Over the past weeks, it may have felt like the stressors in our world have increased exponentially, so it is more important now than ever to practice positive means of coping.
Today I will be discussing a distress tolerance skill from Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, also known as DBT. DBT is an evidence-based practice created by Marsha Linehan that provides many skills to assist individuals to manage life stressors, and seeks to find balance between acceptance of our current self and with working towards positive change.
The DBT skill we will be discussing is Radical Acceptance. The skill of Radical Acceptance is useful for times that you have no control over experiencing painful events and emotions.
In order to practice Radical Acceptance we must stop fighting against reality, and accept reality the way that it currently is. We must accept that the facts of the past & the presents are simply the facts, whether we like them or not, and acknowledge realistic limitations to the future. We must recognize that everything has a cause, and that life is still worth living, despite difficult times and events.
It is important to accept reality because if we go the opposite way, and reject our reality, it does nothing to change it, and will only turn our pain into greater suffering.
Refusing to accept reality leads to unhappiness, frustration, shame and sadness.
Acceptance may still lead to sadness, but this is typically time limited, and is followed by a feeling of calmness. The only way out is through. If we wish to change our reality, the first step to any change is acceptance.
This is a challenging time for all of us, so please don’t hesitate to reach out if you need support. I can be reached by calling the Telluride Medical Center at 970-728-3848, or if you are a patient of Telluride Medical Center, by messaging me through the Telluride Medical Center portal.
If you are experiencing a mental health crisis, please call The Center for Mental Health’s crisis line at 970.252.6220.
Be well,
Lindsay Wright
Lindsay Wright | Behavioral Health
Telluride Medical Center
