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