Page 51 - Teen Manual

Cycle of Emotions and Ineffective Behaviors
CORE CONCEPT: Understand cycles of ineffective behavior to break them.
Emotions and ineffective behaviors follow a cyclical pattern. Notice how vulnerabilities, triggers, emotions, and action urges pull us into ineffective behaviors in an attempt to cope. These behaviors usually fall into two categories: mood-congruent behaviors, which maintain emotional or mood states, and escape and avoidance behaviors, which we use to get away from emotional or mood states.
Ineffective behaviors often meet short-term needs, but their consequences can intensify the emotions that we struggle with in the first place. Further, these behaviors can cause other secondary painful emotions such as regret, guilt, and shame. These consequences then feed into the next vulnerabilities at the top of the cycle. Over time, you become psychologically and/or physically dependent on your ineffective behavior to cope.
Study this cycle and use it to identify the specifics of your emotions and your ineffective behavior cycle. As you understand your cycle, start to think of ways to skillfully intervene at each point of the cycle; each potential problem is an opportunity for practice. Also consider that both ineffective behaviors and symptoms of mental illness need to be addressed at the same time for your efforts to be effective.
As you learn more about your cycle and its components, consider how you will use that information in your skills plan(s).
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