DBT Foundations
In your own words: what is radical acceptance?
Accepting reality exactly as it is right now — even when you don't like it.
True or false: honesty in recovery means telling everyone everything.
False — it means being real with yourself and safe people soon enough to get help.
Finish the idea: "You may have a story about yourself, but you are ___.
Not trapped inside that story.
Name all four communication styles covered this week.
Passive, Aggressive, Passive-Aggressive, and Assertive.
What's the core mantra of behavioral activation?
"Do the next helpful thing, not the perfect thing."
Name one thing radical acceptance does NOT mean.
Not approval, not saying it's okay, not giving up, or not pretending it didn't hurt (any one)
Name the three columns compared in the relief-vs-safety chart.
Short-term relief, Long-term safety, and Reducing harm.
Name one common "self-story" the mind might tell.
Any one: I am a failure, I am too much, I always ruin things, I'm the anxious one, no one really gets me.
What's the core message behind assertive communication?
My needs and your needs both matter.
Name the three types of helpful actions.
Pleasure, Mastery, and Connection.
Name two distress tolerance ideas for getting through the first ten minutes of a big feeling.
Any two: wait 10 minutes, cold water, breathe slower, step away, move your body, ask for support, keep hands busy.
What's the difference between privacy and secrecy?
Privacy = healthy boundaries about personal info. Secrecy = hiding something that affects safety, treatment, trust, or risk.
What's a broader-view reframe of "I am just an anxious person"?
Anxiety is something I experience — not the total definition of who I am.
Name the three steps of the Assertive Formula.
Name it, Own it, Ask clearly.
Name one difference between rest and avoidance.
Any one: rest restores energy / has an end / feels caring — avoidance keeps things stuck / can stretch on / often feels like hiding.
inish the coping statement: "I cannot change what already happened. I can decide..."
"...what I do from here."
What is a "5% safer choice"?
A smaller, safer step you can take right now — it doesn't have to be the perfect choice.
Give an example of adding "space" between yourself and a story.
Any example: "I notice my mind is telling the story that..." or "I am having the story that..."
Besides the actual words, name two other things people react to during conflict.
Any two: tone, timing, body language, facial expression, assumptions, past experiences.
Walk through the stuck cycle — what comes after "do less" (avoid, isolate, scroll)?
Short-term relief → more guilt/stress → feeling worse → more avoidance (and the cycle repeats).
This 5-step chain shows how a feeling turns into an action. Name all 5 steps in order.
Trigger → Thoughts → Emotions → Urges → Action.
Complete the sentence: 'A safer choice does not have to be ______'
Perfect
ACT's goal isn't to erase your story — what IS the goal?
To step back enough to see that the story isn't the whole truth about who you are.
This style's message is "I'm upset, but I'll make you guess why." Name the style and one way it shows up.
Passive-aggressive — sarcasm, silent treatment, indirect digs, or "whatever."
If your confidence for an action is below 7 out of 10, what should you do?
If your confidence for an action is below 7 out of 10, what should you do?