DBT Module 4: Distress tolerance

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Registered: 08-02-2005
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



  1. 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
  2. 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



  1. distraction

  2. self soothing

  3. improving the moment

  4. thinking in pros and cons

Acceptance skills inclued



  1. Radical acceptance (complete acceptance from deep within)

  2. Turining the mind towar acceptance (chosing to accept reality as it is)

  3. Willingness versus willfulness 

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Edited 4/22/2006 12:03 am ET by cl-schitz

Amanda

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iVillage Member
Registered: 08-02-2005
Sat, 04-22-2006 - 2:49am

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:



  • looking at flowers

  • looking at the leaves in fall

  • lightening

  • pictures of friends

  • art gallery

  • sunshine/rises/sets

  • campfire

Hearing



  • music - particularly folk and light rock

  • running water (waterfall, stream)

  • thunder storms

  • giggles of children/babies

  • kittens purring

  • rain on a tent

  • laughter

  • silence

Scent



  • vanilla candles

  • sandalwood incense

  • hazelnut coffee

  • cinnamon

  • baking

  • wood buring

Taste



  • anything cinnamon

  • things with a smoothe texture (pudding, ice cream)

  • hot chocolate

  • cookies out of the oven

Touch



  • hugs

  • holding a pillow, blanket or stuffed animal

  • my housecoat

  • petting animals

Thoughts


Self-soothing thoughts come in three major classes



  1. validation

Amanda

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Registered: 08-02-2005
Sat, 04-22-2006 - 2:58am

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?)

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Amanda

iVillage Member
Registered: 08-02-2005
Sat, 04-22-2006 - 3:08am

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"






Amanda

iVillage Member
Registered: 02-12-2004
Sat, 04-22-2006 - 11:04am

Hi Amanda,


Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket 
iVillage Member
Registered: 08-02-2005
Mon, 04-24-2006 - 7:13am

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.

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Amanda

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