Welcome to the new age of anxiety. Come in, get comfortable and let’s learn how to deal, together.
That’s the pandemic-era message we’ve learned through a practice called distress tolerance. It’s part of a school of therapy known as Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) that offers practical solutions to lingering discomforts, whether you’re struggling with minor irritability or major depression. Originally developed in the 1970s by a formerly suicidal young woman who went on to become an award-winning psychology professor, DBT is today utilized by a wide range of adolescents and adults trying to deal with ongoing trauma…like, a global health crisis that seems to have no end date in sight.
We asked Dr. Karol Darsa, psychologist and author of The Trauma Map: Five Steps to Reconnect with Yourself, for tips on using distress tolerance and DBT in our daily lives.
PureWow: Let’s start with a speed round. Say I’m in a crowded subway with maskless riders and I’m concerned about a breakthrough Covid infection. What can I do?