During intense emotional states, our brain’s rational thinking is compromised. This is why telling someone to “think logically” or try to reason their way out of a crisis can be practically useless. What might be more helpful is engaging in TIPP dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) skills.
To help you understand TIPP skills and whether they could be useful for your teen, this page explores:
According to psychologist Marsha Linehan’s biosocial model, some people are born with a natural, biological sensitivity to emotions. These people have a lower threshold for triggering emotions. They also experience emotions much more strongly, and their return to their emotional baseline is typically slower once they are upset.
When these individuals grow up or remain in environments that invalidate, dismiss, or punish them for their feelings and how they experience them, their emotional alarm system learns to stay on high alert. As a result, they’re more prone to intense emotional overwhelm.[1]
Because the human brain is wired to seek safety in such peak moments, there is a natural tendency to search for whatever will give immediate relief. This is why people in deep emotional pain can often resort to “crisis behaviors” or unhealthy coping styles such as:[2]
While these behaviors can be effective at giving someone short-term relief, in the long term they can damage relationships and health. As a result, they can then become trapped in an endless cycle of shame and distress. This is where distress tolerance comes into play.
Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) was developed by psychologist Marsha Linehan in the late 1980s based on an excellent balance: a “dialectic” between acceptance and change.[1]
Distress tolerance is a specific toolkit in DBT designed for crisis survival. Its main goal is to help a teen get through a difficult, painful moment without doing anything to make the situation worse.
Distress tolerance teaches teens how to accept the pain of the moment rather than judging themselves for having emotions. The concepts of acceptance and change in DBT work by facilitating:
Distress tolerance skills do not solve long-term life problems, and they won’t instantly make a teen’s emotional pain disappear. Instead, they are like physical stabilizers. They can help teens “ride out” the peak of the emotional wave so they can manage the crisis safely, keeping their relationships, their body, and their self-respect intact.[2]
TIPP is a simple acronym that stands for the four somatic tools in DBT’s distress tolerance skills:[2]
In the following sections, we provide a breakdown of what each of these skills involves.
When a teen’s mind is emotionally on fire, engaging in intense but safe physical sensation can shock their system, which snaps it out of the panic loop. One of the best ways to do this is by changing their physical temperature. They can practice this by filling a bowl with icy-cold water, taking a deep breath, and submerging their face for 15 to 30 seconds.
This icy cold plunge triggers the human dive reflex – the body is tricked into thinking they have plunged into a cold lake. To save oxygen, their body activates the parasympathetic system, and their emotions can be regulated.[3],” part=”StatPearls Publishing” url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK538245/”]
When we are in a state of anxiety or anger, our nervous system activates the fight-or-flight system. As a result, our muscles are flooded with adrenaline and somatic energy. Trying to sit completely still during this can make a teen feel like they are jumping out of their skin.[4],” part=”StatPearls Publishing” url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK541120/”]
During such moments, engaging in 10 to 15 minutes of quick, high-intensity activity such as sit-ups, sprinting up a flight of stairs, doing jumping jacks, or running as fast as they can releases the pent-up adrenaline and energy. This helps them avoid taking energy out in a destructive manner.[5]
During emotional distress, a teen’s breathing becomes shallow and fast. This sends a continuous stream of panic messages to their brain. Paced breathing helps them take manual control of their breathing.
Slowing down breathing rate activates the vagus nerve, which sends a message of safety back to their nervous system. As a result, their parasympathetic nervous system is activated. This leads to their heart rate slowing down and a reduction in the racing thoughts in their head.[6]
A teen can practice paced breathing by finding a comfortable place to sit and then focusing on their breath and following these steps:
When we are stressed or anxious, we unconsciously store physical tension in our jaws, neck, shoulders, and hands. Progressive muscle relaxation helps a teen release this tension.
A teen can practice this by lying or sitting down in a quiet and comfortable space. They take a few slow breaths and scan their body from head to toe. Next, they tense each muscle group for 15 seconds and then release them for 30 seconds. They should start with their forehead, then move to the jaw, shoulders and neck, hands and arms, and finally their lower body.
Clinical research has proven that this practice directly reduces symptoms of anxiety and depression, in addition to improving overall sleep quality.[7]
Mission Prep is here to help you or your loved one take the next steps towards an improved mental well-being.
TIPP skills are so uniquely powerful because they work from a “bottom-up” approach instead of trying to work from the “top-down.”[8] This is how we differentiate between the approaches:
During emotional overwhelm, it can be immensely difficult to engage our thoughts. TIPP skills are designed in such a way that they “jump-start” our parasympathetic nervous system, which acts as the body’s built-in brake pedal.
When we are overwhelmed, our brains cannot access their memories efficiently. Many people learning DBT report that they couldn’t even think of their distress tolerance skills when their tension spiked.
To manage a crisis safely, a teen could prepare a TIPP emergency kit beforehand. You can help them build one by using the following steps:
A major barrier to distress tolerance is that many people fear judgment while using coping tools in front of others. A teen can build a portable kit that involves subtle tools such as:
We cannot learn to swim while we are drowning. Therefore, a teen should practice these skills in states of low tension first, so they can get comfortable with them. With time, it will gradually become easier and more automatic to use them during crisis situations.
When we are highly distressed, we might need outside help to remember our tools. As a parent, you can learn more about your teen’s toolkit to help them access it when you need it most. They can also talk to other trusted adults or close friends to keep them in the loop.
It’s important to avoid physical extremes such as overusing ice packs, which can cause freezer burns, or exercising excessively, which can strain muscles.
Also, a teen should not use these skills to completely avoid their emotions. These tools are just the beginning, so they can use problem-solving and therapy to heal in the long run.
Mission Prep provides treatment for teens experiencing various mental health conditions. Mental Health support is a phone call away – call 866-901-4047 to learn about your treatment options.
See our residences in Southern California’s Los Angeles & San Diego areas.
View our facilities in Loudoun County, VA within the DC metro area.
If you or your teen is struggling with intense emotions or mental health issues, support is available. At Mission Prep Teen Treatment, we offer a variety of treatment programs and use evidence-based therapeutic approaches and innovative interventions to foster sustainable change for adolescents and their families.
Whether your teen could benefit from residential treatment at one of our locations in California or Virginia, or something more flexible like an outpatient mental health program or virtual telehealth to treat their mental health concerns, our team can help.
Mission Prep Teen Treatment accepts insurance and is in-network with most major providers. We are happy to help you check your insurance coverage for mental health care.
Contact us online or call 866-901-4047 to speak with a caring member of our team who can answer any questions you might have. Reach out for a free, no-obligation conversation.
"*" indicates required fields
🔒 100% Confidential
No Commitment
✓ Instant Results
Are You Covered for Mental Health Treatment?
We’re in-network with many providers. Call us at 866-901-4047 to verify your benefits and find out how much your plan will cover
Find out if Mission Prep is right for you by reaching out to us and speaking with one of our admissions representatives.
