DBT Module 4: Distress tolerance
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| Fri, 04-21-2006 - 11:56pm |
Goals of the module:
The goals of this module of the group Freedom From Chaos will not be to focus on teaching you skills to change situations. Rather the skills you will learn are intended to help you bear pain skillfully.
The skills that you will learn in this module include
- acceptance
- finding meaning, and
- tolerating discress
The ability to tolerated and accept distress is an essential goal in mental health for at least 2 reasons
- Pain and distress are a part of life; the cannot be entirely avoided or removed
*The inability to accept this immutable fact is in itself what can lead to further pain and suffering - Distess tolerance is an attempt to change oneself
*In the short term, distress tolerance helps you to ease your own pain
*In the long run, it teaches you a new strategy to cope with hassles and crises which will add to your cofidence that you can help yourself
*Changing yourself is necessary when impoulsive actions (jumping to conclusions, cutting, drink, anxious-irritable outbirsts, overdoses, drugs, fits of fage, temper tantrums, ecessive shopping) interfere with your efforts to establish desired changes
Distress Tolerance Skills and Mindfulness
- Distress tolerance skils constitute a natural progression from mindfulness skilss
- Distress toelerance skills have to do with the ability to accept in a non-evaluative and non-judgmental fashin, both oneself and the situation
- Essentially, distress tolereance is the ability to perceive one's environment without putting demands on it to be different. to experience your current emotional state without attempting to change it, and to observe your own thoughts and action patterns without attempting to stop or control them.
- A NON-JUDMENTAL STANCE DOES NOT MEAN APPROVAL
- This distinction is important. Acceptance of reality is not approval of reality
Distress otolerance behaviours to be targeted in this module are concerned with tolerating and surviving crises and with accepting life as it is in the moment.
Four sets of crisis survival strategies are taught
- distraction
- self soothing
- improving the moment
- thinking in pros and cons
Acceptance skills inclued
- Radical acceptance (complete acceptance from deep within)
- Turining the mind towar acceptance (chosing to accept reality as it is)
- Willingness versus willfulness

co-cl of the Self-Injury board
co-cl of the Suicidal Thoughts and Feelings board
cl of the Get Organized board
Edited 4/22/2006 12:03 am ET by cl-schitz


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Self-soothing
The five senses plus thoughts
The five senses
Visual experiences that soothe me:
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Sounds that soothe me
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Aromas that soothe me
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Tastes that soothe me
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Touch that soothes me
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Mine
Visual:
Hearing
Scent
Taste
Touch
Thoughts
Self-soothing thoughts come in three major classes
Improving the moment (with my answers)
Imagery
What can I "see in my mind that will be reassuring, pleasant and invoke great memories?
(my safe space, image of a friend/family)
Meaning
What things are meaningful to me that I can do, remember or remind myself of? How can I find meaning in this?
(This is developing myself, my strenth, a learning experiece, maybe this is necessary for me to understand that I can help others)
Prayer
How can I develp my spiritual or meditative power in this moment of distress?
(serenity prayer, my worship songs, my mantra)
Relaxation
What relaxation technique can I practice?
(notice tension and send breath to that area, deep slow breathing, meditation/yoga/tai chi, physical activities -muscles relax after)
One thing at a time
What gets in the way of me really focusing? How can I stay on track better?
(The only pain that I have to survives is just this moment. I'm going to look at my stresses and todo list one thing at a time.)
Vacation
What small vaction from the ordinary can I take today or at least in the next couple days?
(retreat into self (awareness), go somewhere new, do something different, complete change os scenery)
Encouragement
What can I say to myself that will inspire hope and make me more positive?
(How would you talk to a friend? What woud a friend say to me?)
co-cl of the Self-Injury
Crisis Survival Strategies (combination of the last three exercises)
For each survival skill check whether you used it during the week and write down your level of distress tolerance both before (pre) and after *(post) using the strategy as follows 0= "No tolerance, a nightmare" to 100= "easy tolerance, piece of cake"
Hi Amanda,
I spent three hours typing this. (But I enjoy sharing this info with you all)
I would just like to note, this information was compiled over a 10 week period, so don't try to do it all at once. Practice each post for a week or more if you have to.
co-cl of the Self-Injury
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