#9: Introduction to Distress Tolerance & the STOP Skill

#9: Introduction to Distress Tolerance & the STOP Skill

Author: Bay Area DBT & Couples Counseling Center July 24, 2019 Duration: 32:13
The Skillful Podcast
HealthHealth & FitnessEducationFitnessMentalSelf Improvement

Marielle and Ed delve into a discussion today on how you can learn to tolerate emotional distress and overwhelm without making things worse.  There's a whole range of behaviors that we can learn, from mindfulness to using creative ways to distract. Learn more about how to ride out emotional storms with getting carried away by the winds.

Show Highlights:

  • Resistance of emotional pain creates an additional level of suffering
  • Dialectical approach of accepting what is AND looking for ways to change
  • Cultural push to fix things
  • When we respond to emotional pain in unskillful ways
  • Learning to ride out emotional pain more skillfully
  • Feeling shame over the coping habits we have established
  • Distress tolerance skills are a natural outgrowth of mindfulness skills
  • Concepts of emotion mind, reasonable mind and wise mind
  • Subjective units of distress or SUDS
  • Learning to ride out the storm 
  • How we define a crisis in DBT
  • When NOT to use these skills
  • Skilled distraction
  • STOP skill is where we start: Stop, Take a Step Back, Observe, Proceed Mindfully

 

Links & Resources: 

www.bayareadbtcc.com

 

Book:

"DBT Skills Training Handouts and Worksheets" - by Marsha Linehan

Ask Us a Question!

We'd love to hear from you! Where are you getting stuck with your skills application? Ask us a question for the chance to have it answered on the podcast. Submit your question here. 

Please note that questions, and this podcast in general, are not a substitute for individual mental health treatment.


Hosted by the clinicians at the Bay Area DBT & Couples Counseling Center, The Skillful Podcast is a practical guide for anyone feeling stuck in their emotional patterns or relationships. Instead of abstract theory, each episode breaks down tangible skills from two powerful frameworks: Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) and Radically-Open DBT (RO-DBT). You'll hear straightforward explanations of concepts like mindfulness, distress tolerance, and emotional regulation, but also learn about the often-overlooked skills of openness, flexibility, and social connectedness that RO-DBT emphasizes. The focus is always on application-how to take these ideas off the therapist's couch and weave them into your daily interactions and internal world. Whether navigating personal stress, a challenging conversation, or the pursuit of a more fulfilling life, this podcast offers concrete tools to try in real time. It’s a resource for building resilience from the inside out, episode by episode. Tuning in feels less like a lecture and more like a thoughtful consultation, where complex psychological wisdom is translated into actionable steps for reducing suffering and fostering deeper connections with others and yourself.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 61

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