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