Distress Tolerance Skills for Binge Eating Disorder Recovery

Distress tolerance skills can be valuable tools for individuals struggling with binge eating. These DBT skills focus on managing intense emotions and urges in a healthy way without turning to binge eating as a coping mechanism. The ability to tolerate and accept distress is essential to mental well-being. If you're looking to learn more about distress tolerance skills or in need of Binge Eating Disorder Treatment in New York, NY, consider reaching out to an eating disorder therapist who specializes in DBT for Binge Eating Disorder. A binge eating disorder therapist at Bianca VonBank Therapy can teach you more about these DBT skills and how these skills can support your recovery journey.

What is Distress Tolerance?

Distress tolerance skills are intended to help you when you are experiencing emotional pain, challenges, or when your distress is at such a level that you aren’t in the right headspace to make effective choices. Distress tolerance skills can help you tolerate the intense emotions of the current moment without making things worse. For example, turning or resorting to binge eating. These skills can help keep us from giving in to binge cravings and urges on the way to binge eating disorder recovery.

When Should I Practice Distress Tolerance Skills?

Distress Tolerance skills fall into two main categories: reality acceptance skills and crisis survival skills. These skills were created for situations in which you are struggling with the reality of a situation or when you are in an emotional crisis. An emotional crisis varies depending on the person and situation. Generally, you want to think of an emotional crisis as a time when your distress has reached a level where you aren’t thinking clearly. It is also when you aren’t able to access your wise mind and are at risk for engaging in an impulsive behavior such as binge eating. Some skills I like to think of as a mental health vitamin to be taken daily, such as mindfulness. With distress tolerance skills, I think of them as a mental health antibiotic - to be taken in more dire circumstances, as needed.

Crisis Survival Skills

1. The STOP Skill: This can keep you from acting impulsively on your emotions.

2. Pros and Cons: Allows you to compare the advantages and disadvantages of different options. Temporarily remove yourself from a crisis situation by thinking about the pros and cons of your behavior such as acting on the impulse to binge. This allows you to make an informed choice versus an automatic response.

3. TIP Your Body Chemistry: A quick way of reducing high emotional arousal by changing your body chemistry.

4. Distract: Distraction skills help to remove yourself from emotional triggers or situations that are too overwhelming. Distraction skills are used to interrupt the crisis long enough for you to reduce your dysregulation levels. This helps to be better able to return to navigating the crisis at hand and use other skills in your toolbox.

5. Self-Soothe: Doing things that feel pleasant and comforting, providing relief from stress or pain. Filling 1 or all of your senses (vision, hearing, smell, taste, touch) with pleasant experiences.

6. Improve the Moment: Improve the quality of the present moment, making it easier to survive a crisis without making it worse.

Reality Acceptance Skills

1. Radical Acceptance: To use when you cannot keep painful events and emotions from coming your way. It reduces suffering and increases your sense of freedom by finding ways to accept aspects of your life.

2. Turning the Mind: Actively choosing to accept reality over and over.

3. Willingness: Readiness to respond to life’s situations wisely, as needed, without a grudge. The opposite of willfulness.

4. Half-Smiling and Willing Hands: Accepting reality with your body. Increase your chances of experiencing internal acceptance through your body.

5. Mindfulness of Current Thoughts: Noticing and radically accepting thoughts. Observing thoughts as thoughts rather than facts about the world. This allows them to come and go without attachment or judgment.

How Can I Incorporate Distress Tolerance Skills into My Recovery?

Consider distress tolerance skills your emotional emergency kit. They were made to act fast and help bring you back to a more effective state. First, you want to try and practice the skills. No need to wait for an emotional crisis! Learn which skills and strategies work best for YOU. Have some go-to’s under your belt. Build familiarity with these skills so they become more integrated into how you respond to life when things get tough. Think about what areas in your life you could benefit from using distress tolerance. Prepare for these strategies to be a part of your coping plan.

Remember, developing distress tolerance skills takes practice and patience. It's essential to be consistent in utilizing these skills to effectively manage urges and emotions associated with binge eating.

Learn Distress Tolerance Skills through Eating Disorder Treatment in New York, NY Today!

If you're struggling with binge eating disorder, learning distress tolerance skills can be a crucial step in your binge eating disorder recovery. At Bianca VonBank Therapy, I offer compassionate support and evidence-based therapy to help you develop these essential DBT skills. My goal is to empower you to manage intense emotions and urges in a healthy way, without turning to binge eating. Your path to healing and recovery starts with Binge Eating Disorder Treatment in New York, NY. Take the first step towards a healthier relationship with food and yourself by following the steps below:

• Reach out to schedule a free consultation.

• Speak with an experienced binge eating disorder therapist.

• Learn distress tolerance skills to aid in your binge eating disorder recovery!

Other Therapy Services Offered at Bianca VonBank Therapy in New York, NY, and Online Throughout NY + FL

At Bianca VonBank Therapy, I provide a variety of services tailored to support your mental health and well-being. In addition to offering Binge Eating Disorder Treatment in New York, NY, I specialize in providing therapy for a number of concerns. This includes Therapy for Women and Anxiety Treatment. In therapy, I address common issues such as body image concerns, burnout, perfectionism, and relationship issues. My approach is grounded in evidence-based practices. These practices include Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT). Whether you're seeking help for a specific issue or aiming to enhance your overall mental wellness, I am committed to delivering personalized and effective care to facilitate your growth. Reach out today to discover more and embark on your journey toward a life filled with fulfillment and tranquility.