HAPPY BPD MONTH: ACCEPTS SKILL

HAPPY BPD MONTH: ACCEPTS SKILL

What secrets to maintaining sobriety can be uncovered? Here, the focus shifts to emotional survival skills, with a special nod to Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) Awareness Month. The episode is pitched straight at anyone who feels emotionally overwhelmed, especially those living with BPD or supporting someone who does. Host Sara Abbott breaks down the DBT distress tolerance tool known as the ACCEPTS skill, a classic acronym that stands for activities, contributions, comparisons, emotions, pushing away, thoughts and sensations.

As she puts it, these are for those moments "where we're like, fuck, I can't do this anymore" and need something practical to cling to. You’ll hear Sara walk through real-life examples rather than textbook theory. For activities, she talks about writing, napping, and why walking the dogs is a hard no when she’s distressed.

Contributions get framed as small, heartfelt gestures – like texting someone "I really value you" or cleaning the house to share a win with her husband. She’s honest about what doesn’t work for her too, especially comparisons: "I hate that part... that just sometimes makes me feel worse about myself." Pushing away and changing thoughts come with plenty of validation for anyone who struggles to switch off rumination, with Sara stressing non-judgement if certain techniques feel impossible.

Sensations get a playful but practical treatment: ice, showers, rain, saunas (if you have them), and her beloved squishy "neato" cube. The tone stays frank, sweary, and warm, with Sara reminding everyone that even she finds some skills hard, especially while coming off an antipsychotic. The core message? ACCEPTS isn’t one rigid method; it’s seven different options to test out until something fits.

If you’re craving concrete tools for those "I can’t do this" moments, could one of these ACCEPTS pieces be the next skill you try?