Crisis Survival

Nature and purpose of distress tolerance

Distress tolerance is defined as the ability to endure and survive painful emotional events or difficult situations without resorting to behaviors that make the situation worse.

Unlike emotional regulation strategies, which seek to change emotion, or problem solving, which seeks to alter the environment, these skills are designed for short-term damage containment.

They start from the premise that pain is an inevitable part of life, but suffering-understood as the non-acceptance of pain or impulsive reaction to it-is optional.

The goal is not to feel good, but to ride out the storm without being shipwrecked, maintaining safety and integrity until the emotional intensity diminishes enough to apply other tools.

Criteria for the application of crisis skills

These tools are not a lifestyle, but a "first aid kit".

They should be deployed when the level of emotional arousal is so high that the prefrontal cortex - responsible for logical thinking and planning - is hijacked by the limbic system.

In this state, attempting to analyze the situation or have a deep conversation is often counterproductive.

Crisis survival skills are indicated when there is an intense urge to act destructively, when the solution to the problem is not immediate, or when time is needed to buy time to regain physiological and mental equilibrium.

If used excessively to avoid everyday problems, they can become a form of experiential avoidance, so their use should be strategic and temporary.

The STOP skill to stop reactivity

The STOP skill is an acronym that guides immediate intervention in the face of a dangerous impulse.

The "S" (Stop) implies freezing physically; not moving, not speaking, not writing that message.

The "T" (Take a step back) suggests taking distance, physically or mentally, from the trigger, breathing deeply to break the cycle of automatic reactivity.

The "O" (Observe) invites to look at the environment and the internal state with objectivity: what is really happening, beyond the catastrophic interpretation? Finally, the "P" (Proceed mindfully) means acting with full awareness, asking what action will serve long-term goals rather than alleviating momentary discomfort.

For example, instead of yelling at an unfair boss (impulse), one stops, breathes, observes the tension in one's body, and decides to ask for a break to calm down (mindful action).

Summary

Discomfort tolerance is defined as the ability to survive painful events without making the situation worse through destructive behaviors. It does not seek to eliminate the pain, but to get through the crisis while maintaining integrity until equilibrium is restored.

These skills function as a first aid kit when emotional arousal blocks logical thinking. They are used to stop dangerous impulses and buy time, avoiding permanent decisions under extreme temporary emotional states.

The STOP technique guides immediate intervention: physically stopping, taking distance and objectively observing the situation. It allows acting with full awareness rather than reacting automatically, aligning behavior with long-term goals.