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Emotional Regulation Part 2



All posts in this series reference working through DBT® Skills Training Handouts and Worksheets, Second Edition, and all quotes come from that book unless otherwise specified.

Reducing Your Vulnerability to Emotion Mind

The book continues into some skills and tips to reduce your vulnerability to emotion mind. There is an acronym to remember the steps to do this: ABC PLEASE

"Accumulate positive emotions
Build mastery
Cope ahead of time with emotional situations

(Taking care of your mind by taking care of your body)

Treat PhysicaL illness
Eating
Avoid mood-Altering substances
Balance Sleep
get Exercise"

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Found at https://miro.medium.com/max/1116/0*ncEPv-31xoaTXbCH


The book then gives more detailed instructions on how to do these steps.

Accumulating Positive Emotions Short-Term:

There are several things you can do to accumulate positive emotions now, and thus reduce your vulnerability to being ruled by your emotions, without the input of your rational mind. The first is to increase the number of pleasant events in your life. Do something you enjoy every day, and (second) participate fully in the activity- no multitasking. I struggle with the no multitasking recommendation because multitasking with stim toys or repetitive light apps on my phone is often how I cope with sensory and social overload due to autism, social anxiety, and being introverted. Another way you can practice accumulating positive emotions in the moment is "be[ing] unmindful of worries". When your mind drifts to negative thoughts, worries, or thinking about the positive experience ending, refocus on the positive that is happening right now. This is a great application of the Participate skill from the mindfulness section.

 Accumulating Positive Emotions Long-Term:

The approach to accumulating positive emotions long-term is one-step-at-a-time.
Step 1: Avoid avoiding or procrastinating. Take steps now to build the life you want.
Step 2: Name your values. What is important to you?
Step 3: Choose one value to work on now.
Step 4: Make a few goals related to this value.
Step 5: Select one of those goals to work on now.
Step 6: Plan out small action steps towards that one goal.
Step 7: Take one of those small action steps now.

So, for me, these steps looked like:
Step 1: avoid avoiding: Okay, doing it now.
Step 2: values: vulnerability, tolerance, acceptance, genuineness, autonomy, productivity, relaxation, fitness, safety, etc.

Step 3:  value I want to work on: Safety- emotional safety

Step 4: Goals related to value: Set healthy emotional boundaries with 2 specific people in my life
Step 5: Goal I want to work on: Set healthy emotional boundaries with 1 specific person
Step 6: Small action steps towards goal: I'm struggling with this step. I've written my therapist for help. I think only talking to the person when I have emotional energy would be a good step. I might also ask them to ask before venting their emotional angst to me? They have a history of lying to me about things that cause me distress, so I'm trying to figure out how to put emotional space between myself and their crises. I also help some, but I need to know where it's healthy for that helping to end for me.
Step 7: I cannot complete step 7 until my therapist helps me untangle step 6.

Build Mastery:


Building mastery reminds me a little of how we scaffold learning for students as educators. The book recommends you do something challenging but possible every day that will give you a sense of accomplishment. If the task was too hard, try something easier next time, and if it was too easy, try something harder.

Cope Ahead of Time with Difficult Situations:

First, practice describe: Describe the situation that might prompt a problem behavior. Describe the emotions and actions that might get in the way of being skillful. Next, write down how you will cope with the situation: what problem-solving and coping skills will you use? After that, imagine yourself in the situation using those skills. Imagine it as vividly as you can. Imagine coping with the worst-case-scenario. "Practice relaxation after rehearsing."

Taking Care of Your Body to Take Care of Your Mind:

P
L Treat physical illness. Take your medication and visit a doctor when needed.
Eat a healthy amount of healthy foods every day.
Avoid mood-altering substances. "Stay off illicit drugs, and use alcohol in moderation (if at all)."

S Balance Sleep. Practice good sleep hygiene, and aim to get 7-9 hours of sleep per night.
E Get exercise. Work up to about 20 minutes of exercise per day.

Sleep Hygiene:

https://66.media.tumblr.com/afc1a53ea2879012b062bfe68fc483c5/tumblr_nuntutOEwr1tv8195o1_500.jpg
Found at https://66.media.tumblr.com/afc1a53ea2879012b062bfe68fc483c5/tumblr_nuntutOEwr1tv8195o1_500.jpg

https://telescoper.files.wordpress.com/2019/03/sleep_hygiene.jpg
Found at https://telescoper.files.wordpress.com/2019/03/sleep_hygiene.jpg
 The book also offers a sleep hygiene protocol and a nightmare protocol, which I will not be iterating here. The next section, and the next blog, will start with "Managing Really Difficult Emotions".






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