The 'window of tolerance' — a concept from trauma therapy — explains why compulsive behaviors pushes us into states where we can't function well, and how to expand our capacity.
What Is the Window of Tolerance?
The window of tolerance is the zone of arousal in which we function optimally. Outside it:
- Hyperarousal (compulsive behaviors 'too high'): Panic, overwhelm, rage, anxiety — above the window
- Hypoarousal (compulsive behaviors 'too low'): Numbness, dissociation, shutdown, depression — below the window
How Compulsive Behaviors Narrows the Window
Trauma and chronic compulsive behaviors narrow the window of tolerance, making us more easily triggered into dysregulated states by smaller stimuli.
Widening Your Window with Compulsive Behaviors
Trauma-informed therapy specifically works to widen the window of tolerance — building capacity to experience compulsive behaviors triggers without dysregulation.
Titrated exposure (small doses of difficult material), somatic practices, and skill-building all contribute to window expansion.