Chain Analysis – Learning about Emotional Reactions

23 June

You Didn’t Just “Lose It” – Reactions Are Often About More Than the Moment

Have you ever snapped at someone, shut down mid-conversation, or had an overwhelming emotional reaction, only to later ask yourself, “Where did that come from?” You're not alone, and you’re not broken..

Often how we react in any one moment usually isn’t just about that instant. It’s about the emotional load we brought into it, how tired we are, how hungry we are, how emotionally stretched or disconnected we feel. Our reactions are often built from the inside out, shaped by our pre-existing vulnerabilities and a chain of thoughts, feelings, and sensations that can snowball quickly.

Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) uses the tools of Chain Analysis and the HALT technique to help try to identify where things happened and how we can pause.

Emotional Vulnerability: HALT (a reminder)

Before anything happens, our emotional state may already be primed. We’ve talked about HALT before:

H – Hungry: Skipped meals, running on caffeine, low blood sugar? Our body chemistry is off, our brain less able to regulate.
Example: You haven’t eaten all day and suddenly your partner’s offhand comment feels like a personal attack.
A – Angry or Anxious: Our leftover stress, frustration, or worry impacts our current decisions.
Example: A rough morning at work leaves you emotionally raw, so your friend's “Are you okay?” feels like an accusation.
L – Lonely: Feeling isolated or emotionally unseen lowers our resilience.
Example: After a week of feeling disconnected, even a delayed text can trigger thoughts like “No one cares.”
T – Tired: Lack of sleep, physical exhaustion, or being unwell wears away at our ability to think clearly and respond calmly.
Example: After four hours of sleep, you misread a neutral message and feel yourself spiral.

HALT doesn’t cause our reaction, but it lowers our ability to cope.

Real-Life Example

Coming home after a long day. Hungry, overtired, and haven’t had a proper conversation in 24 hours. Your partner is on their phone and doesn’t look up when you walk in. Something snaps, you feel dismissed, hurt, then angry. You yell, “Why do I even bother coming home?” and storm out.

Later, you’re filled with guilt and confusion. You might even think, “What’s wrong with me?”

But here’s the thing: the problem wasn’t the moment. It was the buildup. The spark (being ignored) landed on dry grass (your vulnerability). That’s what created the fire.

Using the Chain Analysis to Understand

Chain analysis walks us back through our experience step-by-step so we can spot where things escalated and how to shift gears next time.

Identifying the problem behaviour

· What did you do that you now regret?

· “I yelled and stormed out.”

Spot the prompting event

· What happened right before the reaction?

· “My partner didn’t acknowledge me when I walked in.”

Reflect on vulnerability (HALT + more)

· Vulnerability - What was happening?

· Hungry - Skipped lunch, caffeine crash

· Angry - Still upset from a work email

· Lonely - No real connection all day

· Tired - Slept poorly, low energy

· Other - Past feelings of rejection surfaced

Map the chain of internal events

Each moment links to the next like emotional dominoes:

Feeling: Chest tight, heart racing
Thought: “They don’t care.”
Emotion: Hurt, then angry
Action: Yelled, stormed out
Consequence: Guilt, emotional distance from partner

By seeing each link, you learn where you might have been able to intervene.

Spot the Missing Skills

Now, look at the chain and ask: Where could I have done something differently?

Could I have paused to check the facts? (“Maybe they’re just tired.”)
Could I have used breathing or a grounding technique to slow down my reaction?
Could I have expressed myself more clearly?
Could I have been more vulnerable earlier in the day?

This isn’t about blaming yourself, it’s about spotting the off-ramps you can take next time.

Planning Ahead: Reducing Vulnerability

Here’s how to buffer against overwhelm next time:

Eat balanced meals and limit caffeine crashes
Prioritise rest and recovery, not just sleep, but downtime
Stay socially connected (texts count less than real conversation)
Journalling or checking in with your emotions regularly
Use HALT as a daily check-in: Am I Hungry, Angry, Lonely, or Tired?

Repairing the Damage

If your reaction impacted someone else, here’s how to make it right:

Own your behaviour without deflecting, getting defensive, blaming yourself or them
“I was overwhelmed and reacted poorly.”
Share what you’ve learned
“I’ve realised I was running on empty. I should have communicated instead of lashing out.”
Rebuild connection
“Can we talk about what happened and what might help us both feel more supported?”

You’re Not Overreacting, You’re Overloaded

Your reaction didn’t come from nowhere. It came from the mix of emotional, physical, and psychological vulnerability. Learning to understand and trace that chain doesn’t just help prevent overwhelm, it helps you care for yourself better.

Book A Session