S.T.O.P.P
Updated 2026-08-10
INTRODUCTION
English translation pending.
CORE DEFINITION
S.T.O.P.P. is an immediate emotion-regulation sequence used in dialectical behaviour therapy and related approaches. Stop halts the impulsive response as it rises; Take a breath slows physiological arousal; Observe notes thoughts, sensations, and urges without acting; Pull back creates distance by treating thoughts as passing events rather than facts; and Practise chooses an action that serves your values instead of discharging the emotion. The steps work because they interrupt the automatic chain before the prefrontal cortex comes back online.
SCAFFOLDING EFFECT
Reduce cognitive load
- Use impulse pause: halt the reactive move the moment you notice it arising. - Use breath reset: slow the breathing deliberately to bring physiological arousal down first. - Use value choice: pick the action that serves your values rather than the urge.
Anchor fast decisions
During an emotional crisis the amygdala hijacks control and prefrontal reasoning goes offline. STOPP runs pause, breath, observe, pull back, and act, which activates the body's relaxation response and restores executive function, breaking the automatic chain before the impulse converts into behaviour.
MINIMUM ACTION
In progress 0/1Practice this model in one real situation:
account_treeGenealogyexpand_more
menu_bookReferencesexpand_more
Source support: Explicit
- getselfhelp.co.ukhttps://www.getselfhelp.co.uk/stopp/verified
PRIVATE NOTES · Only visible to you
SAVED Q&A
ENTRY Q&A · Private saving available
Ask with a clear boundary
thinkingmodels answers from published entry context only.
Your question is sent to thinkingmodels. The answer uses public entry context only.