Mental Health Basics
This branch of the nervous system activates the "fight or flight" response.
What is the sympathetic nervous system?
This is the ACT term for the ability to stay present and adapt behavior in line with values, even amid difficult emotions.
What is Psychological flexibility?
This skill involves noticing when you're resisting reality and intentionally turning your mind toward acceptance.
What is Turning the Mind?
This term describes physical and psychological symptoms that occur when a substance a person is dependent on is reduced or stopped.
What is withdrawal?
This DBT-informed skill stands for Temperature, Intense Exercise, Paced Breathing, and Paired Muscle Relaxation.
What is TIPP?
This hormone is released during stress and can stay elevated with chronic stress, causing sleep and concentration issues.
What is cortisol?
This term describes becoming so entangled with a thought that it feels like absolute truth.
What is cognitive fusion?
This concept states that acceptance does not mean you approve of or agree with what happened.
What is Radical Acceptance?
This term describes internal or external cues that increase the urge to use a substance.
What is a trigger?
This four-letter skill (Stop, Take a step back, Observe, Proceed mindfully) helps prevent impulsive reactions.
What is the STOP skill?
This term describes the brain's natural tendency to notice and remember negative experiences more than positive ones.
What is negativity bias?
This exercise involves observing, breathing into, and making room for an uncomfortable physical sensation instead of fighting it.
What is emotional expansion?
This category of skills (e.g., cold water, intense exercise) is used to rapidly lower physiological arousal during high emotional intensity.
What is Distress Tolerance (TIPP)?
This approach to substance use focuses on reducing negative consequences rather than requiring complete abstinence.
What is harm reduction?
This term describes anger that builds over time when pain isn't processed, eventually hardening and "trapping energy."
What is resentment?
Guilt says "I did something wrong." This other emotion says "There is something wrong with me."
What is shame?
This ACT model maps triggers, "away moves," and "toward moves" to support values-based decisions.
What is the Choice Point?
This principle distinguishes between the emotion itself and the added suffering caused by fighting it.
What is "Pain x Resistance = Suffering"?
This term describes returning to substance use after a period of abstinence, often viewed as part of the recovery process rather than a failure.
What is relapse?
This cognitive distortion involves assuming someone did something on purpose without evidence.
What is mindreading?
This term (coined in relation to Erik Erikson's stages) describes the developmental task of contributing to future generations.
What is generativity?
This defusion technique involves saying a distressing thought aloud in a silly voice to reduce its grip.
What is a defusion/unhooking technique?
This skill area focuses on communicating needs and boundaries effectively in relationships.
What is Interpersonal Effectiveness?
Two well-known mutual support programs based on the 12-step model.
What are AA (Alcoholics Anonymous) and NA (Narcotics Anonymous)?
This DBT skill involves choosing behavior aligned with long-term goals instead of the immediate anger urge (e.g., lowering your voice instead of yelling).
What is opposite action?