Illness Management and Recovery / IMR-A09-2
Coping with Persistent Experiences — Practice worksheet
Compare an external focus task, a structured activity, and a support conversation for an ordinary difficult experience.
15 minutes · Worksheet · Adults; supported use as appropriate
Fictional example: Casey finds a familiar activity helpful when distracting experiences increase.
Use an ordinary or fictional example, with a clinician when appropriate. Coping options should be individualized and evaluated for fit.
1. Choose a workable example
Use the fictional example below or an ordinary situation of your choosing. Keep identifying details out of shared copies.
2. Try the practice
Compare an external focus task, a structured activity, and a support conversation for an ordinary difficult experience.
3. Compare possibilities
Generate at least two interpretations or options. Mark what you know, what you are guessing, and what remains outside your control.
4. Decide together
Which option helps functioning without requiring you to deny the experience? Choose one small action, a support request, or no action. Review the fit with your clinician when relevant.
Prompts for this resource
- My chosen or fictional situation, and what I know about it:
- My response to the practice task above:
- Which option helps functioning without requiring you to deny the experience?
- An optional next step, support, adaptation, or reason to stop:
Conceptual background
Illness Management and Recovery Evidence-Based Practices KIT — SAMHSA
Background on the approach only. Original exercises and wording are by More Than Therapy with AI assistance; the source does not validate or endorse these materials.