Using opposite action to navigate intense emotions
When someone is struggling with their mental health and/or suicide concerns, the emotions they are feeling can be overwhelming. Some people find it hard or impossible to regulate those strong emotions or see other options for moving past them.
These times may also increase the likelihood of the person acting impulsively, either in their interactions with others or in their actions towards themselves. This behaviour can lead to increased struggle or suffering.
However, skills drawn from evidence-based treatments can help those who are struggling to see that there are in fact other options available to them and other ways past the suffering they are experiencing.
One such evidence-based therapy for suicide concerns is dialectical behavioural therapy or DBT. DBT is chock full of skills and strategies that can bring relief, and one of these that can be particularly useful is “opposite action.” Using this technique essentially involves the person doing the opposite of what the overwhelming emotions are telling them to do and it can be successfully taught to and used by both youth and adults.
If you are working with someone who is grappling with overwhelming emotions, here are a couple of options you could offer them:
“You’ve shared with me that your brother makes you feel like a burden and this causes you to feel overwhelmed and you end up fighting. Could you try calmly walking away when he says things that make you feel that way so you can avoid a fight?”
“I know it can be very tempting when you are struggling to eat a lot of junk food, which you have told me makes you feel worse. Instead of indulging in food, could you head out for a walk or another healthy activity?”
The way humans learn and adopt new skills takes time and practice. It may feel like learning a new language that requires daily practice and using the skills regularly. But with time and support a person can make these skills part of their daily life and take another step in their journey to recovery.