- Distraction (a.c.c.e.p.t.s.)dialectical Behavioral Training Reliaslearning
- Distraction (a.c.c.e.p.t.s.)dialectical Behavioral Training Techniques
- Distraction (a.c.c.e.p.t.s.)dialectical Behavioral Training Facilities
Create a list of distracting activities that you can use to interrupt a descent into emotional crisis. Do this exercise once, and then return to it occasional to refresh your list.
Step One: Things You Enjoy Doing
First, think of activities that you enjoy doing in your free time. It can be a hobby of yours, something that you usually do in your free time to unwind. Maybe it's reading books, watching movies, playing with your pet, listening to music.
You want to choose something you can easily do at short notice. So don’t choose cruising the French Riviera, unless you live in Europe and have a boat. You should also choose things that it's unhealthy and that you might regret later. So even if you enjoy drunk texting, maxing out your credit card, and binge eating, they should not be on your list. Take several minutes to think about this, and write down 5 activities.
Step Two: List of Distracting, Pleasurable Activities
Distraction (a.c.c.e.p.t.s.)dialectical Behavioral Training Reliaslearning
To get you started with some more ideas about activities you can use to distract yourself when you are overwhelmed with negative emotions, we have a list of pleasurable activities below. Whenever you feel like you could do the activity below, put a check next to it.
History of reinforcement for unskillful behavior (e.g., relief after having a drink, or a teen missing school after self-harm) 2. History of punishment for trying new skillful behavior (e.g., the thought, “It won’t work,” or a spouse saying, “You don’t need skills, you’re fine!”) 3. It usually just makes me feel worse, because no one changes their behavior just because I have chosen to disapprove of what they are doing (can you imagine that:-). On the other hand my feelings about the distress tolerance skills was 'Yea, sure!' But the reality is that when I put my faith in the skills and did them anyway they started to work. Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills Handbook Fulton State Hospital January, 2004 Adapted for use from Linehan, M.M. Skills Training Manual for Treating Borderline Personality Disorder. New York: Guilford Press. Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is part of the cognitive-behavioral family of therapies. It was originally developed to treat seriously and chronically suicidal patients and has evolved to treat patients who meet criteria for borderline personality disorder and problems of emotional regulation.
- Cook your favorite meal
- Go out and have a cup of coffee with a friend
- Work out
- Listen to your favorite music (and maybe dance)
- Watch a movie at home or a TV show
- Pick up a new hobby (yoga, Pilates, etc)
- Take a hot bubble bath
- Visit a museum or a gallery
- Play an instrument, or start learning to play one
- Simply go for a walk outside
- Play a game with your friends (Monopoly, Clue)
- Call a friend or a family member and chat
- Chat online with your friends
- Go shopping and browse around
- Start writing a book
- Meditate
- Listen to music
- Read a magazine or the newspaper
- Get a massage or go to a beauty salon
- Watch a sports event (baseball, basketball)
- Buy some plants or do some gardening
- Go to the movies or watch a play
- Read your favorite book genre
- Play video games
- Play with your pet or give it a bath
- Go on a date with your loved one
- Have a picnic or go for a hike
- Take a nap or sleep
- Listen to a podcast you enjoy or the radio
- Start a diary
- Do karaoke
- Eat snacks or something you enjoy
- Go outside and enjoy the sunshine
- Watch YouTube or visit a Website you like
- Read comic books
- Go for a drive or take the public transportation
- Create new art that you enjoy
- Go out and have your favorite lunch
- Draw a painting, or do some coloring
- Do some work or finish up some chores
- Buy a gift for a loved one or a friend
- Go swimming in the local pool
- Dress nice and go out
- Watch stand-up comedy
Distraction (a.c.c.e.p.t.s.)dialectical Behavioral Training Techniques
Step Three:
Now that you thought about what you usually enjoy doing and browsed through the list that we provided, you are ready to write down your own list. Choose 15-20 pleasurable activities you would like to distract yourself with next time you have overwhelming emotions. We will go over this list again in the next exercise (in the RESISTT technique).
Psychiatric Diagnostic Evaluations and Medication Management
A comprehensive psychiatric evaluation is used to diagnose emotional, behavioral, or developmental disorders. Once a diagnosis is made, medication options will be discussed, and education will be provided on the actions, uses, and side effects. When the patient agrees on a medication and treatment option, the medication is prescribed. Medication management is the aspect of psychiatric care where we monitor the effectiveness of medication over a course of time to determine if the treatment meets the patient’s goals.
Individual Therapy*
Individual therapy (sometimes called “psychotherapy” or “counseling”) is a process through which clients work one-on-one with a trained therapist. People seek therapy for a wide variety of reasons, from coping with major life challenges or childhood trauma, to dealing with depression or anxiety, to simply desiring personal growth and greater self-knowledge.
Psychological and Psycho-educational Evaluations
A Psychological Evaluation, also called a Psycho-educational Evaluation, assesses how a person learns and processes information, highlighting strengths and weaknesses in cognitive functioning. A subset of these tests can be often used for Gifted and Talented program admissions. Ensuring that the person has the right support and knowing how to ask for it and advocate in the process is a key step to enabling your loved one to overcome any learning challenges or develop their talents. Click here for more details on Psychological Evaluations.
Distraction (a.c.c.e.p.t.s.)dialectical Behavioral Training Facilities
Early Childhood Development Evaluations
We assess all aspects of early development and identify young children struggling with developmental challenges, including sensory integration or processing issues, speech and motor delays, or social, emotional or behavioral challenges. The goal of testing is to understand the nature of a child’s challenges, clearly describe strengths and weaknesses and guide parents toward appropriate intervention. Click here for more details on Early Childhood Development Evaluations.
Family Therapy
Family therapy is a form of psychotherapy that seeks to reduce distress and conflict by improving the interactions between family members. This type of counseling views problems as patterns or systems that need adjusting, as opposed to viewing problems as residing in the person.
Coaching
Life coaches help people set and/or achieve goals through a variety of methods that often involve conversational tools and self-reflection exercises. To put it simply, life coaching is oriented towards the present and future. Coaching is proactive, so there will always be invitations to take action on your realizations and insights. Click here to see if coaching is right for you.