In Dialectical Behavior Therapy, we are all about the acronyms. In week 5 of DBT, participants continue to learn more about distress tolerance skills and ways to cope. We covered several acronyms to help our teens turn to different strategies when things get tough.
The first skill is the ACCEPTS skill. Teens learned that following this acronym can be a helpful way to distract themselves in the moment. The idea behind this is to not make things worse while navigating a crisis situation.
For example, your teen comes home from school and is in a puddle of tears. You try to intervene but are afraid of making things worse.
Perhaps suggesting an ACCEPT skill will help distract your teen in the moment to get through the crisis situation. Accept stands for:
Activities. Try journaling, going for a walk, doing a word search, coloring and or watching your favorite movie.
Contribute. Send a thoughtful text message to a friend, volunteer in your community, help with a chore, give away things you don’t need.
Compare. Compare this time to a time you felt differently, compare your situation to a different circumstance. See how they may be different and if this situation is less intense in any way.
Emotions. Engage in something that provokes a different emotion. Watch a rom com, read a comic strip, listen to soothing sounds, etc.
Push away. Push the situation out of your mind temporarily. Put your current emotions in a box on a shelf, build an imaginary wall between you and the situation. Just get rid of it for the moment, by blocking the thought.
Thoughts. Replace your current thoughts with other thoughts. Count to 10, sing a song, do a word puzzle, read the latest celebrity drama on TMZ.
Sensations. Try something that changes the way your body feels. Make slime, take a hot shower, drink warm tea, squeeze a stress ball.
The second skill teens learn are ways to IMPROVE the moment when crisis strikes.
Improve stands for:
Imagery. This skill is targeted to help teens imagine a new place. Whether it is their safe haven, a calm setting, or maybe sitting on the beach somewhere. Anywhere that is different than their current environment.
Meaning. Try and making meaning out of the painful situation. See if any positive conclusions can be drawn from the pain that is experienced.
Prayer. Spend some time in prayer, talking to God or a higher power. Seek strength within yourself or another spiritual realm.
Relaxation. Drink some tea, take a warm bath, diffuse essential oils or light your favorite scented candle.
One thing in the moment. Try and focus on one thing at a time. Practice mindfulness and be fully present to your surroundings. Remove distractions that simultaneously pull your mind in different directions
Vacation. Take a brief time out from your current stressors. Take a nap, go to the park for the day, spend the day in your favorite place, take an hour mental break from homework.
Encourage. Fill your mind with upbeat and inspiring messages. “I can do this”, “This too shall pass”, “I will make it out of this”, “I am strong”.
The third and final skill covered during week 5 is self soothing skills. Although there is no acronym for this skill, it can easily be remembered by the five senses.
These skills are meant for teens to practice ways to feel calm while providing comfort to themselves.
The first sense is vision. Try this by noticing the nature scenes in the area, watching the sunrise/sunset, watching the flame of a candle, and observing the light in the room.
Next comes hearing. Have your teen listen to their surrounding sounds, play their favorite music, hum a soothing tune, or notice the wind blowing or rain falling.
The third sense is smell. You can encourage your teen to put their favorite lotion on, open the window to smell the fresh air, and or light a scented candle. Try to use any of their favorite smells to help create an experience that is calming.
The next sense is taste. You can try by making your teen’s favorite snack, popping popcorn, savoring a mint or hard candy, trying different ice cream flavors or drinking a cup of hot chocolate.
Lastly, is touch. You can encourage your teen to lay on a soft pillow, sit with a weighted blanket, pet your dog or cat, and put on comfy clothes that feel cozy.
When intense emotions rise, remind your teen of these skills and see how the crisis situation can improve in the moment. Not every skill will work for your teen so it may take a few tries to figure out what skills work best for your teen when crisis situations pop up.