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From DBT Skills Training Handouts and Worksheets, Second Edition  by Marsha M. Linehan. Copyright 2015 by Marsha M. Linehan. Permission 
to photocopy this handout is granted to purchasers of this book for personal use only (see copyright page for details).distress tolerance Handout 20   (Distress Tolerance Worksheet 17)
Burning Bridges and Building n ew o nes
BurninG  BriDG eS
accept at the most radical level that you are not going to engage in addictive behavior 
again, and then move actively to cut off all addictive behavior options.
1. Make an absolute commitment to abstinence from the addictive behavior, which is  
           (describe addictive behavior). Then walk into the garage of 
abstinence and slam the garage door shut. (Remember that the tiniest slit of space can let an entire elephant in.)
2. List everything in your life that makes addiction possible.
3. Get rid of these things:
Throw out contact information of people who collude with you.
Get rid of all possible cues and temptations.
4. List and do everything you can that will make it hard or impossible to continue your 
addictive behavior.
Ruthlessly and at every moment, tell the truth about your behavior.
Tell all your friends and family that you have quit.
Buil DinG neW BriDG eS
create visual images and smells that will compete with the information loaded into 
your visual and olfactory brain systems when cravings occur.
Cravings and urges are strongly related to vivid images and smells of what is craved. The stron -
ger the imagery or smell, the stronger the craving.