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DBT · Emotion Regulation

ABC PLEASE — Reduce Emotional Vulnerability

DBT's combined skill for building a baseline that holds

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ABC builds the long game: a baseline that can take a hit. PLEASE is the floor — the physical care that keeps the nervous system in range. You need both.

A · Accumulate positives
Short-term (this week)
Long-term (values-aligned)
B · Build mastery

One small thing this week that builds competence. Hard enough to feel earned, easy enough to actually do.

C · Cope ahead

A high-risk upcoming situation, and the exact skills you'll use.

The situation
The plan
PLEASE — the physical floor
PL
Treat Physical iLlness
E
Eat — balanced, regular
A
Avoid mood-altering substances
S
Sleep — protect it
E
Exercise — moderate, regular

References & further reading

Conceptual background and further reading, not validation of this handout. Named instruments and methods belong to their original authors; custom prompts and trackers are not validated versions of those instruments.

© 2026 TherapistAssist · For clinical use · Not a substitute for assessment
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