TIPP Skills in DBT for Teens: What They Are & How to Use Them
╰┈➤ TIPP skills are effective ways to cope that are part of DBT therapy. These skills help teenagers deal with emotions when they feel too much, get scared, get too angry, or can’t control themselves. The letters in TIPP stand for temperature, exercise, paced breathing, and progressive muscle relaxation. TIPP techniques help control the body’s reactions. So, these techniques give people time to think before they do something impulsively. However, TIPP skills are coping methods but are not therapy or treatment in case you have a psychological disorder. The aim of this article is to provide information about TIPP skills, explain their meaning and working process, ways to apply them for teenagers under emotional distress, examples, precautions, and the difference between TIPP and other DBT coping skills. What Are TIPP Skills? TIPP is one of the DBT skills for distress tolerance, and it is meant to help in situations where one’s emotions get so high that the process of problem-solving becomes impossible. The four steps include the following: T – Temperature: Changing the temperature around your face to help yourself calm down due to strong physical arousal. I – Intense Exercise: Doing quick exercises to discharge accumulated physical energy. P – Paced Breathing: Slowing down your breath, especially making the exhalation longer. P – Progressive Muscle Relaxation: Contracting and relaxing particular muscle groups to release physical tension. Well, the idea is not to make the disturbing situation go away. What needs to be done is just lowering the intensity of your emotional response first, and only after that will you be able to think, communicate, or apply any other coping method. Is It TIPP or TIP? Well, you will find both TIP skills and TIPP skills on the internet. Original TIP skills generally involve: Temperature Intense Exercise Paced Breathing However, many DBT materials and therapists consider TIPP as four steps that incorporate Progressive Muscle Relaxation into TIPP skills. This means that when you type “TIP skills,” “TIPP skills,” or “DBT TIPP” into your search engine, you will likely find almost identical information. Why Do Teens Use TIPP Skills? Undoubtedly, adolescence comes with intense emotions, peer pressure, school-related pressures, family conflicts, relationship issues, and fast-changing situations. Occasionally, the emotional response becomes greater than the situation. For instance, consider the case of a teenager receiving an SMS from his good friend: “We need to talk.” In seconds, the person may begin asking himself: Did I do something bad? Are they upset with me? Are they going to ignore me? Everyone will know. His heartbeat will speed up. The person’s muscles become tight. He feels the need to fire back a message full of rage or repeatedly call his buddy. Then, trying to sort everything out with a calm mind may not be easy. Therefore, TIPP provides the teenager with something practical to do before anything else. After the body calms down, the teenager can choose what to do next. And here lies the essence of distress tolerance – surviving the wave of emotions without worsening the situation. How Do TIPP Skills Work? TIPP is about the relationship between your body and emotions. Emotions are not only thoughts; they may lead to physical responses such as: A quickening heart rate Tensing of muscles Sweating Increased respiration Irritability Shaking Sensation of heat or cold Powerful urge to take action right away So, TIPP intervenes in these physical responses. Rather than fighting the emotion, you work on calming your mind and the body for a moment. This is important because the overload of the nervous system makes it difficult to stop and reflect before choosing an action. What Does the “T” in TIPP Stand For? T = Temperature The first T refers to “Temperature”. According to the conventional DBT TIP strategy, the application of cold stimuli to the face is used as a quick distress tolerance strategy. Cold water or ice is applied to the face for some time. It does not mean that you have to “freeze” your emotions. Cold stimuli may produce a strong bodily response, which helps distract you from the emotional process and decrease your physiological arousal. How Can a Teenager Apply Temperature Safely? Here is a simplified way: Get a cold pack. Cover it with some kind of cloth. Apply the pack gently; place it on the face for some time. Take it off and pay attention to the changes in the physiological state of your body. Take several deep breaths. DBT manuals mention the following ways of using cold stimuli – facial immersion in ice water or holding your breath using cold water. However, there are some contraindications to applying such techniques. If you suffer from any heart disease, respiratory disorders, tend to faint, or have some other health issues, you had better consult with your doctor before using intense cold stimuli. Do not expose yourself to extremes of cold, direct application of ice to the body, or any form of torture. The purpose of these practices is to control the body, not torture it. What Does the “I” in TIPP Stand For? I = Intense Exercise So, “ I” stands for “Intense Exercise”. If you are very angry, anxious, restless, or emotionally activated, your body may feel like it needs to do something. Brief exercises can help you use up some of this excess physical energy. This could include: Fast walking Running Jumping jacks Squats Basketball Biking Dancing Another form of safe vigorous exercise According to DBT resources, activities including running, fast walking, jumping, basketball, and weightlifting are examples. Example of Using Intense Exercise after Conflict: For instance, your parents take your phone away after an argument. You feel extremely angry. You wish to bang the door shut and send a nasty message to somebody. However, you spend some minutes running or doing other physical activities. Your body will feel less activated as a result. You have not fixed the issue. But you may now be