Crisis Prevention: Experience Intense Sensations

Experience Intense Sensations

Sometimes generating intense physical sensations can distract the mind from painful emotions. This helps explain why many people resort to cutting or hurting themselves in other ways: because it can actually help them feel better temporarily. Obviously, the key here is to help identify intense sensations that aren’t harmful. Think about physical sensations you can generate that might take your mind off a crisis. For people who engage in self-harm, try holding an ice cube in one hand. This can cause physical pain if held long enough, and the sensation is intense. For some people, this can take the place of self-harming behaviors. Here are some examples of other things you might do to get your mind off a crisis:

• Take a hot or cold bath or shower.
• Keep a rubber band on one wrist and snap it—not so hard that it causes a lot of physical pain, but hard enough to generate a sensation that will temporarily occupy the mind.
• Chew on crushed ice or frozen fruit.
• Go for a walk in cold or hot weather.
• Lie in the hot sun (with sunscreen on!).

Again, add whatever intense sensations you can think of to your list of activities to help survive a crisis.

Sources: DBT Made Simple