A
back to top- ABC ModelThe ABC model helps an individual recognize the relationship between the situations they experience and related thoughts and feelings. A: Activating Event or situation (something happens), B: Beliefs and thoughts (automatic thoughts), and C: Consequences (changes in feelings, behaviors, or thoughts).
- Activity ListA list of activities that are positive or active, that give one’s life meaning and purpose, and those that distract them from suicidal thoughts or feelings
- Activity LogA tool on which one writes down what they did each day. Also included is a rating of how pleasant each activity is.
- Activity SchedulingA tool that can help a person complete activities even when motivation is low. It is helpful to schedule activities that align with a person’s values in advance to make it more likely they will complete them.
- Automatic ThoughtsThoughts that occur throughout the day in response to things that happen around us.
C
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)A treatment based on the idea that our thoughts change how we feel and what we do. CBT can help a person learn skills: to 1) identify and change thoughts; 2) cope with feelings; and 3) participate in healthier behaviors.
- Cognitive Coping SkillsSkills one can use to try to shift their mind to helpful or neutral thoughts.
- CognitiveRelated to thoughts.
- Coping Activity (or coping skill)Something one can do to distract themselves from unhelpful thoughts and unpleasant feelings. These can help prevent a suicidal crisis or help a person cope with intense thoughts, feelings, and/or physical sensations. For example, going for a jog.
- Coping CardsSmall cards that one can create and carry that can be used to remind them of helpful coping strategies or more helpful thoughts that can be used to cope during a suicidal crisis.
- Core BeliefsRigid and persistent beliefs that one has about themselves, others, and/or the future.
D
- Deep Breathing ExerciseA relaxation technique in which one focuses on taking slow, long breaths.
G
- GoalsSpecific targets that a person can work towards achieving. Ideally, goals should be in-line with their values. Goals should be SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time Limited).
- Green SkillsSkills that one can use to help maintain stability and well-being. Green skills build up one’s resilience to future suicidal crises and make them less likely to occur in the future.
H
- Hope KitA tool a person can use to remind themselves of their reasons for living. Hope Kits can be used as a coping strategy to help a person remember their reasons for living when they are having suicidal thoughts and feelings. A Hope Kit can be made using a physical container, like a shoe box. Inside the box a person can place things to remind them of why they want to stay alive. Hope Kits can also be created on-line with digital content (e.g., pictures, songs).
I
- Impulsive Decision-MakingMaking a decision without thinking through the potential consequences.
- ITCHA problem solving method that helps one identify and weigh possible solutions, remove unhelpful thoughts and unpleasant feelings as barriers to problem-solving. ITCH stands for I: Identify the Problem, T: Think about possible solutions using brainstorming, C: Choosing a solution by considering each solution’s pros and cons, and H: How did it go?
L
- Lethal MeansAny object one can use to cause physical harm to themselves.
- Lethal ToolAny object one can use to cause physical harm to themselves.
M
- Mental Health ProviderProfessionals who can help determine whether one has a mental health condition, as well as provide treatment.
- MindfulnessA mental state achieved by focusing one’s awareness on the present moment, while acknowledging and accepting one’s feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations. Mindfulness can help a person identify early warning signs of a suicidal crisis. Mindfulness can help create distance between a person and painful thoughts to stay in the present and cope with the situation.
- Most Helpful Thing from the Session LogA tracking log that helps one identify and remember ideas that seem most relevant or meaningful to them from each CBT-SP session.
N
- Negative ExpectationsPredicting something negative will happen in the future.
P
- PhysicalRelated to the body.
- Physical Coping SkillsSkills one uses to release physical tension.
- Practice Assignment LogRecord of all the practice assignments completed during the course
- ProcrastinationPutting off solving the problem to a later time.
R
- Reasons for DyingThings that contribute to a person wanting to die or end their own life.
- Reasons for LivingThings that give a person purpose, meaning, and make them want to move forward each day.
- Red SkillsSkills one can use when they recognize that the risk of acting on suicidal thoughts and feelings is high. Red Skills are just trying to get one through a suicidal crisis without engaging in suicidal behavior.
- Risk FactorsCircumstances or conditions that make one more vulnerable to stress. Risk factors increase one’s risk for suicidal thoughts and behaviors. For example, lack of sleep or a fight with one’s spouse/husband/wife/partner.
S
- Safety PlanA step-by-step plan to follow before and during and even after a suicidal crisis to help you get through the tough moments without acting on suicidal thoughts.
- SensoryRelated to the senses.
- Sensory Coping SkillsSkills in which one uses their senses to focus attention on the world around them.
- Suicidal BehaviorsAction a person takes before making a suicide attempt, or making a suicide attempt. Some examples are:
- Reading about ways one could kill themselves.
- Gathering pills to make an overdose.
- Making a suicide attempt.
- Suicidal CrisisA suicidal crisis is a distinct period of time during which suicidal thoughts and the risk of suicidal behavior rapidly increase. Many people find suicidal crises to be upsetting and frightening. The good news is that a suicidal crisis does not last forever. Eventually, if enough time passes, the suicidal thoughts will go back down to where they were before the crisis.
- Suicidal ThoughtsOne or more thoughts about killing oneself. Some examples are:
- “I want to kill myself, so my family won’t have to deal with this anymore.”
- “I can’t take this pain anymore. I should just end it all.”
- “I keep thinking I have enough pills to go to sleep and never wake up and wonder about when and where I should take them.”
- Suicide AttemptAction a person takes to harm themselves with the goal of ending their life, but they do not die.
- Suicide Risk CurveSuicidal thoughts and feelings increase, reach a peak, and then start to come back down. People are at highest risk for suicidal behavior at the peak of the curve.
- Suicide-Related Automatic ThoughtThoughts that occur throughout the day in response to things that happen around us that can lead one to think about suicide or suicidal behaviors.
- Suicide-Related Core BeliefsBeliefs that can lead one to think about suicide or to suicidal behaviors. These core beliefs often fall into the categories of helpless, unlovable, and hopeless. These beliefs can be about oneself, others, or the future.
T
- TriggerPlaces, events, things and/or people that are upsetting and may lead to a suicidal crisis. For example, having an argument with your spouse.
U
- Unhelpful Thinking PatternsRepeated thoughts that lead to unpleasant feelings or unwanted behaviors. Examples include:
- Jumping to Conclusions – Using inaccurate evidence to confirm thoughts.
- Predicting the future – Expecting something bad will happen because of a past experience.
- Exaggerating or Minimizing – Seeing something as much more significant than it really is or dismissing the importance of a positive aspect all together.
- Ignoring Important Parts – Focusing on the unhelpful or negative parts of a situation.
- Oversimplifying – Looking at things in an all or nothing extreme way, or thinking oneself or others are good/bad or right/wrong. Words like “always, never, every” are often used when a person is over simplifying.
- Over-generalizing – Thinking that because a stressful event or experience happened once, it will always happen that way in the future.
- Mind reading – Believing that one knows what someone else is thinking and assuming they are having negative thoughts about them.
- Emotional reasoning – Believing emotions to be fact.
- Unhelpful ThoughtA thought that leads to an unpleasant feeling and may lead to suicidal thoughts or behaviors.
V
- ValuesBig picture things that a person cares about. What they stand for. How they want to behave as they go through life. Values give a person direction about how they want to live your life.
W
- Warning Sign A thought, feeling, physical sensation (experience in one’s body [for example, upset stomach]) and/or behavior that indicates a suicidal crisis might be starting. For example, thinking "I'm useless to everyone around me" and feeling hopeless.
Y
- Yellow SkillsSkills one can use when they recognize warning signs that they could be headed towards a suicidal crisis. Yellow Skills help one cope with triggers and warning signs, including suicidal thoughts and feelings.