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