What Is Low Frustration Tolerance And How To Work On It

Low frustration tolerance is a possible human response facing the impossibility of a situation taking place as expected. In general terms, this reaction occurs from an intense load of anguish, anger and/or discomfort that is seen in a person’s thoughts, emotions and behaviors.

In this way, when situations occur that the person interprets as unfavorable according to their own criteria and do not have adequate tools to cope with these sensations, low tolerance for frustration arises as a way of processing them.

Low frustration tolerance presents some characteristics that correspond to the manifestations that can appear on the physical, mental and behavioral level. Next, we will mention the most relevant symptoms :

• Nervousness.
• Gonna.
• Intense anguish.
• Overriding need to have situations under control.
• Hypervigilance.
• In some cases, difficulties in regulating sleep.
• Catastrophic thoughts linked to death.
• Avoidance of unforeseen situations.
• Irrational fears.
• Palpitations.
• Excessive sweating.
• Shortness of breath.

If the symptoms represent a danger to the person and/or third parties that cannot be controlled, it is necessary see a mental health professional to carry out an evaluation and offer a treatment that improves the quality of life as well as a remission of the problem.

Low frustration tolerance can have various origins that are important to know in order to address the symptoms in the most effective way. Next, we show you the main causes from low tolerance to frustration:

Childhood experiences

In general terms, these difficulties can arise during childhood as a result of situations in which it has not been possible to develop a tolerance for frustration. In these cases, the presence of overprotective parents that have not allowed the person to become frustrated in games, individual and/or group dynamics, among others, can impact the development of these responses.

If this condition persists over time, the person will quickly become frustrated in the face of injustices in life and various occasions that trigger this type of reaction.

Genetic conditions

On the other hand, genetic inheritance also plays an important role in the emotional responses linked to frustration. In this sense, there are certain neural connections that involve the manifestation of excessive anger when a situation does not happen as expected.

Therefore, a deregulation of the central nervous system may be another cause of low tolerance to frustration, so it will be necessary to take into account the genetic factors of the parents.

Having a low tolerance for frustration can have unfavorable effects on the development of a person’s daily life. If this problem is not addressed in time, there may be serious consequences between them:

• Depression.
• Anxiety.
• Lack of impulse control.
• Violent attitudes.
• Food difficulties.
• Inability to listen.
• Unstable social ties.

Despite the complexities that low frustration tolerance can produce, there are tools that can be useful to work on it. Below you will find some guidelines that can be of great help when work on low frustration tolerance in adults :

• Set realistic goals : Putting goals that can be met according to the qualities of each person implies that there is the possibility that ideals will be left aside. On the other hand, trying to achieve an ideal goal can be counterproductive.
• Flexibility in situations : People with low tolerance for frustration have serious difficulties in confronting unforeseen moments since they lack responses to them. Putting flexibility into practice in situations can reduce this condition.
• Practice meditation : This technique proposes to reduce the respiratory rate and focus on the present. In global terms, meditation is used to release tensions inherent to the possibility of becoming frustrated.
• Accept that not everything is possible : Sometimes, people try to achieve everything they set out to do without taking into account the level of internal demand that this entails. In these cases, accepting that not everything is possible usually helps alleviate the symptoms of frustration tolerance.
• Seek therapeutic help : When frustration levels overwhelm the person, it is advisable to resort to the help of a mental health professional who provides specific tools for each person to confront the problem.
• Make positive self-affirmations s: in some circumstances, words can have harmful effects on the person. Therefore, one of the alternatives to work on frustration tolerance can be to make self-affirmations that reinforce your self-love. In this way it will be forgiving in the face of frustration.
• Identify unpleasant situations : On many occasions, people do not realize the accumulation of frustrations until they begin to respond with excessive anger. For this reason, identifying unpleasant situations will allow us to establish methods to alleviate these tensions.
• Channel frustration : carry out activities that allow you to express your emotions to channel frustration, such as playing sports, music, theater, painting, etc.

This article is merely informative, at PsychologyFor we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.

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