Distress tolerance skills from Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) help you survive cannabis crisis without making things worse.
TIPP Skills for Acute Cannabis
Temperature: Cold water on face activates the dive reflex, rapidly reducing cannabis intensity
Intense exercise: 20 minutes of vigorous exercise discharges cannabis physiological activation
Paced breathing: Slow the breath (especially exhale) to activate parasympathetic system
Progressive muscle relaxation: Systematic tension-release reduces cannabis physical symptoms
ACCEPTS Skills for Riding Out Cannabis
Activities that engage attention away from cannabis Contributing to others shifts focus from cannabis Comparisons that provide perspective on cannabis Emotions opposite to cannabis — deliberately generated Pushing away cannabis temporarily when you can't act on it now Thoughts that replace cannabis rumination Sensations that provide strong alternative input
When Distress Tolerance Is the Right Skill for Cannabis
Use distress tolerance when cannabis is intense but the situation can't change right now. The goal is surviving without making things worse — not solving cannabis.