Distress tolerance skills from Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) help you survive borderline personality disorder crisis without making things worse.
TIPP Skills for Acute Borderline Personality Disorder
Temperature: Cold water on face activates the dive reflex, rapidly reducing borderline personality disorder intensity
Intense exercise: 20 minutes of vigorous exercise discharges borderline personality disorder physiological activation
Paced breathing: Slow the breath (especially exhale) to activate parasympathetic system
Progressive muscle relaxation: Systematic tension-release reduces borderline personality disorder physical symptoms
ACCEPTS Skills for Riding Out Borderline Personality Disorder
Activities that engage attention away from borderline personality disorder Contributing to others shifts focus from borderline personality disorder Comparisons that provide perspective on borderline personality disorder Emotions opposite to borderline personality disorder — deliberately generated Pushing away borderline personality disorder temporarily when you can't act on it now Thoughts that replace borderline personality disorder rumination Sensations that provide strong alternative input
When Distress Tolerance Is the Right Skill for Borderline Personality Disorder
Use distress tolerance when borderline personality disorder is intense but the situation can't change right now. The goal is surviving without making things worse — not solving borderline personality disorder.