We've all been there—moments when emotions feel so intense that they threaten to overwhelm us completely. Maybe it's a panic attack before an important presentation, crushing disappointment after a rejection, or rage that makes you want to say or do something you'll regret. In these moments, we need more than advice to "just calm down." We need concrete, practical tools that actually work.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), developed by psychologist Marsha Linehan, offers exactly that: a set of crisis survival skills designed to help you get through intense emotional moments without making things worse. These aren't long-term solutions—they're your emergency toolkit for when you're in the eye of the storm.
What Makes a Crisis?
In DBT terms, a crisis is any situation where you're experiencing emotions so intense that acting on them impulsively could create serious problems. This might mean:
- Sending an angry text you can't take back
- Self-harming behaviors
- Substance abuse
- Abandoning important responsibilities
- Damaging important relationships
The goal of crisis survival skills isn't to solve the underlying problem right now. It's to survive the moment safely so you can address the real issues when you're in a calmer, clearer state of mind. What counts as a crisis in DBT covers where that line sits.
Where to go next
The skills themselves are covered in ACCEPTS and IMPROVE, and the fastest of them, the body based ones, in DBT TIP skills and the temperature skill. When you are not sure which one fits the moment, see finding the right DBT skill.
Dr. Jesse Finkelstein teaches these skills in individual therapy and in the DBT skills group at Axis Psychological Services in New York City. You can book a free consultation.
If you want to practice crisis survival skills with support, learn about DBT therapy in NYC, or join the DBT skills group in NYC.
Common questions about DBT crisis survival skills
What counts as a crisis in DBT?
A situation where emotion is high enough that acting on it would create a second problem on top of the first. It is defined by the risk of making things worse, not by how dramatic the event looks from outside. A work email can qualify. A genuinely awful week might not.
What are DBT crisis survival skills for?
Getting through the next stretch of time without adding damage. They are not built to solve anything, and judging them by whether the problem is fixed afterward misses what they do. The question DBT crisis survival skills answer is narrow. Can you arrive at tomorrow with your relationships, your job, and your body intact.
Are they a substitute for solving the problem?
No, and leaning on them as avoidance is a known trap. The rule of thumb is that crisis skills are for situations that are short term, cannot be fixed right now, and are pushing you toward something you would regret. Everything else belongs to problem solving, which needs a regulated nervous system to work at all.
Which skill should I start with?
The one you can remember at the time. Skills fail in a crisis mostly because they are not available, so pick two, write them somewhere you will see them, and practise them while you are calm. A skill rehearsed on an ordinary Tuesday is the one that shows up when it counts.
