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Your self-help plan may involve developing a new and improved
behavior. Therefore, the desired response will not be available for
counting and recording until well into the project. A new index of
progress can be added just as soon as the new target behavior has
been developed.
In contrast to behaviors, feelings are seldom in discrete, countable
episodes, so you will need rating scales. Examples:
Depression
Scale Behavior
1
very happy, one of the best days of my life
2
happy, generally a good day
3
sort of happy, more + than -
4
mixed, both + and -
5
sort of unhappy, more - than +
6
bad day, quite unhappy
7
a terrible day, one of the most unhappy of my life
Anger
Scale
Behavior
1
no anger, well controlled, able to avoid or
forgive.
2
a little irritation but quickly controlled or
handled assertively
3
some irritation, others noticed, I was a little
sharp or sulky
4
irritated most of the day
5
one or two angry outbursts which I didn't
handle well
6
a bad day, big angry episodes kept me upset
most of the day
7
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a terrible day, I lost control of my anger and
was hurtful and/or destructive.
These are just examples; devise your own scales tailored to your
problem, your situation, your response style, and your eventual goal.
One can rate anything: tension, energy, aches and pains, goodness
(as you define it behaviorally), self-esteem, self-acceptance, tolerance
of others, assertiveness, belief in self-help, sexual adjustment, etc.,
etc.
STEP TWO: Keep a daily count or make a daily rating (see
chapter 2, step 2).
