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