Signs of Distress Intolerant Thinking

If you take desperate measures to get away from uncomfortable emotions, that is a clear sign of distress intolerance. Some desperate measures people take might include:

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Numbing: This is when a person indulges in alcohol or substances to get away from emotional discomfort. Other unhelpful methods of numbing include binge eating, oversleeping.

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Avoidance: This involves avoiding a situation when there is even a slight hint of distressing emotions. This includes things like avoiding an activity because you’re anxious, putting off doing something you really need to because you’re frustrated etc.

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Harmful Releases: Instead of letting the uncomfortable emotion run its course, people engage in behaviors such as kicking, biting, cutting or other destructive activities. It causes physical harm to yourself or others while also worsening the emotion that is left unhandled.

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Suppression: This involves telling yourself to stop and trying to push away the distress. The problem with this method is that it’s hard to keep for a long time. It’ll eventually become really tiresome and come crashing down.