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