How opposite action can help with your child's mental health

We kit our kids out for sporting activities but how equipped are they to tackle challenges to their mental health? When it comes to depression and anxiety, for example, do they have “go-to” strategies they can try?

One such strategy is called “Opposite Action.” This is widely recognized as effective, and it forms part of a wider approach to therapy known as DBT (Dialectical Behavior Therapy).

What is involved with Opposite Action?

First, help your child to identify the emotion. This can include the name of the emotion and the intensity. You could use a scale of 0-10 where 10 is the most intense experience of the emotion.

Then help your child to check the facts: Is there any missing information that might make things feel better or worse?

If the intensity of the emotions is unhelpful, you can work with your child to identify a list of actions that produce the opposite of the difficult feelings. For example, if they are feeling low energy because of depression, list activities that could increase their energy. This could be star jumps, hiking, or even trying intensely flavored foods (lemons, for example). Making a list will help them to gain a sense of ownership over the exercise, and it will also give them a sense of control or certainty.

I hope you found this useful. I would love to hear your thoughts, whether that is via private message or comments below.

If you need to talk to a professional about mental health strategies, you can reach out via the following details:

Explore Transform psychotherapy.
Ridgewood, New Jersey.
www.exploretransform.com
(201) 779-6917
[email protected]

Chris Warren-Dickins
Psychotherapist & Author of The Beast of Gloom (a children’s book about depression)

#depression #childrensmentalhealth #TheBeastOfGloom #chriswarrendickins