Feeling Check-List

Feeling Check-list
GORSKI-CENAPS Web Publications Gorski-CENAPS, 17900 Dixie Hwy, Homewood, IL 60430, 708-799-5000 Posted On: June 3, 2003 Updated On: June 03, 2003 © Terence T. Gorski, 2001
Whenever you are having an important personal experience, it is helpful to know what you are feeling, what's causing you to feel that way, and how you can more effectively manage your feelings. You can do this by using the feeling check-list.
Part 1: Doing A Feeling Check: When you are having this experience do you tend to feel ... *1. Strong* orWeak?** How intense is the feeling? (0 = Least intense; 10 = Most Intense) _____ Why do you rate it this way? ________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ 2. Angry or Caring? How intense is the feeling? (0 = Least intense; 10 = Most Intense) _____ Why do you rate it this way? ________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ 3. *Happy* *or Sad?* How intense is the feeling? (0 = Least intense; 10 = Most Intense) _____ Why do you rate it this way? ________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ 4. *Safe* or Threatened? How intense is the feeling? (0 = Least intense; 10 = Most Intense) _____ Why do you rate it this way? ________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ 5. Fulfilled *or Frustrated?* How intense is the feeling? (0 = Least intense; 10 = Most Intense) _____ Why do you rate it this way? ________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ 6. *Proud* orAshamed? How intense is the feeling? (0 = Least intense; 10 = Most Intense) _____ Why do you rate it this way? ________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ 7. Lonely or Connected? How intense is the feeling? (0 = Least intense; 10 = Most Intense) _____ Why do you rate it this way? ________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________
Part 2: Three Strongest Feelings What are the three strongest feelings that you tend to have when you are experiencing this warning that makes you want to use alcohol or other drugs? Feeling #1: __________________________________________________ (1) Why did you choose this feeling? __________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ (2) What are other people doing that's making you feel that way? ___________________ _____________________________________________________________________ (3) What's going on around you that's making you feel that way? ____________________ _____________________________________________________________________ (4) What are you thinking that's making you feel that way? _____________________________________________________________________ (5) What are you doing that's making you feel that way? _____________________________________________________________________ Feeling #2:___________________________________________________ (1) Why did you choose this feeling? __________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ (2) What are other people doing that's making you feel that way? ___________________ _____________________________________________________________________ (3) What's going on around you that's making you feel that way? ____________________ _____________________________________________________________________ (4) What are you thinking that's making you feel that way? _____________________________________________________________________ (5) What are you doing that's making you feel that way? _____________________________________________________________________ (1) Why did you choose this feeling? __________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ (2) What are other people doing that's making you feel that way? ___________________ _____________________________________________________________________ (3) What's going on around you that's making you feel that way? ____________________ _____________________________________________________________________ (4) What are you thinking that's making you feel that way? _____________________________________________________________________ (5) What are you doing that's making you feel that way? _____________________________________________________________________
Part 3: Managing Your Feelings Keeping these three feelings in mind, read each of the following statements about your ability to manage your feelings and rate how true it is on a scale of 0 - 10. (“0” means the statement is not at all true. “10” means the statement is totally true. Place your answer on the line in front of each statement. __ Skill #1: I am able to anticipate situations that are likely to provoke strong feelings and emotions. __ Skill #2: I am able to recognize when I am starting to have a strong feeling or emotion. __ Skill #3: I am able to stop myself from automatically reacting to the feeling without thinking it through. __ Skill #4: I am able to call a time out in emotionally charged situations before my feelings become unmanageable. __ Skill #5: I am able to use an immediate relaxation technique to bring down the intensity of the feeling. __ Skill #6: I am able to take a deep breath and notice what I’m feeling. __ Skill #7: I am able to find words that describe what I’m feeling and use the feeling list when necessary. __ Skill #8: I am able to rate the intensity of my feelings using a ten-point scale. __ Skill #9: I am able to consciously acknowledge the feeling and its intensity by saying to myself, “Right now I’m feeling ______________ and it’s okay to be feeling this way.” __ Skill #10: I am able to identify what I’m thinking that’s making me feel this way and ask myself, “How can I change my thinking in a way that will make me feel better?” __ Skill #11: I am able to identify what I’m doing that’s making me feel this way and ask myself, “How can I change what I’m doing in a way that will make me feel better?” __ Skill #12: I am able to recognize and resist urges to create problems, hurt myself, or hurt other people in an attempt to make myself feel better. __ Skill #13: I am able to recognize my resistance to doing things that would help me or my situation, and force myself to do those things in spite of the resistance. __ Skill #14: I am able to get outside of myself and recognize and respond to what other people are feeling.
References The GORSKI-CENAPS Model for managing feelings and emotions is part of a science-based model for recovery and relapse prevention from addiction and related personality and mental health problems. The research basis of the Feeling Check-list can be verified by reviewing the work of Daniel Goleman in the area of emotional intelligence. Goleman, Daniel, Emotional intelligence - Why It Can Matter More Than IQ, Bantam Books, New York 1995 <Click here to review the book> Goleman, Daniel, Working With Emotional intelligence, Bantam Books, New York 1998 <Click here to review the book>
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