DEARMAN
ACCEPT
Describe the experience. Express your emotions. Assert and face your fears. Reinforce your coping skills. Mindfulness goes a long way. Appear confident to feel confident. Negotiate with your feelings.
Activities. Distract yourself with something fun. Contributing. Give to others. Comparisons. Compare your feelings with others. Emotions. Do something that will trigger a different feeling or emotion. Pushing. Block out the situation. Thoughts. Think about happy things.
Being cozy and comfortable doesn’t just make you feel good physically, but it also calms the brain. Photo by Tati Bertussi,
Working out releases chemicals and gives a feeling of accomplishment. Photo by Del Sandeen.
Dialectical behavior therapists, like Wu, specialize in helping those who self-harm find comforting activities to take part in. These acronyms are used to help people express and understand their emotions, and how to react to them. Each person may have a different set of personal coping skills that is effective for them. The necessity of developing coping skills, as psychologist Deborah Jackson says, determines our well-being.
MAY 2014
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MIND
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