Are Distraction Skills Helping or Hurting?

Distraction & DBT: 

Distraction skills can help! Yes, that’s right, distraction is a skill. In DBT we use distraction skills. An example of this is the Wise Mind Accepts distress tolerance skill. This skill helps us to tolerate and distract from a crisis situation until we are ready to cope with it head on. The wise mind accepts skill consists of using activities, contributing, comparisons, emotions, pushing away, thoughts and sensations as ways to distract. 

Distraction vs Avoidance:

There is a difference between distracting and avoiding. Distraction is planned, has a purpose and is short term. Avoidance can turn into long term and can be habit forming. Avoidance often ends up making things worse for us. Distraction is an effective way of coping until you are ready to come back to the challenge. Whereas with avoidance we won’t come back to the challenge or problem which is not coping. 

Why Distraction Works:

While distraction is not the solution to solving our problems, it is an effective short-term way of coping. Distraction can help us when we are feeling emotionally overwhelmed and having urges. Distraction can help us use our wise mind before making an impulsive decision or acting on an urge when in the emotional mind. Distraction works because it helps put time and space between what is triggering us. Distraction can also help us to work to change our painful emotions.