by I hope that everyone found a way to enjoy the weekend with the pleasant spring weather.
It appeared that many of you have had a challenging and emotional week, and I want to take a moment to clarify how to use DBT skills during these moments.
Distress Tolerance skills will help us to manage an emotional crisis. We have not covered these skills in the group for several months. However, think of any activity that you can do to distract yourself from the crisis or calm yourself down. The list is endless and can include taking a hot shower, exercising, gardening, or doing a craft project. It is vital that you avoid using any substance except for prescribed medication, taken as prescribed. Alcohol or marijuana may help in the short term, but these substances can cause problems later, and they can impair your ability to think clearly. DBT does not condone the use of any mood-altering substance.
Biologically, humans lose access to higher level thinking when in a highly emotional state. This is related to the “fight or flight” response where executive functioning is not necessary. Trying to utilize any thinking skills while in this state is usually ineffective. Thinking skills are helpful in preventing us from reaching this state. However, once in emotional crisis, distress tolerance skills are the appropriate approach to calm down and return to baseline.
Thinking skills such as the thought record and analyzing cognitive distortions are vital for effecting long-term change in core beliefs. These skills are implemented when a person is in wise mind and able to rationally evaluate a situation or a pattern of behavior. They are a powerful tool to develop new insights and understanding.