Posted by Dinah on August 12, 2009, at 12:35:02
http://www.dbtselfhelp.com/html/distress_tolerance.html
In the thread above, distress tolerance was mentioned as one of the ways to deal with therapist absence.
I've got my own methods of distress tolerance, but I don't think they are very adaptive. I play endless games of bubbles (distraction), shop (distraction), take a risperdal (not on the list), have a forgetting sleep (can't figure out where that would fall), and brain smoothing - which is a term I use that no one else probably understands. It involves suddenly not being upset. Often midsentence, I'll stop, and my brain will smooth over and I'll forget what I'm saying, and I won't be upset. I think it's some dissociative skill, but I don't see dissociation on the list either.
In the moment I'm distressed, I think I have trouble self soothing or improving the moment. I rock sometimes. Either with or without a rocking chair. I sometimes find comfort in repetitive movements. I suppose that could be self soothing.
I'm trying to think of things that are more adaptive then compulsively shopping or reaching for my cell phone to play bubbles. Yet that are as easy to remember at a time when I'm not thinking all that clearly.
My therapist gave me a list of suggestions a long time ago. I wonder if I could find them. I remember being absolutely shocked that orgasm was on the list. :) I hardly knew the man and he was talking about orgasms.
Would anyone like to join me in working on these things? We've talked about it before, but I don't know if we've ever gotten around to doing it.
poster:Dinah
thread:911764
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/psycho/20090730/msgs/911764.html