Distress Tolerance
What is distress?
feeling an extreme negative emotion that is really uncomfortable
What is Self-Soothing?
Comforting yourself using your five senses:
Vision
Hearing
Smell
Taste
Touch
What is radical acceptance?
Radical acceptance means accepting reality completely as it is, and not fighting reality because it is not the way you want it to be. Accepting what you cannot change.
What is Mindfulness?
Paying attention to what's going on, both inside and outside of you, in the present moment
Demonstrate and describe to the group how to use "paced breathing"
sit comfortably
deep & slow breaths
counting
How do people tend to act when they are in distress?
Being in distress can make you act impulsively, hurt yourself, lash out at others, or do things that make the situation worse
When you consider the pros and cons of engaging or not engaging in a particular behavior, and choose to do what works.
"What Would Happen" Skills
When using this skill, you choose the path of acceptance over the path of rejection whenever you come to a fork in the road
Turning the Mind
What's one way you can practice mindfulness as part of your everyday routine?
eat one of your meals/snacks mindfully; take a mindful shower; go for a mindful walk; take a few mindful breaths while sitting in class.
Choose and demonstrate one DISTRACT skill
D = Do something else
I = Imagine (something happy/peaceful)
S = Stop thinking about it
T = Think about something else
R = Remind yourself (it will be okay)
A = Ask for help
C = Count your breath
T = Take a break
What is distress tolerance?
Getting through distressing situations without hurting yourself or others, getting into trouble, or creating more problems for yourself.
What are DISTRACT skills?
Skills to take your mind off of the distressing situation
D = Do something else
I = Imagine (something happy/peaceful)
S = Stop thinking about it
T = Think about something else
R = Remind yourself (it will be okay)
A = Ask for help
C = Count your breath
T = Take a break
Why is it important to accept reality?
1. Rejecting reality doesn't change reality. The facts are the same whether you like them or not.
2. In order to make meaningful change, you have to accept reality as it is. It's hard to solve problems when you don't have an accurate picture of the situation.
3. Rejecting reality can make pain last longer. Acceptance can create a sense of calm.
4. When you accept hard realities, you get un-stuck and can start to move forward and make your life better.
Name 1 of the 3 "What" skills.
Observe
Describe
Participate
Choose and demonstrate one way to sooth your senses.
Vision
Hearing
Taste
Smell
Touch
Distress tolerance skills can be organized into two different categories. What are these two categories?
Just Getting Through
and
Letting it Go
Name and Describe two TIPP Skills.
Temperature (cool your body with cold water, ice, etc.)
Intense Exercise (release stress and excess energy in a healthy through exercise)
Paced Breathing (slow and deepen your breathing)
Paired Muscle Relaxation (relax each muscle group in your body in progression until fully relaxed)
What does it mean to choose Willingness over Willfulness?
It means doing what works, deciding to really try, being willing to compromise, acting with awareness, and listening to your wise mind.
Name 1 of the 3 "How" Skills.
Don't Judge
Stay Focused
Do what works
What would be a Willing response to this situation: You wake up in a bad mood and find yourself wanting to snap at other people around you, and really not wanting to go to school.
Willing = doing what works, really trying, acting with awareness, compromise.
Use another skill to help keep yourself calm, and prevent you from snapping at others (so you don't get yourself into trouble and make the bad mood worse). Go to school (It's what the situation requires, and there are consequences for not attending). Ask for time to step away if needed. Do what will help you to move forward with your day.
When should you use "Just Getting Through" skills, and when should you use "Letting it Go" skills?
Just Getting Through skills should be used when you are dealing with an extremely distressing problem that can't be solved right now, but won't last forever. (more short-term distress)
Letting it Go skills should be used when you have experienced significant trauma, pain, or difficulty in life, and when you are in distress, but not in crisis, and cannot change your situation. (more long-term distress)
Why might it help to find meaning or connection with others when feeling distress?
Finding meaning in your painful experience, finding something you have learned or gained from it, can make the pain more tolerable, and your situation feel less catastrophic.
Thinking about your connection to others can help you feel less alone, and remember that you are not the only one to go through what you are going through.
What does it mean to be mindful of your thoughts?
Being mindful of your thoughts means allowing your thoughts to come and go, and neither holding on to them or pushing them away. It means radically accepting your thoughts. It means seeing your thoughts for what they are (thoughts not facts).
What does S-T-O-P (as in STOP skills) stand for?
Stop
Take a step back
Observe
Proceed Mindfully
Demonstrate one of the ways you can show acceptance with your body.
half smiling or willing hands