{ "kind": "node-detail-initial-slice", "version": "0.2.78", "generatedAt": "2026-10-02T19:25:44.323Z", "locale": "en", "route": "/en/orientation/questions/which-skill-helps-first/", "nodeId": "question-which-skill-helps-first", "nodeType": "question", "node": { "id": "question-which-skill-helps-first", "type": "question", "title": "Which Skill Helps Me First?", "searchAliases": [ "Which Skill Helps Me First?", "Welcher Skill hilft mir zuerst?" ], "description": "Question navigation · Initial skill orientation · Initial skill direction", "priorityRank": 1, "priorityLabel": "Urgent first", "priorityDescription": "This node sits close to acute crisis and should be read more as an early step than as later deepening.", "cardPreview": "If you don't want to search first, but rather find the right first skill room.", "purpose": "Create a real first step for situations in which it is not yet clear which skill room should be entered first.", "applicationContext": "When there is stress, but the starting point between enduring, regulating and changing remains unclear.", "longDescription": { "text": "This navigation question addresses one of the most practical challenges in DBT: when distress is high, which skill should be used first? The answer depends on the level of arousal and the source of the problem. If physiological arousal is extreme — at the skills breakdown point — TIP skills come first, because they are the only skills that work when thinking has become impossible. If arousal is high but thinking is still possible, STOP provides a pause. If the emotion does not fit the facts, Check the Facts leads to Opposite Action. If it does fit the facts, Problem Solving is needed. If the situation cannot be changed, distress tolerance and radical acceptance apply. The question guides users through a decision tree that matches skill to situation.", "furtherReading": [ { "sourceId": "linehan-manual-529p", "chapter": 10, "section": "II" } ] }, "sourceId": "linehan-all-handouts-190s", "sourceLabel": "Linehan Handouts", "sourceLocator": "General Skills Handout 1A; topic: DBT entry points through questions", "sourceCategory": "Handout-oriented", "sourceType": "Handout", "sourceTrustSignal": "Handout-close", "sourceAuthorityWeight": "medium", "sourcePracticeWeight": "high", "sourceAudienceFit": "Mixed", "sourceNote": "Linehan Handouts · General Skills Handout 1A; topic: DBT entry points through questions", "whenToUse": "If, before choosing a specific skill, you first need orientation about the appropriate basic direction.", "whenToUseSource": "editorial", "situationsSource": "explicit", "skillComplexity": "extended", "interventionMode": "skill-integration", "evidenceLevel": "practice_derived", "secondaryModules": [ "distress-tolerance", "emotion-regulation", "interpersonal" ], "moduleBridgeContexts": [ { "moduleId": "distress-tolerance", "contextText": "The first question under stress is often: crisis management or work on the situation? That question leads directly into the Distress Tolerance space." }, { "moduleId": "emotion-regulation", "contextText": "When emotions are driving behavior, they must be regulated first - this question marks the entry into emotion regulation." }, { "moduleId": "interpersonal", "contextText": "Sometimes the first effective step is a conversation - this question shows when Interpersonal Effectiveness is needed first." } ], "relatedIds": [ "options-for-solving-any-problem" ], "situations": [ "orientierung-verstehen", "krise-akut" ], "comparisonTitle": "Nearby comparisons in rationale", "comparisonBullets": [ "Create a real first step for situations in which it is not yet clear which skill room should be entered first.", "When there is stress, but the starting point between enduring, regulating and changing remains unclear.", "If, before choosing a specific skill, you first need orientation about the appropriate basic direction." ], "comparisonAxes": [], "comparisonNodeIds": [ "question-what-helps-now-vs-long-term", "question-how-do-i-change-an-unwanted-emotion", "question-how-intensely-should-i-ask-or-say-no", "question-what-needs-acceptance-instead-of-fight" ], "comparisonFocus": "If, before choosing a specific skill, you first need orientation about the appropriate basic direction.", "learningPathType": "knowledge-to-application", "learningPathTitle": "Explore and apply", "learningPathDescription": "These nodes are the next meaningful continuation when you want to move on from the current concept.", "learningPathNodeIds": [ "question-how-do-i-change-an-unwanted-emotion", "question-what-helps-now-vs-long-term", "question-what-needs-acceptance-instead-of-fight", "question-how-intensely-should-i-ask-or-say-no", "options-for-solving-any-problem" ], "learningPathSteps": [ { "nodeId": "question-how-do-i-change-an-unwanted-emotion", "label": "Differentiate the concept further", "description": "This connection deepens understanding through a nearby conceptual distinction.", "pathType": "knowledge-to-application" }, { "nodeId": "question-what-helps-now-vs-long-term", "label": "Differentiate the concept further", "description": "This connection deepens understanding through a nearby conceptual distinction.", "pathType": "knowledge-to-application" }, { "nodeId": "question-what-needs-acceptance-instead-of-fight", "label": "Differentiate the concept further", "description": "This connection deepens understanding through a nearby conceptual distinction.", "pathType": "knowledge-to-application" }, { "nodeId": "question-how-intensely-should-i-ask-or-say-no", "label": "Differentiate the concept further", "description": "This connection deepens understanding through a nearby conceptual distinction.", "pathType": "knowledge-to-application" }, { "nodeId": "options-for-solving-any-problem", "label": "Deepen the frame of reference", "description": "This connection expands the conceptual frame so the current topic does not remain isolated.", "pathType": "knowledge-to-application" } ], "situationLinks": [ { "situationId": "orientierung-verstehen", "label": "Orientation and Understanding", "entryType": "orientation", "pathSegment": "situations", "relationRole": "orient", "fit": "primary", "strength": 0.9, "isPreferred": true }, { "situationId": "krise-akut", "label": "Acute Crisis", "entryType": "crisis", "pathSegment": "situations", "relationRole": "orient", "fit": "secondary", "strength": 0.7, "isPreferred": true } ] }, "modules": [ { "id": "distress-tolerance", "title": "Distress Tolerance", "description": "Handle crises without making everything worse.", "color": "bg-rose-500" }, { "id": "emotion-regulation", "title": "Emotion Regulation", "description": "Understand and change emotions.", "color": "bg-emerald-500" }, { "id": "interpersonal", "title": "Interpersonal Effectiveness", "description": "Clarify relationships and reach goals.", "color": "bg-amber-500" }, { "id": "mindfulness", "title": "Mindfulness", "description": "The foundation of all DBT skills.", "color": "bg-indigo-500" } ], "relatedNodes": [ { "id": "options-for-solving-any-problem", "type": "framework", "title": "Options for Solving Any Problem", "searchAliases": [ "Options for Solving Any Problem", "Welche Grundrichtung hilft mir bei diesem Problem?" ], "description": "Theoretical foundation", "priorityRank": 23, "priorityLabel": "More foundational", "priorityDescription": "This node is more about preparation, stabilization, or later deepening around orientation and understanding.", "cardPreview": "If the right basic direction is sought first and not the individual skill.", "purpose": "Clarify the next effective approach to a problem before selecting a single skill.", "applicationContext": "If it is still unclear whether situation change, emotion regulation or endurance is needed.", "longDescription": { "text": "Options for Solving Any Problem is a DBT decision framework that maps the four broad categories of response available to any difficult situation: solve the problem by changing the situation; change one's emotional response to the situation (through emotion regulation skills); tolerate and accept the situation as it is; or stay miserable and make things worse. The framework is used to help people recognize that they always have options, even when the situation cannot be immediately changed, and that choosing between those options requires first accepting which aspects of the situation are and are not within one's control. It integrates change-oriented skills (problem solving, emotion regulation) with acceptance-based skills (radical acceptance, distress tolerance) as complementary rather than competing responses.", "furtherReading": [ { "sourceId": "linehan-manual-529p", "chapter": 9, "section": "XVI.A", "page": 373 } ] }, "sourceId": "linehan-all-handouts-190s", "sourceLabel": "Linehan Handouts", "sourceLocator": "General Skills Handout 1A; synthesized with wiki entry Options for Solving Any Problem", "sourceCategory": "Handout-oriented", "sourceType": "Handout", "sourceTrustSignal": "Handout-close", "sourceAuthorityWeight": "medium", "sourcePracticeWeight": "high", "sourceAudienceFit": "Mixed", "sourceNote": "Linehan Handouts · General Skills Handout 1A; synthesized with wiki entry Options for Solving Any Problem", "whenToUse": "When, before choosing a skill, you first have to decide what kind of answer suits the problem.", "whenToUseSource": "editorial", "situationsSource": "explicit", "skillComplexity": "core", "interventionMode": null, "evidenceLevel": "clinical_consensus", "foundationalCategory": "understanding", "secondaryModules": [ "distress-tolerance", "emotion-regulation", "interpersonal" ], "moduleBridgeContexts": [ { "moduleId": "distress-tolerance", "contextText": "One of the four basic directions is radical endurance - distress tolerance is the answer when change is not possible and one still has to survive." }, { "moduleId": "emotion-regulation", "contextText": "Changing emotions is one of the four basic directions for solving problems - emotion regulation is the core of this direction." }, { "moduleId": "interpersonal", "contextText": "Changing situations through interpersonal action is one of the four basic options - interpersonal skills are the tools for this direction." } ], "relatedIds": [ "problem-solving", "check-the-facts", "tip-skills", "dear-man" ], "situations": [ "orientierung-verstehen", "akzeptanz-vs-veraenderung", "eskalation-verstehen" ], "practiceNodeIds": [ "exercise-pros-and-cons-of-using-skills-worksheet" ], "learningPathType": "analysis-to-change", "learningPathTitle": "Explore and apply", "learningPathDescription": "These nodes translate behavioral understanding into the next effective change choice.", "learningPathNodeIds": [ "problem-solving", "check-the-facts", "exercise-pros-and-cons-of-using-skills-worksheet", "dear-man", "tip-skills" ], "learningPathSteps": [ { "nodeId": "problem-solving", "label": "Move directly into application", "description": "This connection leads from conceptual knowledge into a more concrete practical application.", "pathType": "analysis-to-change" }, { "nodeId": "check-the-facts", "label": "Move directly into application", "description": "This connection leads from conceptual knowledge into a more concrete practical application.", "pathType": "analysis-to-change" }, { "nodeId": "exercise-pros-and-cons-of-using-skills-worksheet", "label": "Work through as an exercise now", "description": "This connection leads not only to a nearby concept but directly into a concrete exercise or worksheet.", "pathType": "analysis-to-change" }, { "nodeId": "dear-man", "label": "Open the structure behind it", "description": "This connection opens the higher-level structure in which the current node is embedded.", "pathType": "analysis-to-change" }, { "nodeId": "tip-skills", "label": "Open the structure behind it", "description": "This connection opens the higher-level structure in which the current node is embedded.", "pathType": "analysis-to-change" } ], "situationLinks": [ { "situationId": "orientierung-verstehen", "label": "Orientation and Understanding", "entryType": "orientation", "pathSegment": "situations", "relationRole": "orient", "fit": "primary", "strength": 0.9, "isPreferred": true }, { "situationId": "eskalation-verstehen", "label": "Understand an escalation", "entryType": "orientation", "pathSegment": "situations", "relationRole": "orient", "fit": "primary", "strength": 0.84, "isPreferred": true }, { "situationId": "akzeptanz-vs-veraenderung", "label": "Acceptance or Change", "entryType": "orientation", "pathSegment": "situations", "relationRole": "orient", "fit": "secondary", "strength": 0.8, "isPreferred": true } ] } ], "practiceNodes": [], "comparisonNodes": [ { "id": "question-what-helps-now-vs-long-term", "type": "question", "title": "What Helps Now Versus Long Term?", "searchAliases": [ "What Helps Now Versus Long Term?", "Was hilft sofort und was langfristig?" ], "description": "Question navigation · Time horizon orientation · Time horizon clarification", "priorityRank": 1, "priorityLabel": "Urgent first", "priorityDescription": "This node sits close to acute crisis and should be read more as an early step than as later deepening.", "cardPreview": "If you have to differentiate between immediate aid and longer-term development.", "purpose": "Make the timing logic of skills explicit so that acute relief and long-term change are not confused.", "applicationContext": "When pressure, emergency proximity or exhaustion require quick help, but at the same time a longer recovery path remains necessary.", "longDescription": { "text": "This navigation question addresses the difference between skills designed for immediate crisis survival and skills designed to build long-term resilience. Immediate crisis skills (TIP, STOP, distraction, self-soothing, improving the moment) are intended to get through a crisis without making it worse — they are not solutions to underlying problems. Long-term resilience skills (PLEASE, accumulating positive emotions, building mastery, cope ahead, radical acceptance, changing environments through community reinforcement) address the conditions that create and sustain emotional vulnerability. Using only crisis skills is like repeatedly bailing out a leaking boat without repairing the leak. The question helps users identify which layer of the problem they are addressing.", "furtherReading": [ { "sourceId": "linehan-manual-529p", "chapter": 9, "section": "XIII" } ] }, "sourceId": "linehan-manual-529p", "sourceLabel": "Linehan Manual", "sourceLocator": "Chapters 10-11; topic: immediate help vs. long-term change in DBT", "sourceCategory": "Foundation-oriented", "sourceType": "Manual", "sourceTrustSignal": "Primary source-close", "sourceAuthorityWeight": "high", "sourcePracticeWeight": "medium", "sourceAudienceFit": "Professional", "sourceNote": "Linehan Manual · Chapters 10-11; topic: immediate help vs. long-term change in DBT", "whenToUse": "When a distinction must be made as to whether a skill should be effective now or whether it will only have a long-term effect through repeated practice.", "whenToUseSource": "editorial", "situationsSource": "explicit", "skillComplexity": "extended", "interventionMode": "skill-integration", "evidenceLevel": "practice_derived", "secondaryModules": [ "distress-tolerance", "emotion-regulation" ], "moduleBridgeContexts": [ { "moduleId": "distress-tolerance", "contextText": "Crisis skills help now - they are never the long-term solution. This question makes the time logic of Distress Tolerance explicit." }, { "moduleId": "emotion-regulation", "contextText": "Emotion regulation includes both short-term interventions such as Opposite Action and TIP and long-term building through PLEASE and Build Mastery. The time question sorts these levels." } ], "relatedIds": [], "situations": [ "belastung-vorbereiten", "krise-akut", "rueckfall-suchtimpuls" ], "comparisonTitle": "Immediate Help vs. Long-Term Building", "comparisonBullets": [ "Make the timing logic of skills explicit so that acute relief and long-term change are not confused.", "When pressure, emergency proximity or exhaustion require quick help, but at the same time a longer recovery path remains necessary.", "When a distinction must be made as to whether a skill should be effective now or whether it will only have a long-term effect through repeated practice." ], "comparisonAxes": [ { "label": "Primary question", "current": "What helps me immediately, and what builds me up more steadily over time?", "candidates": { "stop-skill": "How do I stop the escalation right now?", "tip-skills": "How do I quickly bring my system down through the body right now?", "build-mastery-and-cope-ahead": "How do I build resilience and preparation for upcoming situations?", "weekly-regulator": "How do I anchor stabilization as a repeatable weekly practice?" } }, { "label": "Direction", "current": "Distinguish acute relief from building, routine, and preparation paths.", "candidates": { "stop-skill": "Immediate interruption of impulse, escalation, or automatic behavior.", "tip-skills": "Fast physiological downregulation for high activation.", "build-mastery-and-cope-ahead": "Strengthen longer-term resilience and anticipatory preparation.", "weekly-regulator": "Translate building work into a sustainable and repeatable weekly structure." } }, { "label": "Typical context", "current": "Acute pressure alongside the insight that routine or building work still needs to remain in view.", "candidates": { "stop-skill": "An overheated moment, impulse breakthrough, stopping action before reacting.", "tip-skills": "Near panic, extreme tension, high bodily activation.", "build-mastery-and-cope-ahead": "Predictable stress, longer-term emotion regulation, prevention.", "weekly-regulator": "Recurring dysregulation, lack of regularity, need for a supportive routine." } } ], "comparisonNodeIds": [ "stop-skill", "tip-skills", "build-mastery-and-cope-ahead", "weekly-regulator" ], "comparisonDescription": "Helps distinguish whether you currently need acute interruption and downregulation or more repeatable building and preparation steps.", "comparisonFocus": "When a distinction must be made as to whether a skill should be effective now or whether it will only have a long-term effect through repeated practice.", "situationLinks": [ { "situationId": "belastung-vorbereiten", "label": "Prepare for Stress", "entryType": "prevention", "pathSegment": "situations", "relationRole": "prepare", "fit": "primary", "strength": 0.84, "isPreferred": true }, { "situationId": "rueckfall-suchtimpuls", "label": "Relapse risk or addictive urge", "entryType": "prevention", "pathSegment": "situations", "relationRole": "orient", "fit": "primary", "strength": 0.84, "isPreferred": true }, { "situationId": "krise-akut", "label": "Acute Crisis", "entryType": "crisis", "pathSegment": "situations", "relationRole": "orient", "fit": "secondary", "strength": 0.72, "isPreferred": true } ] }, { "id": "question-how-do-i-change-an-unwanted-emotion", "type": "question", "title": "How Do I Change an Unwanted Emotion?", "searchAliases": [ "How Do I Change an Unwanted Emotion?", "Wie veraendere ich ein unerwuenschtes Gefuehl?" ], "description": "Question navigation · Initial skill orientation · Initial skill direction", "priorityRank": 5, "priorityLabel": "Helpful early", "priorityDescription": "This node fits early in the path when anger or irritation or strong emotional activation are in the foreground.", "cardPreview": "When there is a feeling and you need to clarify the next effective change step.", "purpose": "Make the question of the next effective change path for an unwanted emotion visible as your own introduction.", "applicationContext": "If the feeling has already been named and examined, but it still remains unclear whether facts, counter-tendencies, problem-solving or mindful holding are necessary.", "longDescription": { "text": "This navigation question maps the decision process for changing an emotion one does not want. The starting point is always Check the Facts: does the emotion fit the actual facts of the situation? If not — if it is based on interpretations, demands on reality, or absolute thinking — Opposite Action is appropriate: acting deliberately opposite to the emotion's action urge, all the way. If the emotion does fit the facts — if the situation is genuinely problematic — Problem Solving is needed: changing the situation rather than the emotion. If neither is sufficient (the emotion remains after both), Mindfulness of Current Emotions is the next step: allowing the emotion to be present without amplifying it through resistance or avoidance, letting it follow its natural wave pattern.", "furtherReading": [ { "sourceId": "linehan-manual-529p", "chapter": 9, "section": "XI" } ] }, "sourceId": "worksheets-handouts-99p", "sourceLabel": "Worksheets Packet", "sourceLocator": "Emotion Regulation Worksheet 6 / Handout 9", "sourceType": "Packet", "sourceTrustSignal": "Handout-close", "sourceAuthorityWeight": "medium", "sourcePracticeWeight": "medium", "sourceAudienceFit": "Mixed", "sourceNote": "Worksheets Packet · Emotion Regulation Worksheet 6 / Handout 9", "whenToUse": "If, after Check the Facts, the subsequent decision is needed between changing, letting the emotion follow or holding on to it.", "whenToUseSource": "editorial", "situationsSource": "explicit", "skillComplexity": "extended", "interventionMode": "skill-integration", "evidenceLevel": "practice_derived", "secondaryModules": [ "emotion-regulation" ], "moduleBridgeContexts": [ { "moduleId": "emotion-regulation", "contextText": "This question leads directly into the emotion-change strategies: Check the Facts, Opposite Action, Problem Solving - it is an entry point into the core module." } ], "relatedIds": [], "situations": [ "orientierung-verstehen", "wut-aerger" ], "comparisonTitle": "Change or Hold an Unwanted Emotion", "comparisonBullets": [ "Make the question of the next effective change path for an unwanted emotion visible as your own introduction.", "If the feeling has already been named and examined, but it still remains unclear whether facts, counter-tendencies, problem-solving or mindful holding are necessary.", "If, after Check the Facts, the subsequent decision is needed between changing, letting the emotion follow or holding on to it." ], "comparisonAxes": [ { "label": "Primary question", "current": "How do I respond to this unwanted emotion most effectively right now?", "candidates": { "check-the-facts": "Does my appraisal actually fit the situation?", "opposite-action": "Which action would deliberately go against my current emotional direction?", "problem-solving": "Which changeable part can I address concretely?", "mindfulness-of-current-emotions": "How do I mindfully hold this feeling without reflexively pushing it away?" } }, { "label": "Direction", "current": "Distinguish reappraisal, counterdirection, problem change, and mindful holding.", "candidates": { "check-the-facts": "Correct interpretation, assumptions, and emotional fit.", "opposite-action": "Change the emotional dynamic through deliberately opposite behavior.", "problem-solving": "Translate a real problem into workable steps.", "mindfulness-of-current-emotions": "Hold the feeling, observe it, and do not reflexively fight it." } }, { "label": "Typical context", "current": "A distressing emotion is already present, and the next-step decision between several effective paths is still open.", "candidates": { "check-the-facts": "Uncertainty, shame, fear, or strong cognitive escalation.", "opposite-action": "Unhelpful action impulses such as withdrawal, attack, avoidance, or freezing.", "problem-solving": "A workable situation, concrete obstacle, or changeable trigger.", "mindfulness-of-current-emotions": "A feeling should be held instead of immediately changed, avoided, or solved." } } ], "comparisonNodeIds": [ "check-the-facts", "opposite-action", "problem-solving", "mindfulness-of-current-emotions" ], "comparisonDescription": "Helps distinguish whether an emotion is best answered through checking the facts, going in the opposite direction, working on the problem, or mindfully holding it.", "comparisonFocus": "If, after Check the Facts, the subsequent decision is needed between changing, letting the emotion follow or holding on to it.", "situationLinks": [ { "situationId": "orientierung-verstehen", "label": "Orientation and Understanding", "entryType": "orientation", "pathSegment": "situations", "relationRole": "orient", "fit": "primary", "strength": 0.86, "isPreferred": true }, { "situationId": "wut-aerger", "label": "Anger or Irritation", "entryType": "emotion", "pathSegment": "emotionen", "relationRole": "orient", "fit": "secondary", "strength": 0.72, "isPreferred": true } ] }, { "id": "question-how-intensely-should-i-ask-or-say-no", "type": "question", "title": "How Intensely Should I Ask or Say No?", "searchAliases": [ "How Intensely Should I Ask or Say No?", "Wie deutlich sollte ich etwas ansprechen oder Nein sagen?" ], "description": "Question navigation · Skill comparison · Skill differentiation", "priorityRank": 17, "priorityLabel": "Situationally important", "priorityDescription": "This node becomes especially important when express a request or need describes the actual situation.", "cardPreview": "When you need to clarify not only what you want to say, but also how clearly you should say it.", "purpose": "Make the question of the appropriate interpersonal intensity not just implicit in the bundle, but usable as a real decision-making starter.", "applicationContext": "When there is a concern, a limit or a no, but the appropriate clarity between giving in and escalation remains unclear.", "longDescription": { "text": "This navigation question addresses the calibration of interpersonal assertion — not whether to assert, but how strongly. DBT's interpersonal values and ratios framework identifies the factors that should influence intensity: the legitimacy and urgency of the need, the current state of the relationship, whether the request violates the other person's rights, and how much the outcome matters relative to the relationship itself. High-stakes requests in close relationships where the need is genuine and the ask is legitimate warrant strong assertion. Low-stakes preferences or requests that could damage a fragile relationship warrant softer approaches. The question helps users move from all-or-nothing thinking about assertion toward context-sensitive calibration.", "furtherReading": [ { "sourceId": "linehan-manual-529p", "chapter": 8, "section": "IV" } ] }, "sourceId": "linehan-all-handouts-190s", "sourceLabel": "Linehan Handouts", "sourceLocator": "Interpersonal Effectiveness Handout 8 / Worksheet 6", "sourceCategory": "Handout-oriented", "sourceType": "Handout", "sourceTrustSignal": "Handout-close", "sourceAuthorityWeight": "medium", "sourcePracticeWeight": "high", "sourceAudienceFit": "Mixed", "sourceNote": "Linehan Handouts · Interpersonal Effectiveness Handout 8 / Worksheet 6", "whenToUse": "If before DEAR MAN or FAST it has to be clarified how strongly a concern should be represented.", "whenToUseSource": "editorial", "situationsSource": "explicit", "skillComplexity": "extended", "interventionMode": "skill-integration", "evidenceLevel": "practice_derived", "secondaryModules": [ "interpersonal" ], "moduleBridgeContexts": [ { "moduleId": "interpersonal", "contextText": "DEAR MAN intensity is an interpersonal decision - this question navigates the weighing logic of Interpersonal Values and Ratios." } ], "relatedIds": [], "situations": [ "bitte-aeussern", "selbstrespekt", "beziehung-beenden" ], "comparisonTitle": "How Firmly to Assert or Set Limits?", "comparisonBullets": [ "Make the question of the appropriate interpersonal intensity not just implicit in the bundle, but usable as a real decision-making starter.", "When there is a concern, a limit or a no, but the appropriate clarity between giving in and escalation remains unclear.", "If before DEAR MAN or FAST it has to be clarified how strongly a concern should be represented." ], "comparisonAxes": [ { "label": "Primary question", "current": "How clearly should I assert my request or my no here?", "candidates": { "interpersonal-values-and-ratios": "How do I weigh goal, relationship, and self-respect before choosing the intensity?", "dear-man": "How do I put my request on the table effectively?", "fast-stick-to-values": "How do I say no or stay clear without giving up my self-respect?" } }, { "label": "Direction", "current": "Distinguish weighing, an effective ask, and a clear boundary.", "candidates": { "interpersonal-values-and-ratios": "Prepare the right intensity through goal, relationship, and self-respect.", "dear-man": "Represent a request clearly, structurally, and effectively.", "fast-stick-to-values": "Protect self-respect, values, and firmness under pressure." } }, { "label": "Typical context", "current": "A request or a no is coming up, but the appropriate level of firmness is not yet sorted out.", "candidates": { "interpersonal-values-and-ratios": "Uncertainty about priorities, fairness, and relationship weighting before the conversation.", "dear-man": "A request, negotiation, or clearly representing a goal.", "fast-stick-to-values": "Boundaries, saying no, integrity, and pressure from other people." } } ], "comparisonNodeIds": [ "interpersonal-values-and-ratios", "dear-man", "fast-stick-to-values" ], "comparisonDescription": "Helps distinguish whether the foreground need is first weighing the situation, asking effectively, or setting a self-respecting limit.", "comparisonFocus": "Start here when it is not only a matter of clarifying what you want, but also how clearly you should put it forward or set a limit.", "situationLinks": [ { "situationId": "bitte-aeussern", "label": "Express a Request or Need", "entryType": "interpersonal", "pathSegment": "situations", "relationRole": "orient", "fit": "primary", "strength": 0.86, "isPreferred": true }, { "situationId": "beziehung-beenden", "label": "End a relationship or decide to leave", "entryType": "interpersonal", "pathSegment": "situations", "relationRole": "orient", "fit": "secondary", "strength": 0.78, "isPreferred": true }, { "situationId": "selbstrespekt", "label": "Preserve Self-Respect", "entryType": "interpersonal", "pathSegment": "situations", "relationRole": "orient", "fit": "secondary", "strength": 0.72, "isPreferred": true } ] }, { "id": "question-what-needs-acceptance-instead-of-fight", "type": "question", "title": "What Needs Acceptance Instead of Fight?", "searchAliases": [ "What Needs Acceptance Instead of Fight?", "Was muss hier eher akzeptiert als bekaempft werden?" ], "description": "Question navigation · Acceptance clarification · Acceptance threshold clarification", "priorityRank": 6, "priorityLabel": "Situationally important", "priorityDescription": "This node becomes especially important when shame describes the actual situation.", "cardPreview": "When fighting against facts creates more suffering and reality work becomes necessary.", "purpose": "Make resistance to reality visible as an independent question before jumping into the logic of change or comparison.", "applicationContext": "When there is loss, pain, shame or limitation and fighting against reality creates additional suffering.", "longDescription": { "text": "This navigation question helps users identify which aspects of a painful situation require radical acceptance and which aspects may still be changeable or worth addressing through problem solving. DBT distinguishes between accepting facts (which must be accepted because they are true) and accepting distortions, exaggerations, or future catastrophes (which do not need to be accepted because they are not facts). It also distinguishes between accepting the past and present (which cannot be changed) and accepting the future (which may still be influenced). The question guides users toward clarity about what is and is not within their control, which is the prerequisite for both effective action and genuine acceptance.", "furtherReading": [ { "sourceId": "linehan-manual-529p", "chapter": 10, "section": "XI.C" } ] }, "sourceId": "linehan-manual-529p", "sourceLabel": "Linehan Manual", "sourceLocator": "Topic: Acceptance cluster and reality acceptance work", "sourceCategory": "Foundation-oriented", "sourceType": "Manual", "sourceTrustSignal": "Primary source-close", "sourceAuthorityWeight": "high", "sourcePracticeWeight": "medium", "sourceAudienceFit": "Professional", "sourceNote": "Linehan Manual · Topic: Acceptance cluster and reality acceptance work", "whenToUse": "When it must first be clarified what can no longer be negotiated away in a situation.", "whenToUseSource": "editorial", "situationsSource": "explicit", "skillComplexity": "extended", "interventionMode": "skill-integration", "evidenceLevel": "practice_derived", "secondaryModules": [ "distress-tolerance", "emotion-regulation" ], "moduleBridgeContexts": [ { "moduleId": "distress-tolerance", "contextText": "Resistance to reality is the target problem of Radical Acceptance - this question leads directly into the acceptance group within distress tolerance." }, { "moduleId": "emotion-regulation", "contextText": "Fighting feelings intensifies them - this question helps identify when mindful holding rather than changing is the right direction." } ], "relatedIds": [], "situations": [ "akzeptanz-vs-veraenderung", "scham" ], "comparisonTitle": "Nearby comparisons in rationale", "comparisonBullets": [ "Make resistance to reality visible as an independent question before jumping into the logic of change or comparison.", "When there is loss, pain, shame or limitation and fighting against reality creates additional suffering.", "When it must first be clarified what can no longer be negotiated away in a situation." ], "comparisonAxes": [], "comparisonNodeIds": [ "radical-acceptance", "turning-the-mind", "willingness" ], "comparisonFocus": "When it must first be clarified what can no longer be negotiated away in a situation.", "learningPathType": "cross-module-transfer", "learningPathTitle": "Explore and apply", "learningPathDescription": "These nodes deliberately lead into a second DBT module space when the current content must be carried across modules.", "learningPathNodeIds": [ "willingness", "turning-the-mind", "radical-acceptance" ], "learningPathSteps": [ { "nodeId": "willingness", "label": "Clarify the guiding idea", "description": "This connection reveals the underlying stance or logic that supports the application.", "pathType": "cross-module-transfer" }, { "nodeId": "turning-the-mind", "label": "Move directly into application", "description": "This connection leads from conceptual knowledge into a more concrete practical application.", "pathType": "cross-module-transfer" }, { "nodeId": "radical-acceptance", "label": "Move directly into application", "description": "This connection leads from conceptual knowledge into a more concrete practical application.", "pathType": "cross-module-transfer" } ], "situationLinks": [ { "situationId": "akzeptanz-vs-veraenderung", "label": "Acceptance or Change", "entryType": "orientation", "pathSegment": "situations", "relationRole": "orient", "fit": "primary", "strength": 0.9, "isPreferred": true }, { "situationId": "scham", "label": "Shame", "entryType": "emotion", "pathSegment": "emotionen", "relationRole": "orient", "fit": "secondary", "strength": 0.7, "isPreferred": true } ] } ], "learningPathNodes": [ { "id": "question-how-do-i-change-an-unwanted-emotion", "type": "question", "title": "How Do I Change an Unwanted Emotion?", "searchAliases": [ "How Do I Change an Unwanted Emotion?", "Wie veraendere ich ein unerwuenschtes Gefuehl?" ], "description": "Question navigation · Initial skill orientation · Initial skill direction", "priorityRank": 5, "priorityLabel": "Helpful early", "priorityDescription": "This node fits early in the path when anger or irritation or strong emotional activation are in the foreground.", "cardPreview": "When there is a feeling and you need to clarify the next effective change step.", "purpose": "Make the question of the next effective change path for an unwanted emotion visible as your own introduction.", "applicationContext": "If the feeling has already been named and examined, but it still remains unclear whether facts, counter-tendencies, problem-solving or mindful holding are necessary.", "longDescription": { "text": "This navigation question maps the decision process for changing an emotion one does not want. The starting point is always Check the Facts: does the emotion fit the actual facts of the situation? If not — if it is based on interpretations, demands on reality, or absolute thinking — Opposite Action is appropriate: acting deliberately opposite to the emotion's action urge, all the way. If the emotion does fit the facts — if the situation is genuinely problematic — Problem Solving is needed: changing the situation rather than the emotion. If neither is sufficient (the emotion remains after both), Mindfulness of Current Emotions is the next step: allowing the emotion to be present without amplifying it through resistance or avoidance, letting it follow its natural wave pattern.", "furtherReading": [ { "sourceId": "linehan-manual-529p", "chapter": 9, "section": "XI" } ] }, "sourceId": "worksheets-handouts-99p", "sourceLabel": "Worksheets Packet", "sourceLocator": "Emotion Regulation Worksheet 6 / Handout 9", "sourceType": "Packet", "sourceTrustSignal": "Handout-close", "sourceAuthorityWeight": "medium", "sourcePracticeWeight": "medium", "sourceAudienceFit": "Mixed", "sourceNote": "Worksheets Packet · Emotion Regulation Worksheet 6 / Handout 9", "whenToUse": "If, after Check the Facts, the subsequent decision is needed between changing, letting the emotion follow or holding on to it.", "whenToUseSource": "editorial", "situationsSource": "explicit", "skillComplexity": "extended", "interventionMode": "skill-integration", "evidenceLevel": "practice_derived", "secondaryModules": [ "emotion-regulation" ], "moduleBridgeContexts": [ { "moduleId": "emotion-regulation", "contextText": "This question leads directly into the emotion-change strategies: Check the Facts, Opposite Action, Problem Solving - it is an entry point into the core module." } ], "relatedIds": [], "situations": [ "orientierung-verstehen", "wut-aerger" ], "comparisonTitle": "Change or Hold an Unwanted Emotion", "comparisonBullets": [ "Make the question of the next effective change path for an unwanted emotion visible as your own introduction.", "If the feeling has already been named and examined, but it still remains unclear whether facts, counter-tendencies, problem-solving or mindful holding are necessary.", "If, after Check the Facts, the subsequent decision is needed between changing, letting the emotion follow or holding on to it." ], "comparisonAxes": [ { "label": "Primary question", "current": "How do I respond to this unwanted emotion most effectively right now?", "candidates": { "check-the-facts": "Does my appraisal actually fit the situation?", "opposite-action": "Which action would deliberately go against my current emotional direction?", "problem-solving": "Which changeable part can I address concretely?", "mindfulness-of-current-emotions": "How do I mindfully hold this feeling without reflexively pushing it away?" } }, { "label": "Direction", "current": "Distinguish reappraisal, counterdirection, problem change, and mindful holding.", "candidates": { "check-the-facts": "Correct interpretation, assumptions, and emotional fit.", "opposite-action": "Change the emotional dynamic through deliberately opposite behavior.", "problem-solving": "Translate a real problem into workable steps.", "mindfulness-of-current-emotions": "Hold the feeling, observe it, and do not reflexively fight it." } }, { "label": "Typical context", "current": "A distressing emotion is already present, and the next-step decision between several effective paths is still open.", "candidates": { "check-the-facts": "Uncertainty, shame, fear, or strong cognitive escalation.", "opposite-action": "Unhelpful action impulses such as withdrawal, attack, avoidance, or freezing.", "problem-solving": "A workable situation, concrete obstacle, or changeable trigger.", "mindfulness-of-current-emotions": "A feeling should be held instead of immediately changed, avoided, or solved." } } ], "comparisonNodeIds": [ "check-the-facts", "opposite-action", "problem-solving", "mindfulness-of-current-emotions" ], "comparisonDescription": "Helps distinguish whether an emotion is best answered through checking the facts, going in the opposite direction, working on the problem, or mindfully holding it.", "comparisonFocus": "If, after Check the Facts, the subsequent decision is needed between changing, letting the emotion follow or holding on to it.", "situationLinks": [ { "situationId": "orientierung-verstehen", "label": "Orientation and Understanding", "entryType": "orientation", "pathSegment": "situations", "relationRole": "orient", "fit": "primary", "strength": 0.86, "isPreferred": true }, { "situationId": "wut-aerger", "label": "Anger or Irritation", "entryType": "emotion", "pathSegment": "emotionen", "relationRole": "orient", "fit": "secondary", "strength": 0.72, "isPreferred": true } ] }, { "id": "question-what-helps-now-vs-long-term", "type": "question", "title": "What Helps Now Versus Long Term?", "searchAliases": [ "What Helps Now Versus Long Term?", "Was hilft sofort und was langfristig?" ], "description": "Question navigation · Time horizon orientation · Time horizon clarification", "priorityRank": 1, "priorityLabel": "Urgent first", "priorityDescription": "This node sits close to acute crisis and should be read more as an early step than as later deepening.", "cardPreview": "If you have to differentiate between immediate aid and longer-term development.", "purpose": "Make the timing logic of skills explicit so that acute relief and long-term change are not confused.", "applicationContext": "When pressure, emergency proximity or exhaustion require quick help, but at the same time a longer recovery path remains necessary.", "longDescription": { "text": "This navigation question addresses the difference between skills designed for immediate crisis survival and skills designed to build long-term resilience. Immediate crisis skills (TIP, STOP, distraction, self-soothing, improving the moment) are intended to get through a crisis without making it worse — they are not solutions to underlying problems. Long-term resilience skills (PLEASE, accumulating positive emotions, building mastery, cope ahead, radical acceptance, changing environments through community reinforcement) address the conditions that create and sustain emotional vulnerability. Using only crisis skills is like repeatedly bailing out a leaking boat without repairing the leak. The question helps users identify which layer of the problem they are addressing.", "furtherReading": [ { "sourceId": "linehan-manual-529p", "chapter": 9, "section": "XIII" } ] }, "sourceId": "linehan-manual-529p", "sourceLabel": "Linehan Manual", "sourceLocator": "Chapters 10-11; topic: immediate help vs. long-term change in DBT", "sourceCategory": "Foundation-oriented", "sourceType": "Manual", "sourceTrustSignal": "Primary source-close", "sourceAuthorityWeight": "high", "sourcePracticeWeight": "medium", "sourceAudienceFit": "Professional", "sourceNote": "Linehan Manual · Chapters 10-11; topic: immediate help vs. long-term change in DBT", "whenToUse": "When a distinction must be made as to whether a skill should be effective now or whether it will only have a long-term effect through repeated practice.", "whenToUseSource": "editorial", "situationsSource": "explicit", "skillComplexity": "extended", "interventionMode": "skill-integration", "evidenceLevel": "practice_derived", "secondaryModules": [ "distress-tolerance", "emotion-regulation" ], "moduleBridgeContexts": [ { "moduleId": "distress-tolerance", "contextText": "Crisis skills help now - they are never the long-term solution. This question makes the time logic of Distress Tolerance explicit." }, { "moduleId": "emotion-regulation", "contextText": "Emotion regulation includes both short-term interventions such as Opposite Action and TIP and long-term building through PLEASE and Build Mastery. The time question sorts these levels." } ], "relatedIds": [], "situations": [ "belastung-vorbereiten", "krise-akut", "rueckfall-suchtimpuls" ], "comparisonTitle": "Immediate Help vs. Long-Term Building", "comparisonBullets": [ "Make the timing logic of skills explicit so that acute relief and long-term change are not confused.", "When pressure, emergency proximity or exhaustion require quick help, but at the same time a longer recovery path remains necessary.", "When a distinction must be made as to whether a skill should be effective now or whether it will only have a long-term effect through repeated practice." ], "comparisonAxes": [ { "label": "Primary question", "current": "What helps me immediately, and what builds me up more steadily over time?", "candidates": { "stop-skill": "How do I stop the escalation right now?", "tip-skills": "How do I quickly bring my system down through the body right now?", "build-mastery-and-cope-ahead": "How do I build resilience and preparation for upcoming situations?", "weekly-regulator": "How do I anchor stabilization as a repeatable weekly practice?" } }, { "label": "Direction", "current": "Distinguish acute relief from building, routine, and preparation paths.", "candidates": { "stop-skill": "Immediate interruption of impulse, escalation, or automatic behavior.", "tip-skills": "Fast physiological downregulation for high activation.", "build-mastery-and-cope-ahead": "Strengthen longer-term resilience and anticipatory preparation.", "weekly-regulator": "Translate building work into a sustainable and repeatable weekly structure." } }, { "label": "Typical context", "current": "Acute pressure alongside the insight that routine or building work still needs to remain in view.", "candidates": { "stop-skill": "An overheated moment, impulse breakthrough, stopping action before reacting.", "tip-skills": "Near panic, extreme tension, high bodily activation.", "build-mastery-and-cope-ahead": "Predictable stress, longer-term emotion regulation, prevention.", "weekly-regulator": "Recurring dysregulation, lack of regularity, need for a supportive routine." } } ], "comparisonNodeIds": [ "stop-skill", "tip-skills", "build-mastery-and-cope-ahead", "weekly-regulator" ], "comparisonDescription": "Helps distinguish whether you currently need acute interruption and downregulation or more repeatable building and preparation steps.", "comparisonFocus": "When a distinction must be made as to whether a skill should be effective now or whether it will only have a long-term effect through repeated practice.", "situationLinks": [ { "situationId": "belastung-vorbereiten", "label": "Prepare for Stress", "entryType": "prevention", "pathSegment": "situations", "relationRole": "prepare", "fit": "primary", "strength": 0.84, "isPreferred": true }, { "situationId": "rueckfall-suchtimpuls", "label": "Relapse risk or addictive urge", "entryType": "prevention", "pathSegment": "situations", "relationRole": "orient", "fit": "primary", "strength": 0.84, "isPreferred": true }, { "situationId": "krise-akut", "label": "Acute Crisis", "entryType": "crisis", "pathSegment": "situations", "relationRole": "orient", "fit": "secondary", "strength": 0.72, "isPreferred": true } ] }, { "id": "question-what-needs-acceptance-instead-of-fight", "type": "question", "title": "What Needs Acceptance Instead of Fight?", "searchAliases": [ "What Needs Acceptance Instead of Fight?", "Was muss hier eher akzeptiert als bekaempft werden?" ], "description": "Question navigation · Acceptance clarification · Acceptance threshold clarification", "priorityRank": 6, "priorityLabel": "Situationally important", "priorityDescription": "This node becomes especially important when shame describes the actual situation.", "cardPreview": "When fighting against facts creates more suffering and reality work becomes necessary.", "purpose": "Make resistance to reality visible as an independent question before jumping into the logic of change or comparison.", "applicationContext": "When there is loss, pain, shame or limitation and fighting against reality creates additional suffering.", "longDescription": { "text": "This navigation question helps users identify which aspects of a painful situation require radical acceptance and which aspects may still be changeable or worth addressing through problem solving. DBT distinguishes between accepting facts (which must be accepted because they are true) and accepting distortions, exaggerations, or future catastrophes (which do not need to be accepted because they are not facts). It also distinguishes between accepting the past and present (which cannot be changed) and accepting the future (which may still be influenced). The question guides users toward clarity about what is and is not within their control, which is the prerequisite for both effective action and genuine acceptance.", "furtherReading": [ { "sourceId": "linehan-manual-529p", "chapter": 10, "section": "XI.C" } ] }, "sourceId": "linehan-manual-529p", "sourceLabel": "Linehan Manual", "sourceLocator": "Topic: Acceptance cluster and reality acceptance work", "sourceCategory": "Foundation-oriented", "sourceType": "Manual", "sourceTrustSignal": "Primary source-close", "sourceAuthorityWeight": "high", "sourcePracticeWeight": "medium", "sourceAudienceFit": "Professional", "sourceNote": "Linehan Manual · Topic: Acceptance cluster and reality acceptance work", "whenToUse": "When it must first be clarified what can no longer be negotiated away in a situation.", "whenToUseSource": "editorial", "situationsSource": "explicit", "skillComplexity": "extended", "interventionMode": "skill-integration", "evidenceLevel": "practice_derived", "secondaryModules": [ "distress-tolerance", "emotion-regulation" ], "moduleBridgeContexts": [ { "moduleId": "distress-tolerance", "contextText": "Resistance to reality is the target problem of Radical Acceptance - this question leads directly into the acceptance group within distress tolerance." }, { "moduleId": "emotion-regulation", "contextText": "Fighting feelings intensifies them - this question helps identify when mindful holding rather than changing is the right direction." } ], "relatedIds": [], "situations": [ "akzeptanz-vs-veraenderung", "scham" ], "comparisonTitle": "Nearby comparisons in rationale", "comparisonBullets": [ "Make resistance to reality visible as an independent question before jumping into the logic of change or comparison.", "When there is loss, pain, shame or limitation and fighting against reality creates additional suffering.", "When it must first be clarified what can no longer be negotiated away in a situation." ], "comparisonAxes": [], "comparisonNodeIds": [ "radical-acceptance", "turning-the-mind", "willingness" ], "comparisonFocus": "When it must first be clarified what can no longer be negotiated away in a situation.", "learningPathType": "cross-module-transfer", "learningPathTitle": "Explore and apply", "learningPathDescription": "These nodes deliberately lead into a second DBT module space when the current content must be carried across modules.", "learningPathNodeIds": [ "willingness", "turning-the-mind", "radical-acceptance" ], "learningPathSteps": [ { "nodeId": "willingness", "label": "Clarify the guiding idea", "description": "This connection reveals the underlying stance or logic that supports the application.", "pathType": "cross-module-transfer" }, { "nodeId": "turning-the-mind", "label": "Move directly into application", "description": "This connection leads from conceptual knowledge into a more concrete practical application.", "pathType": "cross-module-transfer" }, { "nodeId": "radical-acceptance", "label": "Move directly into application", "description": "This connection leads from conceptual knowledge into a more concrete practical application.", "pathType": "cross-module-transfer" } ], "situationLinks": [ { "situationId": "akzeptanz-vs-veraenderung", "label": "Acceptance or Change", "entryType": "orientation", "pathSegment": "situations", "relationRole": "orient", "fit": "primary", "strength": 0.9, "isPreferred": true }, { "situationId": "scham", "label": "Shame", "entryType": "emotion", "pathSegment": "emotionen", "relationRole": "orient", "fit": "secondary", "strength": 0.7, "isPreferred": true } ] }, { "id": "question-how-intensely-should-i-ask-or-say-no", "type": "question", "title": "How Intensely Should I Ask or Say No?", "searchAliases": [ "How Intensely Should I Ask or Say No?", "Wie deutlich sollte ich etwas ansprechen oder Nein sagen?" ], "description": "Question navigation · Skill comparison · Skill differentiation", "priorityRank": 17, "priorityLabel": "Situationally important", "priorityDescription": "This node becomes especially important when express a request or need describes the actual situation.", "cardPreview": "When you need to clarify not only what you want to say, but also how clearly you should say it.", "purpose": "Make the question of the appropriate interpersonal intensity not just implicit in the bundle, but usable as a real decision-making starter.", "applicationContext": "When there is a concern, a limit or a no, but the appropriate clarity between giving in and escalation remains unclear.", "longDescription": { "text": "This navigation question addresses the calibration of interpersonal assertion — not whether to assert, but how strongly. DBT's interpersonal values and ratios framework identifies the factors that should influence intensity: the legitimacy and urgency of the need, the current state of the relationship, whether the request violates the other person's rights, and how much the outcome matters relative to the relationship itself. High-stakes requests in close relationships where the need is genuine and the ask is legitimate warrant strong assertion. Low-stakes preferences or requests that could damage a fragile relationship warrant softer approaches. The question helps users move from all-or-nothing thinking about assertion toward context-sensitive calibration.", "furtherReading": [ { "sourceId": "linehan-manual-529p", "chapter": 8, "section": "IV" } ] }, "sourceId": "linehan-all-handouts-190s", "sourceLabel": "Linehan Handouts", "sourceLocator": "Interpersonal Effectiveness Handout 8 / Worksheet 6", "sourceCategory": "Handout-oriented", "sourceType": "Handout", "sourceTrustSignal": "Handout-close", "sourceAuthorityWeight": "medium", "sourcePracticeWeight": "high", "sourceAudienceFit": "Mixed", "sourceNote": "Linehan Handouts · Interpersonal Effectiveness Handout 8 / Worksheet 6", "whenToUse": "If before DEAR MAN or FAST it has to be clarified how strongly a concern should be represented.", "whenToUseSource": "editorial", "situationsSource": "explicit", "skillComplexity": "extended", "interventionMode": "skill-integration", "evidenceLevel": "practice_derived", "secondaryModules": [ "interpersonal" ], "moduleBridgeContexts": [ { "moduleId": "interpersonal", "contextText": "DEAR MAN intensity is an interpersonal decision - this question navigates the weighing logic of Interpersonal Values and Ratios." } ], "relatedIds": [], "situations": [ "bitte-aeussern", "selbstrespekt", "beziehung-beenden" ], "comparisonTitle": "How Firmly to Assert or Set Limits?", "comparisonBullets": [ "Make the question of the appropriate interpersonal intensity not just implicit in the bundle, but usable as a real decision-making starter.", "When there is a concern, a limit or a no, but the appropriate clarity between giving in and escalation remains unclear.", "If before DEAR MAN or FAST it has to be clarified how strongly a concern should be represented." ], "comparisonAxes": [ { "label": "Primary question", "current": "How clearly should I assert my request or my no here?", "candidates": { "interpersonal-values-and-ratios": "How do I weigh goal, relationship, and self-respect before choosing the intensity?", "dear-man": "How do I put my request on the table effectively?", "fast-stick-to-values": "How do I say no or stay clear without giving up my self-respect?" } }, { "label": "Direction", "current": "Distinguish weighing, an effective ask, and a clear boundary.", "candidates": { "interpersonal-values-and-ratios": "Prepare the right intensity through goal, relationship, and self-respect.", "dear-man": "Represent a request clearly, structurally, and effectively.", "fast-stick-to-values": "Protect self-respect, values, and firmness under pressure." } }, { "label": "Typical context", "current": "A request or a no is coming up, but the appropriate level of firmness is not yet sorted out.", "candidates": { "interpersonal-values-and-ratios": "Uncertainty about priorities, fairness, and relationship weighting before the conversation.", "dear-man": "A request, negotiation, or clearly representing a goal.", "fast-stick-to-values": "Boundaries, saying no, integrity, and pressure from other people." } } ], "comparisonNodeIds": [ "interpersonal-values-and-ratios", "dear-man", "fast-stick-to-values" ], "comparisonDescription": "Helps distinguish whether the foreground need is first weighing the situation, asking effectively, or setting a self-respecting limit.", "comparisonFocus": "Start here when it is not only a matter of clarifying what you want, but also how clearly you should put it forward or set a limit.", "situationLinks": [ { "situationId": "bitte-aeussern", "label": "Express a Request or Need", "entryType": "interpersonal", "pathSegment": "situations", "relationRole": "orient", "fit": "primary", "strength": 0.86, "isPreferred": true }, { "situationId": "beziehung-beenden", "label": "End a relationship or decide to leave", "entryType": "interpersonal", "pathSegment": "situations", "relationRole": "orient", "fit": "secondary", "strength": 0.78, "isPreferred": true }, { "situationId": "selbstrespekt", "label": "Preserve Self-Respect", "entryType": "interpersonal", "pathSegment": "situations", "relationRole": "orient", "fit": "secondary", "strength": 0.72, "isPreferred": true } ] }, { "id": "options-for-solving-any-problem", "type": "framework", "title": "Options for Solving Any Problem", "searchAliases": [ "Options for Solving Any Problem", "Welche Grundrichtung hilft mir bei diesem Problem?" ], "description": "Theoretical foundation", "priorityRank": 23, "priorityLabel": "More foundational", "priorityDescription": "This node is more about preparation, stabilization, or later deepening around orientation and understanding.", "cardPreview": "If the right basic direction is sought first and not the individual skill.", "purpose": "Clarify the next effective approach to a problem before selecting a single skill.", "applicationContext": "If it is still unclear whether situation change, emotion regulation or endurance is needed.", "longDescription": { "text": "Options for Solving Any Problem is a DBT decision framework that maps the four broad categories of response available to any difficult situation: solve the problem by changing the situation; change one's emotional response to the situation (through emotion regulation skills); tolerate and accept the situation as it is; or stay miserable and make things worse. The framework is used to help people recognize that they always have options, even when the situation cannot be immediately changed, and that choosing between those options requires first accepting which aspects of the situation are and are not within one's control. It integrates change-oriented skills (problem solving, emotion regulation) with acceptance-based skills (radical acceptance, distress tolerance) as complementary rather than competing responses.", "furtherReading": [ { "sourceId": "linehan-manual-529p", "chapter": 9, "section": "XVI.A", "page": 373 } ] }, "sourceId": "linehan-all-handouts-190s", "sourceLabel": "Linehan Handouts", "sourceLocator": "General Skills Handout 1A; synthesized with wiki entry Options for Solving Any Problem", "sourceCategory": "Handout-oriented", "sourceType": "Handout", "sourceTrustSignal": "Handout-close", "sourceAuthorityWeight": "medium", "sourcePracticeWeight": "high", "sourceAudienceFit": "Mixed", "sourceNote": "Linehan Handouts · General Skills Handout 1A; synthesized with wiki entry Options for Solving Any Problem", "whenToUse": "When, before choosing a skill, you first have to decide what kind of answer suits the problem.", "whenToUseSource": "editorial", "situationsSource": "explicit", "skillComplexity": "core", "interventionMode": null, "evidenceLevel": "clinical_consensus", "foundationalCategory": "understanding", "secondaryModules": [ "distress-tolerance", "emotion-regulation", "interpersonal" ], "moduleBridgeContexts": [ { "moduleId": "distress-tolerance", "contextText": "One of the four basic directions is radical endurance - distress tolerance is the answer when change is not possible and one still has to survive." }, { "moduleId": "emotion-regulation", "contextText": "Changing emotions is one of the four basic directions for solving problems - emotion regulation is the core of this direction." }, { "moduleId": "interpersonal", "contextText": "Changing situations through interpersonal action is one of the four basic options - interpersonal skills are the tools for this direction." } ], "relatedIds": [ "problem-solving", "check-the-facts", "tip-skills", "dear-man" ], "situations": [ "orientierung-verstehen", "akzeptanz-vs-veraenderung", "eskalation-verstehen" ], "practiceNodeIds": [ "exercise-pros-and-cons-of-using-skills-worksheet" ], "learningPathType": "analysis-to-change", "learningPathTitle": "Explore and apply", "learningPathDescription": "These nodes translate behavioral understanding into the next effective change choice.", "learningPathNodeIds": [ "problem-solving", "check-the-facts", "exercise-pros-and-cons-of-using-skills-worksheet", "dear-man", "tip-skills" ], "learningPathSteps": [ { "nodeId": "problem-solving", "label": "Move directly into application", "description": "This connection leads from conceptual knowledge into a more concrete practical application.", "pathType": "analysis-to-change" }, { "nodeId": "check-the-facts", "label": "Move directly into application", "description": "This connection leads from conceptual knowledge into a more concrete practical application.", "pathType": "analysis-to-change" }, { "nodeId": "exercise-pros-and-cons-of-using-skills-worksheet", "label": "Work through as an exercise now", "description": "This connection leads not only to a nearby concept but directly into a concrete exercise or worksheet.", "pathType": "analysis-to-change" }, { "nodeId": "dear-man", "label": "Open the structure behind it", "description": "This connection opens the higher-level structure in which the current node is embedded.", "pathType": "analysis-to-change" }, { "nodeId": "tip-skills", "label": "Open the structure behind it", "description": "This connection opens the higher-level structure in which the current node is embedded.", "pathType": "analysis-to-change" } ], "situationLinks": [ { "situationId": "orientierung-verstehen", "label": "Orientation and Understanding", "entryType": "orientation", "pathSegment": "situations", "relationRole": "orient", "fit": "primary", "strength": 0.9, "isPreferred": true }, { "situationId": "eskalation-verstehen", "label": "Understand an escalation", "entryType": "orientation", "pathSegment": "situations", "relationRole": "orient", "fit": "primary", "strength": 0.84, "isPreferred": true }, { "situationId": "akzeptanz-vs-veraenderung", "label": "Acceptance or Change", "entryType": "orientation", "pathSegment": "situations", "relationRole": "orient", "fit": "secondary", "strength": 0.8, "isPreferred": true } ] } ], "bundleComponentNodes": [], "contextNodes": [ { "id": "emotion-regulation", "type": "framework", "title": "Emotion Regulation (Framework)", "searchAliases": [ "Emotionsregulation", "Emotionsregulation" ], "description": "Theoretical foundation · Regulation capacity · Emotion regulation capacity", "priorityRank": 23, "priorityLabel": "More foundational", "priorityDescription": "This node is more about preparation, stabilization, or later deepening around orientation and understanding.", "cardPreview": "If you first have to understand how emotions change and where you can intervene.", "purpose": "Organize the regulatory space of emotions so that it becomes understandable how emotions arise, are maintained and can be influenced at different points.", "applicationContext": "When emotional reactions seem too violent, too long-lasting or difficult to control and a structuring classification is needed first.", "longDescription": { "text": "Emotion Regulation in DBT is not about eliminating emotions but about increasing the ability to influence them — to reduce their frequency when unwanted, decrease their intensity, shorten their duration, and reduce suffering caused by their secondary effects. The module begins with understanding: emotions have functions (motivating action, communicating to self and others) and are complex full-system responses involving biology, cognition, behavior, and expression. Changing any part of the system can change the whole. The practical skills fall into two broad categories: changing unwanted emotions through Check the Facts, Opposite Action, and Problem Solving; and building resilience through the ABC PLEASE skills that reduce biological vulnerability and increase positive experience over time.", "furtherReading": [ { "sourceId": "linehan-manual-529p", "chapter": 9, "section": "I", "page": 323 } ] }, "sourceId": "linehan-manual-529p", "sourceLabel": "Linehan Manual", "sourceLocator": "Chapter 1", "sourceCategory": "Foundation-oriented", "sourceType": "Manual", "sourceTrustSignal": "Primary source-close", "sourceAuthorityWeight": "high", "sourcePracticeWeight": "medium", "sourceAudienceFit": "Professional", "sourceNote": "Linehan Manual · Chapter 1", "whenToUse": "If it is still unclear whether fact checking, opposing action, problem solving or vulnerability reduction is the appropriate next step.", "whenToUseSource": "editorial", "situationsSource": "explicit", "skillComplexity": "core", "interventionMode": "cognitive", "evidenceLevel": "clinical_consensus", "foundationalCategory": "understanding", "secondaryModules": [ "mindfulness", "distress-tolerance", "interpersonal" ], "moduleBridgeContexts": [ { "moduleId": "mindfulness", "contextText": "Emotional dysregulation often begins with a lack of awareness - mindfulness is the prerequisite for recognizing and naming emotional patterns at all." }, { "moduleId": "distress-tolerance", "contextText": "When emotion regulation does not work or works too slowly, crisis skills take over - distress tolerance is the emergency backup for moments when regulation is not yet accessible." }, { "moduleId": "interpersonal", "contextText": "Unregulated emotions are the most common reason interpersonal attempts fail - emotion regulation is the quiet prerequisite for effective communication." } ], "relatedIds": [], "situations": [ "orientierung-verstehen" ], "practiceNodeIds": [ "weekly-regulator" ], "comparisonTitle": "Understanding DBT foundations", "comparisonBullets": [], "comparisonAxes": [], "comparisonNodeIds": [ "biosoziale-theorie", "emotionsdysregulation" ], "comparisonDescription": "Emotion regulation describes the ability to influence emotions. Emotion dysregulation describes difficulties with this. Biosocial theory explains how emotional vulnerability and an invalidating environment interact in the development of these difficulties.", "learningPathType": "framework-to-application", "learningPathTitle": "Explore and apply", "learningPathDescription": "These nodes lead from the conceptual frame of reference into the first concrete application or deepening.", "learningPathNodeIds": [ "weekly-regulator", "biosoziale-theorie", "emotionsdysregulation" ], "learningPathSteps": [ { "nodeId": "weekly-regulator", "label": "Switch into a sequence", "description": "This connection leads into a clearer step sequence when the next move should become graspable as a process.", "pathType": "framework-to-application" }, { "nodeId": "biosoziale-theorie", "label": "Deepen the frame of reference", "description": "This connection expands the conceptual frame so the current topic does not remain isolated.", "pathType": "framework-to-application" }, { "nodeId": "emotionsdysregulation", "label": "Deepen the frame of reference", "description": "This connection expands the conceptual frame so the current topic does not remain isolated.", "pathType": "framework-to-application" } ], "situationLinks": [ { "situationId": "orientierung-verstehen", "label": "Orientation and Understanding", "entryType": "orientation", "pathSegment": "situations", "relationRole": "understand", "fit": "primary", "strength": 0.9, "isPreferred": true } ] } ], "situations": [ { "id": "orientierung-verstehen", "label": "Orientation and Understanding", "shortLabel": "Orientation", "entryType": "orientation", "isDraft": false, "description": "For moments in which classification is needed instead of immediate action.", "bodySensation": "Head tightness or mental exhaustion, felt rigidity or lameness, problems concentrating, sometimes tingling or relief when something clicks", "impulse": "Understand first before acting, gather information or ask questions, pause and wait, get confirmation from others, ponder or analyze excessively", "intensityNotes": "Can range from a short orientation break to a longer clarification phase. Risk: analysis lameness or endless weighing. Helpful if a hasty action would cause more damage than stopping.", "longDescription": { "text": "The orientation situation applies when the primary need is not skill application but understanding — grasping what DBT is, how its components fit together, and why a particular module is clinically relevant. This distinguishes it clearly from all skill-application situations. Relevant skill categories are mindfulness at a meta-level, psychoeducation-facing skills (understanding the biosocial model, function of emotions, validation), and the DBT framework itself. A key clinical mistake is rushing past orientation toward skill application, which produces superficial skill use disconnected from the underlying rationale. Clinicians and clients who understand why a skill exists — not just what to do — demonstrate better generalization and more creative adaptation to new situations." }, "preferredNodeIds": [], "conceptLinks": [ { "conceptId": "wise-mind", "relationRole": "orient" }, { "conceptId": "dbt-uebersicht", "relationRole": "entry" }, { "conceptId": "emotion-regulation", "relationRole": "understand" }, { "conceptId": "biosoziale-theorie", "relationRole": "understand" }, { "conceptId": "emotionsdysregulation", "relationRole": "understand" }, { "conceptId": "invalidierende-umgebung", "relationRole": "understand" }, { "conceptId": "skills-training-target-hierarchy", "relationRole": "orient" }, { "conceptId": "chain-analysis", "relationRole": "understand" }, { "conceptId": "missing-links-analysis", "relationRole": "understand" }, { "conceptId": "skills-training-program-design", "relationRole": "orient" }, { "conceptId": "skills-training-session-structure", "relationRole": "orient" }, { "conceptId": "skills-training-targets-and-procedures", "relationRole": "orient" }, { "conceptId": "strategies-in-skills-training", "relationRole": "orient" }, { "conceptId": "general-skills-orientation-and-behavior-analysis", "relationRole": "orient" }, { "conceptId": "cognitive-vulnerability", "relationRole": "understand" }, { "conceptId": "linehan-manual-structure", "relationRole": "orient" }, { "conceptId": "recognizing-emotions", "relationRole": "understand" }, { "conceptId": "dbt-diary", "relationRole": "understand" }, { "conceptId": "options-for-solving-any-problem", "relationRole": "orient" }, { "conceptId": "question-which-skill-helps-first", "relationRole": "orient" }, { "conceptId": "question-what-is-the-difference-between-these-skills", "relationRole": "orient" }, { "conceptId": "question-what-belongs-to-this-bundle", "relationRole": "orient" }, { "conceptId": "exercise-putting-abc-skills-together-day-by-day", "relationRole": "apply" }, { "conceptId": "question-how-do-i-change-an-unwanted-emotion", "relationRole": "orient" }, { "conceptId": "exercise-getting-from-values-to-specific-action-steps", "relationRole": "apply" }, { "conceptId": "beginners-mind", "relationRole": "orient" }, { "conceptId": "problem-solving", "relationRole": "apply" } ], "pathSegment": "situations" }, { "id": "krise-akut", "label": "Acute Crisis", "shortLabel": "Crisis", "entryType": "crisis", "isDraft": false, "description": "For moments of acute escalation, high pressure or immediate need for stabilization.", "bodySensation": "Severe heart palpitations, shortness of breath, numbness or dissociation, tingling in the limbs, trembling or freezing, near panic in the body", "impulse": "Act immediately or run away, take control or give up completely, call someone or isolate yourself completely, want to prevent harm", "intensityNotes": "Crises usually escalate very quickly. Cognitive resources are hardly available. Important: physical regulation first before any reflection. Decay often takes longer than the peak.", "longDescription": { "text": "DBT situates acute crises as moments when the prefrontal cortex becomes largely unavailable and the emotional brain takes over. This distinguishes it from high tension, where there is still some cognitive access — in an acute crisis, even familiar skills feel unreachable. The relevant skill categories are crisis survival (TIP, ACCEPTS, distraction) and self-soothing, not reflection or planning. The primary error is attempting emotion regulation or interpersonal problem-solving while the nervous system is still dysregulated — cognitive skills will fail at this activation level. A second common mistake is expecting a quick resolution; crises often have a slow descent phase. Skills that work on the body (temperature, breathing, physical movement) remain accessible even when cognitive resources are absent." }, "preferredNodeIds": [], "conceptLinks": [ { "conceptId": "stop-skill", "relationRole": "entry" }, { "conceptId": "rest-strategy", "relationRole": "stabilize" }, { "conceptId": "improving-the-moment", "relationRole": "stabilize" }, { "conceptId": "self-soothing", "relationRole": "stabilize" }, { "conceptId": "safe-place-visualization", "relationRole": "stabilize" }, { "conceptId": "cue-controlled-relaxation", "relationRole": "stabilize" }, { "conceptId": "dialectical-abstinence", "relationRole": "stabilize" }, { "conceptId": "community-reinforcement", "relationRole": "stabilize" }, { "conceptId": "stop-step-stop", "relationRole": "stabilize" }, { "conceptId": "stop-observe-step", "relationRole": "stabilize" }, { "conceptId": "proceed-mindfully", "relationRole": "apply" }, { "conceptId": "question-which-skill-helps-first", "relationRole": "orient" }, { "conceptId": "question-what-helps-now-vs-long-term", "relationRole": "orient" }, { "conceptId": "question-is-this-self-soothing-or-improving-the-moment", "relationRole": "orient" }, { "conceptId": "physiological-coping-skills", "relationRole": "apply" }, { "conceptId": "take-a-step-back", "relationRole": "apply" }, { "conceptId": "tip-intense-exercise", "relationRole": "apply" }, { "conceptId": "tip-paced-breathing", "relationRole": "apply" }, { "conceptId": "tip-paired-muscle-relaxation", "relationRole": "apply" }, { "conceptId": "tip-skills", "relationRole": "entry" }, { "conceptId": "tip-temperature", "relationRole": "apply" }, { "conceptId": "wise-mind", "relationRole": "orient" } ], "bundleLinks": [ { "bundleId": "stop-skill", "role": "entry" }, { "bundleId": "tip-skills", "role": "entry" } ], "pathSegment": "situations" } ] }