Frustration Tolerance
Filed Under (Anxiety) by Cynthia Blue on 28-04-2008
Tagged Under : Anxiety, Mental Health
Lately I have been thinking about my own frustration tolerance, as well as my husband’s. And, of course, the dogs.
See, my husband is not working right now. And he did take a Semester at the Salt Lake Community College, but he really didn’t like it. He had a hard time dealing with the instructors lack of knowledge, ineptitude, and being unorganized. I went to SLCC years ago to get my associate degree, and I understand how the instructors are. The adjunct instructors are better than the full time ones. But for me, I am just able to brush off the frustration level and get through it, because I wanted that piece of paper.
But my Husband has a harder time dealing with frustration. I think he has, in some areas at least, a lower frustration tolerance than I do. We both have social anxiety, which makes tolerating being around people harder. I work at it… keep doing it, and I am better. I’m also on meds for anxiety and oh boy, they help me a lot. He doesn’t want to go on drugs, he is afraid of their addictive nature. But this is not a post about that.
I think a good thing my parents taught me was to be able to just deal with frustration and let it slide off my back. Thus, I can work, and even if it’s a miserable day, I can get through it okay and go on to the next day. I can eat foods I don’t really like and tolerate them. Life is just life and can be pretty miserable sometimes. But most of the time it’s okay.
Many people, an couple of old boyfriends of mine for example, had very, very low frustration tolerance levels. To the point where they could not hold, and keep, a job. Little things would bother them so much they had to quit. Long customer lines, heavy lifting, coworkers that complained a lot. It’s interesting, to me, to see people with different frustration tolerance levels. I don’t think it means a person is bad, to have a low frustration tolerance. But I wonder if it’s a sign of a mental illness? Or is it an upbringing thing?
What are your thoughts on tolerating frustration? Can you tolerate a lot, or do lots of things bother you to the point that you have to remove yourself from the situation? Or are you somewhere in the middle? What is the ideal place to be?
Just an interesting thought.. at least I think so. 
Maybe I’ll have to find some adjustable beds to lay one and really think about this topic!
[poll=8]
I love your post
as for me….it depends on the issue or the problem or the thing that I need to tolerate. For Example: Drugs. I cannot tolerate the use of drugs, or cigerettes for that manor and I freak out like you’d never believe ! However, I feel I have learned to tolerate lots of things since I have had my kiddo 
XO
Christinas last blog post..Oh Boy
I love your post
as for me….it depends on the issue or the problem or the thing that I need to tolerate. For Example: Drugs. I cannot tolerate the use of drugs, or cigerettes for that manor and I freak out like you'd never believe ! However, I feel I have learned to tolerate lots of things since I have had my kiddo 
XO Christinas last blog post..<a href="http://www.loneblackspider.com/2008/04/28/oh-boy/...rel="nofollow">Oh Boy</a>
I can tolerate some things better than others. I can tolerate work related problems much better than personal.
Leighs last blog post..Mother’s Day Wish List
I can tolerate some things better than others. I can tolerate work related problems much better than personal. Leighs last blog post..<a href="http://eternal-flux.com/?p=301" rel="nofollow">Mother’s Day Wish List</a>
I get frustrated with people very easily as well. I find it difficult to spend time with people and am particularly bothered by mouth noises…
Loras last blog post..1
I get frustrated with people very easily as well. I find it difficult to spend time with people and am particularly bothered by mouth noises… Loras last blog post..1
This post hits home for me personally. I do not suffer fools gladly. That’s why my wife is now my ex-wife. My frustration level is at it’s highest when I have to WAIT for someone or at some place, like a doctor’s office. I can’t tell you the number of times I have walked out of a doctor’s office when they didn’t make THEIR own appointment times. I sympathize with your husband.
Davids last blog post..1
This post hits home for me personally. I do not suffer fools gladly. That's why my wife is now my ex-wife. My frustration level is at it's highest when I have to WAIT for someone or at some place, like a doctor's office. I can't tell you the number of times I have walked out of a doctor's office when they didn't make THEIR own appointment times. I sympathize with your husband. Davids last blog post..1
Hey Chris.. yeah, drugs are not good things. I think as we get older we can more logically determine what we won’t tolerate!
Hey Chris.. yeah, drugs are not good things. I think as we get older we can more logically determine what we won't tolerate!
Hi Leigh… that is interesting. Maybe you know work is necessary, so we just have to tolerate things we dont like there!
Hi Leigh… that is interesting. Maybe you know work is necessary, so we just have to tolerate things we dont like there!
Hi Lora. I used to be able to tolerate just about anyone. But lately, people who keep talking and don’t shut up just bug the crap out of me!
Hi Lora. I used to be able to tolerate just about anyone. But lately, people who keep talking and don't shut up just bug the crap out of me!
Hi David, waiting for doctors is a real pain, for sure. I remember sitting there just fuming when I have to wait a long time!
Hi David, waiting for doctors is a real pain, for sure. I remember sitting there just fuming when I have to wait a long time!
[...] things you might hear a lot about if you are in the dog training world are Frustration Tolerance and Impulse Control. Dogs have to learn these things in order to be trained well, and to function [...]