Pros & Cons

Select one crisis (emotionally upsetting situation) where you find it really hard to tolerate your distress, avoid destructive behavior, and not act impulsively.

Crisis I am faced with: ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Crisis urges: ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

• An urge can intensify a crisis when it is intense and acting on the urge will make things worse in the long term.

• Make a list of the pros and cons of acting on your crisis urges. These might be to give in, give up, or avoid doing what is necessary to build a life you want to live.

• Make another list of the pros and cons of resisting crisis urges—that is, tolerating the distress skillfully and not giving into the urge.

1. Consider short-term and long-term PROS and CONS.

2. Before an overwhelming urge hits: Write out your PROS and CONS and carry them with you.

3. When an overwhelming urge hits: Review your PROS and CONS and imagine the positive consequences of resisting the urge. Imagine (and remember past) negative consequences of giving in to crisis urges

Reference: From DBT® Skills Manual for Adolescents, by Jill H. Rathus and Alec L. Miller. Copyright 2015 by The Guilford Press.