Let's talk about Chain Analysis!
Chain Analysis is a Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), strategy I utilize with clients. It helps break down our actions, thoughts, feelings, and behaviours leading up to the problem behaviour/event that occurred. Have you ever found yourself wondering, "how on earth did I get here?" or "why does this keep happening?" I know I have, and you are definitely not alone in those thoughts.
Chain analysis examines the chain of events that leads to ineffective behaviours, as well as the consequences of those behaviours that may be making it hard to change them. It also helps you figure out how to repair the damage.
So you may be thinking, when should a person implement Chain Analysis?
Great question!
Individuals might want to implement chain analysis when they are participating in regular risky behaviours.
These risky behaviours include but are not limited too:
Excessive substance abuse (alcohol, drugs, social media, gambling, etc.)
Aggressive behaviours and violence
Behaviours associated with mental disorders
Self-injury
Suicidal ideation and suicide attempts
Any other action that creates distress, harm, or disruption in a person's life
Implementing chain analysis can be helpful to go through soon after you engage in problem behaviour. This way, your experience is fresh in your mind and you will likely be able to remember more information about the factors that led up to your problem behavior.
Chain analysis is also helpful to identify what things might have made you more susceptible to responding to the situation as you did. For example, when people do not eat well or do not get enough sleep, they may be more susceptible to experiencing negative moods or having more reactive emotional experiences.
(Try not to let this image scare you - below we will go through it step by step.)
Step One: Describe the Problem Behaviour:
(This may include overeating, substance abuse, yelling at your kids, throwing a chair, having an overwhelming emotional outburst, dissociating, self-harm, not coming or coming late to school, work, required events, etc.)
When describing the problem behaviour, be very specific and detailed. No vague terms.
Step Two: Describe the Prompting Event:
This is what started the chain of events leading to the problem behaviour. Possible questions to help you explore prompting events are:
What exact event triggered the start of the chain reaction?
When did the sequence of events that led to the problem behaviour begin? When did the problem start?
What was going on right before the thought of or impulse for the problem behaviour occurred?
What were you doing/thinking/feeling/imagining at that time?
Why did the problem behaviour happen on that day instead of the day before?
Step Three: Describe the Factors Happening Before the Event that Made You Vulnerable:
What factors or events made you more vulnerable to reacting to the prompting event with a problematic chain? Areas to examine are:
Physical illness; unbalanced eating or sleeping; injury.
Use of drugs or alcohol; misuse of prescription drugs.
Stressful events in the environment (either positive or negative).
Intense emotions, such as sadness, anger, fear, loneliness.
Previous behaviours of your own that you found stressful coming into your mind.
Step Four: Describe in Excruciating Detail the Chain of Events that Led to the Problem Behaviour:
Write out all links in the chain of events, no matter how small. Be very specific, as if you are writing a script for a play. Ask yourself: what exact thought (or belief), feeling, or action followed the prompting event? What thought, feeling, or action followed that? What next? What next? And so forth.Links in the chain can be:
Actions or things you do.
Body sensations or feelings.
Cognitions (i.e., beliefs, expectations, or thoughts).
Events in the environment or things others do.
Feelings and emotions that you experience.
Step Five: Describe the Consequences of the Problem Behaviour:
Be specific. (How did other people react immediately and later? How did you feel immediately following the behaviour? Later? What effect did the behaviour have on you and your environment?)
To change behaviour: (The best part!)
Step Six: Describe Skillful Behaviours to Replace Problem Links in the Chain of Events you Perviously Described - Where you Could have Used a Skillful Behaviour Instead of the Problem Behaviour. (Step Four and Step Six can be combined for side by side comparison).
What key links were most important in leading to the problem behaviour? (In other words, if you had eliminated these behaviours, the problem behavior probably would not have happened.)
What could you have done differently at each link in the chain of events to avoid the problem behaviour? What coping strategies or skillful behaviours could you have used?
Step Seven: Develop Prevention Plans to Reduce Vulnerability to Stressful Events for How you Could Have Kept the Chain From Starting by Reducing your Vulnerability to the Chain.
Step Eight: Repair Important or Significant Consequences of the Problem Behaviour:
Analyze: What did you really harm? What negative consequence can you repair?
Look at the harm or distress you actually caused others, and the harm or distress you caused yourself.
Repair what you damaged.
Don’t bring flowers to repair a window you broke: fix the window! Repair a betrayal of trust by being very trustworthy long enough to fit the betrayal, rather than trying to fix it with love letters and constant apologies. Repair failure by succeeding, not by berating yourself.
Example Time! - Lets walk through what working on a chain analysis would look like. (The following is a made up scenario).
Step one: What exactly is the major Problem Behaviour that I am analyzing?
Unhealthy coping strategies i.e. drinking too much and drunk driving resulting in a DUI.
Step Two: Describe the Prompting Event
My sister from out of town called me and said she was not going to come visit me next week like she had said she would, because her husband had an important business party he wanted her to attended with him. I was really looking forward and relying on that visit from her.
Step Three: Describe what things in myself and my environment made me vulnerable.
Day the events making me vulnerable started:
Sunday
My boyfriend said he had to take a business trip sometime this month. I hate when he goes on business trips. I get so lonely.
Possible types of links:
A. Actions
B. Body sensations
C. Cognitions/thoughts
E. Events
F. Feelings
Step Four: List the chain of events (specific behaviours and environmental events that actually did happen).
And
Step Six: List new, more skillful behaviours to replace ineffective behaviours.
Use the ABC-EF list above for help if needed. (Note skill 4 and 6 will be combined. I like to combine these steps for a side by side comparion).
1. I felt hurt and started sobbing on the phone with my sister and was angry with her. 2. I thought, “I can’t stand it. No one loves me.” 3. I felt very ashamed once I hung up from talking with my sister. 4. I thought, “my life is useless; no one will ever be here for me.” 5. Tried watching TV, but nothing was on I liked. 6. I started feeling agitated and thought, “I can’t stand this.” 7. I decided to drink a glass of wine to feel better but ended up drinking two whole bottles. 8. Got in my car to drive to a late-night concert. 9. While I was bending down to pick up a piece of paper, the car swerved. I was stopped by a cop and taken in on a DUI. | 1. Listen to why my sister could not come and remember not to personalize it. 2. Remember that my sister and my boyfriend love me. 3. Check the facts; is my sister going to reject me over my behaviour? 4. Call my sister back and apologize for being angry (since I know she will validate how I feel). 5. Download a movie, work on a puzzle, or call a friend instead. 6. Try coping strategies to help feel regulated. 7. Walk down the street and have a solo dinner out. I find I don’t drink too much in public. 8. Call my boyfriend and ask him to come over for a while. Remembering I have options. 9. Take a long bath, try coping skills again; keep checking the facts; remember these emotions will pass. |
Step Five: What exactly were the consequences in the environment?
Short term: I had to spend the night in jail.
Long term: My boyfriend has less trust in me; my sister is upset about it.
And in myself?
Short term: I am ashamed and furious with myself.
Long term: I will have to pay more for car insurance and may have trouble getting a job.
What harm did my problem behaviour cause?
It hurt me by giving me a DUI record. My sister feels guilty and is blaming herself for my actions.
Step Seven: Prevention plans:
Ways to reduce my vulnerability in the future:
Create a safety plan with coping strategies, reminders to remember the facts and support people I can call.
Place the safety plan somewhere visible.
Ways to prevent the event from happening again:
I do not have control over the event happening again, so I need to practice coping ahead and have plans for how to manage when I am alone and have unwanted negative feelings/thoughts.
Step Eight: Plans to repair and correct the harm:
Apologize to my sister and reassure her that she has every right to change her plans. Work with her to plan a new time for a visit. Ask if it would easier for her if I came to visit her.
Look into support groups.
I hope working through this example was helpful to see how implementing a chain analysis is beneficial for targeting and understanding ineffective behaviours. Working through a chain analysis may seem complicated at first, but the more you utilize it, each step will flow more smoothly.
There are different versions of the DBT Chain Analysis - same questions and steps are taken, but may be placed differently throughout the worksheets i.e. some worksheets may not combine Steps 4 and 6. Look for the one that flows best for you!
PS: It is natural to feel uncomfortable when reflecting on our problem behaviours, don't let that stop you from working on yourself.
Until next time,
Chantel
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