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Distress Tolerance: Survive the Moment Without Making It Worse

Distress Tolerance: Survive the Moment Without Making It Worse

These DBT skills help you get through intense emotions without acting impulsively or shutting down.

These DBT skills help you get through intense emotions without acting impulsively or shutting down.

Individual holding an ice pack or grounding object, using a DBT distress tolerance skill during emotional overwhelm. The image symbolises surviving intense feelings with tools like cold water, breathing, and radical acceptance.
Individual holding an ice pack or grounding object, using a DBT distress tolerance skill during emotional overwhelm. The image symbolises surviving intense feelings with tools like cold water, breathing, and radical acceptance.

Mindful Pathways

Mindful Pathways

Calm Wave Studio

Calm Wave Studio

DBTSupportHub.com

DBTSupportHub.com

Skillful Means

Skillful Means


What Is Distress Tolerance in DBT?

Distress Tolerance is one of the four core modules in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT). It focuses on equipping individuals with skills to endure and survive crises without resorting to behaviors that may worsen the situation. These skills are particularly useful when immediate solutions are unavailable, and the primary goal is to tolerate and navigate the distressing moment.


🎯 Goals of Distress Tolerance

  • Survive immediate emotional crises without making things worse.

  • Accept reality as it is, even if it's painful.

  • Develop resilience to cope with future distressing situations.

By mastering these skills, individuals can manage intense emotions more effectively, reducing the likelihood of impulsive or harmful reactions.

Intense emotions

Intense emotions

Intense emotions

Skills to manage anxiety, panic, and moments of overwhelm—so you’re not ruled by them.

Skills to manage anxiety, panic, and moments of overwhelm—so you’re not ruled by them.

A person sitting in a safe, softly lit space, gently holding their chest or stomach with closed eyes. Calm but slightly activated. Warm tones, indoor lighting, body-centered.
A person sitting in a safe, softly lit space, gently holding their chest or stomach with closed eyes. Calm but slightly activated. Warm tones, indoor lighting, body-centered.
A hand holding a grounding object (like a smooth stone or worry bead), or a person writing in a journal while sitting cross-legged. Soft blanket nearby.
A hand holding a grounding object (like a smooth stone or worry bead), or a person writing in a journal while sitting cross-legged. Soft blanket nearby.

Healthy coping

Healthy coping

Healthy coping

Short-term actions that prevent impulsive decisions and help you get through difficult urges.

Short-term actions that prevent impulsive decisions and help you get through difficult urges.

Surviving the storm

Surviving the storm

Surviving the storm

Step-by-step strategies to help you ride out strong feelings without making them worse.

Step-by-step strategies to help you ride out strong feelings without making them worse.

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Stay supported.

Get helpful DBT tips.

Get helpful DBT tips.

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