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Have you ever noticed that when you feel an emotion really strongly, your brain seems to turn off? This often happens when we are angry or afraid.
This is our body’s defense mechanism for facing threats. Resources are directed toward large muscle groups in order to fight or flee. Higher level thinking is not needed in this moment, and is shut down. This mechanism is designed to kick in during life-threatening situations.
Our bodies also react to non-life-threatening situations as if they were life-threatening. For example, forgetting to complete an assignment at work or school elicits a crisis response.
So, if we cut off higher level thinking in this situation, we run the risk of exercising poor judgment or making an impulsive decision. Therefore, we need Distress Tolerance Skills (any healthy activity to calm down) to get through this moment.
We use Distress Tolerance Skills when we are in Emotion Mind or moving toward Emotion Mind. If we are not thinking clearly, that is an indication that a Distress Tolerance skill is needed in order to calm down, return to baseline, and find Wise Mind.
Distress Tolerance skills can be divided into 3 categories: Crisis Survival Skills, Accepting Reality Skills, Becoming Free (from addiction).
Many of the Crisis Survival Skills look like avoidance. Technically, they are avoiding because they are designed to take our minds off the stressful situation and help us calm down. We can then turn back to the problem at hand once back in Wise Mind.
It is important not to use these skills with the intent of avoiding a responsibility. That would be a misuse of the skill. Distress Tolerance skills are not designed for everyday problems and stressors. They are for stressful, short-term moments of emotional crisis.