Distress Tolerance, Distraction, and Mindfulness Matters

Abstract

This chapter reviews distress tolerance and strategies for developing them in students. Distress tolerance skills were developed in dialectical behavior therapy, particularly relevant to students who have great amounts of difficulty modulating negative emotions. Although parents may be tempted to jump in with problem-solving for their teens, a better approach is to assist teens in developing the ability to tolerate distress. Modeling distress tolerance is one strategy, as is incorporating mindfulness into the family. Meditation is also discussed as a possibility for detaching from negative emotions. Exercises for breathing, meditation, mindful observation, and muscle relaxation are included. A case is discussed––an overwhelmed student whose parents consistently protected her from distress; subsequently, she self-medicated with marijuana and alcohol.