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