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