Opposite Action (DBT Skill)

Opposite action is the DBT skill of checking whether an emotion fits the facts and, when it doesn’t, acting against its urge — fully rather than half-way.

Why it works

Opposite action is one of the emotion regulation skills in Marsha Linehan’s DBT. It starts from the observation that every emotion carries an action urge: fear urges avoidance, shame urges hiding, anger urges attack, sadness urges withdrawal. Acting on the urge tends to reinforce the emotion that produced it — avoidance keeps fear alive, withdrawal deepens low mood — so the emotion and the behaviour hold each other in place. Doing the opposite is meant to break that loop by giving the brain disconfirming experience, in much the way exposure works on fear: you approach what fear says to avoid, engage what shame says to hide from, gently avoid or step back from what unjustified anger says to attack, and get active when sadness says to shut down. DBT is explicit that this is not for every emotion — the first step is checking whether the emotion fits the facts, and opposite action is for when it does not, or when acting on a justified emotion would still make things worse. Inhibitory-learning research on exposure suggests why the "fully" matters: the disconfirming experience registers when posture, voice, and attention all go the opposite way, and a half-hearted version leaves the avoidance essentially intact.

How to do it

1. Name the emotion, its action urge, and whether the emotion fits the facts.
2. If it doesn’t fit (or if acting on the urge would make things worse), identify the exact opposite: approach instead of avoid, engage instead of withdraw.
3. Do the opposite action fully — posture, words, and facial expression, not just the surface behavior.
4. Re-rate the emotion after: it typically drops when the disconfirming evidence lands.

Evidence

Opposite action applies the exposure and behavioral activation mechanisms that have strong RCT support in CBT and behavioral traditions. Within DBT, it is one of the better-studied individual skill components. Dimidjian and colleagues’ randomized trial found behavioral activation — the approach-the-avoided mechanism opposite action rests on — matched antidepressant medication for more severe depression, and inhibitory-learning research clarifies why doing the opposite action fully is what makes the disconfirming experience stick. (rct)

The underlying exposure mechanism is well validated; opposite action as a named DBT skill is usually studied within the DBT package rather than in isolation.

Sources

• Dimidjian, S., Hollon, S. D., Dobson, K. S., Schmaling, K. B., Kohlenberg, R. J., Addis, M. E., Gallop, R., McGlinchey, J. B., Markley, D. K., Gollan, J. K., Atkins, D. C., Dunner, D. L., & Jacobson, N. S. (2006). Randomized trial of behavioral activation, cognitive therapy, and antidepressant medication in the acute treatment of adults with major depression. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 74(4), 658–670.
• Craske, M. G., Treanor, M., Conway, C. C., Zbozinek, T., & Vervliet, B. (2014). Maximizing exposure therapy: An inhibitory learning approach. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 58, 10–23.

Common mistake

Applying opposite action when the emotion actually fits the facts — if the fear or anger is appropriate, the right response is not to suppress it but to act on it wisely.