songs to scream when you're having a meltdown
We asked the Hashtag Hope community just this questions and this ongoing and on-growing playlist is what they come up with.
The “songs to scream” playlist is inspired by the DBT skill known as Distress Tolerance; specifically Alternate rebellion when you are feeling out of control or close to an outburst.
“Distress Tolerance skills are a set of Dialectical Behavioral Therapy skills that are strategies to help you get though difficult feelings and situations, and tolerate (deal with, sit with, accept) the things that you can’t immediately change. Emotions can be extreme and lead to behaviors that are ineffective. You may not be able to change the stressful situation you’re in, but you can change the way you feel. Distress Tolerance skills are aimed to make your response to distress more effective.” DBTSelfHelp.com
Using a song as an aid to offload an overwhelming emotion is a safe and effective way to cope.
Our friends at DBTSelfHelp.com have a great article about Alternate Rebellion.
“The following ideas were generated by DBT participants to offer nondestructive ways to express rebellion. Choose ideas appropriate to the situation. Choose ideas that will not be harmful to someone else in your environment.”
- Give an honest response instead of a polite one
- Speak out rather than staying quiet
- Dress in a counter-cultural style
- Challenge statements when you disagree
- Choose mediocrity rather than drama
- Quit things that are not effective
- Follow your passion rather than your expectation
- Wallow in creativity
- Give yourself time to play
- Explore
- Say no to family when they ask for a favor
- Leave the light on all day
- Get a tattoo
- Change your color preference of clothing
- Do things out of order
- Do things out of character
- Seek your own interests
- Don’t cook
- Write a letter to the editor
- Run instead of walking
- Get a radical hair cut
- Turn up the volume
- Roll down all the windows in your car
- Play a different style of music
- Leave things out of place
- Shout or scream alone
- Dye your hair
- Wear clothes that don’t fit right
- Vocally advocate for an issue you care deeply about
- Sleep late on Saturday
- Dress up for a casual event or down for a fancy event
- Get your ears pierced
- Buy something impractical
- Break out of roles expected of you
We know that some of these ideas may come across as simple but they sit as examples for your own life. What would be a form of safe and controlled rebellion? You get to decide.
This playlist is a tool to help you scream with someone rather than at someone.
happy screaming.