EXPERIENCING ISSUES WITH
Distress tolerance?
Distress tolerance is the ability to tolerate difficult emotions and situations without resorting to unhealthy or destructive behaviors.
Need immediate help?
If you or someone you know is in danger of hurting themselves or someone else — or if there’s any type of health emergency — please call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR
How issues with distress tolerance might show up
Distress tolerance is a skill that can be learned and improved with practice by identifying your triggers, accepting your emotions, and finding healthy copy mechanisms.
Identifying your triggers: What are the things that typically cause you to feel distressed? Once you know what your triggers are, you can start to develop strategies for coping with them.
Accepting your emotions: It is important to allow yourself to feel your emotions, even if they are negative. Trying to suppress your emotions will only make them worse in the long run.
Need immediate help?
If you or someone you know is in danger of hurting themselves or someone else — or if there’s any type of health emergency — please call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department.
Finding healthy coping mechanisms: Healthy ways to cope with distress include exercise, relaxation techniques, and spending time with loved ones. It is important to find coping mechanisms that work for you and to practice them regularly. Therapy, including individual therapy and group therapy, can help you learn important coping skills to put in place to help regulate emotions and behaviors.
Frequently asked questions about distress tolerance
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Distress tolerance helps us navigate life’s frequent challenges and uncomfortable emotions. Someone with low distress tolerance faces increased risks of behavioral health issues such as substance use, worsened anxiety and mood disorders, self-harm, or social isolation to avoid difficult emotions.
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Reach out for help managing distress tolerance if you’re struggling to cope with difference emotions and that is interfering with your daily life, from relationships with family and friends to work or school. Treatment can also help with unhealthy coping behaviors such as substance use or self-harm.