshly without evidence.
What is mind reading?
Using an ice cube or cold water to regulate emotions is an example of this DBT skill.
What is a TIPP skill?
This coping style involves distracting yourself until emotions settle.
What is a temporary coping strategy?
This neurotransmitter is often linked to happiness and mood regulation.
What is serotonin?
A common co-occurring pair is depression and this type of substance use.
What is alcohol use disorder?
Taking responsibility for things outside your control.
What is personalization?
This practice helps observe thoughts without judgment.
What is mindfulness?
Identifying triggers and planning responses is called what kind of coping?
What is proactive coping?
Name two early warning signs of a mental health relapse.
What are social withdrawal, irritability, or changes in sleep/appetite?
This term describes when a person experiences both a mental health disorder—such as depression, anxiety, or PTSD—and a substance use disorder at the same time, often making treatment more complex but also more effective when both conditions are addressed together.
What is a dual diagnosis?