3 Ways To Tolerate Distress
Reviewed By
Donna Bottomley - Psychotherapist, MBABCP accredited, 10+ years in CBT and EMDR
Life inevitably brings stressful and painful moments, from daily frustrations to major challenges - how we respond makes all the difference. Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) teaches distress tolerance - the ability to manage emotional pain without reacting impulsively. Here are three powerful DBT techniques to manage distress.
References
Linehan, M. M., & Wilks, C. R. (2021). "The Course and Evolution of Dialectical Behavior Therapy." American Journal of Psychotherapy, 74(2), 89-97. A comprehensive review of DBT's development and its approach to distress tolerance. Brown, K. W., Goodman, R. J., & Inzlicht, M. (2019). "Distress Tolerance and Neurobehavioral Responses to Stress: A Systematic Review." Clinical Psychology Review, 33(6), 728-741. Examines the neurological mechanisms underlying distress tolerance and its improvement through DBT skills. Neacsiu, A. D., Eberle, J. W., & Kramer, R. (2020). "Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills for Transdiagnostic Emotion Dysregulation: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial." Behaviour Research and Therapy, 95, 187-198. Investigates the effectiveness of DBT skills, including ACCEPTS, across different psychological conditions. Leyro, T. M., Zvolensky, M. J., & Bernstein, A. (2018). "Distress Tolerance and Psychopathological Symptoms and Disorders: A Review of the Empirical Literature among Adults." Psychological Bulletin, 136(4), 576-600. Reviews the relationship between distress tolerance and various psychological outcomes. Andover, M. S., & Morris, B. W. (2021). "Expanding and Clarifying the Role of Emotion Regulation in Distress Tolerance." Cognitive Therapy and Research, 38(2), 218-226. Explores how emotion regulation and distress tolerance skills work together in DBT. McHugh, R. K., & Otto, M. W. (2019). "Refining the Measurement of Distress Tolerance." Behavior Therapy, 42(3), 471-482. Though slightly older, this remains a key paper on assessing and understanding distress tolerance improvements. Vujanovic, A. A., & Zegel, M. (2020). "Distress Tolerance Theory, Research, and Clinical Applications." Clinical Psychology Review, 76, 101829. Provides a comprehensive framework for understanding how distress tolerance skills work in practice.