James Fitzgerald Therapy PLLC

Dialectical Behavior Therapy

Emotion Regulation: Feelings are not Facts

Thoughts and Feelings are not Facts

Thoughts are a Hypothesis and Feelings are Data, Test your Assumptions to Reality

Check the Facts

In moments of emotional intensity, it is common for your mind to create interpretations and assumptions that may not be entirely accurate. Your emotions can feel overwhelming, and your thoughts might lead you to react in ways that are not helpful or aligned with your goals. One of the key skills in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) for emotion regulation is called “Check the Facts,” which helps you pause, analyze the situation, and determine whether your emotional reaction is justified by the actual circumstances.

The “Check the Facts” skill involves systematically examining the situation to ensure that your emotions and responses are based on reality rather than assumptions, interpretations, or past experiences that may not apply to the present moment. When an intense emotion arises, the first step is to identify what emotion you are experiencing and what prompted it. Take a moment to describe the event factually, without adding judgments or interpretations. Then, ask yourself whether your emotion fits the facts of the situation. If your emotion is justified, you can use problem-solving skills to determine how best to respond. If the emotion does not fit the facts or is more intense than the situation calls for, you can choose to act opposite to the emotion to bring yourself back into balance.

Emotions serve an important function, often signaling that something in your environment requires attention. However, when emotions are based on assumptions rather than reality, they can lead to ineffective or harmful reactions. By checking the facts, you take an important step toward responding to situations with clarity and effectiveness. This skill is particularly helpful when dealing with fear, anger, shame, guilt, or sadness, as these emotions are often fueled by interpretations rather than objective reality.

Practicing “Check the Facts” regularly can help you develop greater emotional resilience. Each time you pause to assess a situation objectively, you strengthen your ability to regulate emotions and respond in ways that align with your long-term goals. Over time, this practice allows you to reduce emotional suffering, gain confidence in handling difficult situations, and create more positive outcomes in your life. Rather than being controlled by intense emotions, you learn to evaluate them with a balanced perspective, leading to healthier and more intentional choices.

Handout 8: Check the Facts

Handout 8 in DBT Skills Training focuses on guiding individuals through a structured process to evaluate whether their emotional responses are justified based on actual events, rather than assumptions, interpretations, or cognitive distortions. The goal of this skill is to prevent emotional escalation caused by misperceptions or unhelpful thinking patterns.

The Concept of “Check the Facts”

“Check the Facts” is an evidence-based strategy that helps individuals distinguish between facts and interpretations. Emotions often arise from how we perceive a situation rather than from the situation itself. If our perceptions are inaccurate or distorted, our emotional responses may be unjustified or ineffective for achieving our goals.

Key Steps in “Check the Facts”

  1. Identify the Emotion
    • What emotion am I feeling? What prompted this emotion?
  2. Identify the Prompting Event
    • What exactly happened? Who was involved? When and where did it happen? What did I observe with my senses?
  3. Separate Facts from Interpretations
    • What are the facts of the situation? (What I can observe, measure, or prove) What are my assumptions, inferences, or judgments? Am I making assumptions about someone’s thoughts, feelings, or intentions?
  4. Assess Whether the Emotion Fits the Facts
    • Is my emotion justified by the situation? Does this situation warrant the intensity and type of emotion I am experiencing?
  5. Consider Alternative Explanations
    • Are there other possible reasons this event happened? Am I catastrophizing or jumping to conclusions? Have I considered all perspectives?
  6. Decide How to Respond Effectively
    • If the emotion fits the facts, how can I act in a way that serves my goals? If the emotion does not fit the facts, how can I regulate it? (e.g., opposite action, mindfulness)

Clinical Application

This skill is particularly useful for individuals struggling with emotion dysregulation, borderline personality disorder (BPD), anxiety, and depression, where automatic negative thoughts and assumptions can fuel distressing emotions. By slowing down and methodically checking the facts, clients can make more informed and effective choices about how to respond to situations rather than reacting impulsively.

References:

  • Linehan, M. M. (2015). DBT Skills Training Manual (2nd ed.). The Guilford Press.
  • Linehan, M. M. (2015). DBT Skills Training Handouts and Worksheets (2nd ed.). The Guilford Press.
  • Linehan, M. M. (1993). Cognitive-Behavioral Treatment of Borderline Personality Disorder. The Guilford Press.