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