By John Barthlow
Content Warning: Mentions of mental illness and suicidal ideation.
Specific Coping skills+Resources
This can be helpful during panic attacks, dissociative episodes, or general mood dysregulation. It’s called TIPP:
T- Temperature: ice, blanket, cold water, etc.
I- Intense Exercise: Going for a run, lifting weights, etc
P- Paced Breathing: Box breathing, timed inhales+exhales
P- Paired Muscle Relaxation: In conjunction with breathing, inhale, tense muscles, exhale, relax muscles
This is another helpful tactic to deal with panic attacks, dissociative episodes, or general mood dysregulation.
It’s called the 5,4,3,2,1 method:
5 things you can see
4 things you can feel
3 things you can hear
2 things you can smell
1 thing you can taste
In serious situations it can be beneficial to call 988, the suicide and crisis lifeline. This line offers 24/7 support. You don’t need to be a danger to yourself or others in order to call.
988 Colorado Mental Health Line
AA or NA meetings
To get the maximum help out of these resources you should remain consistent. Community helps keep you accountable. It isn’t necessary, but getting a sponsor can be helpful to keep you on track.
AA Boulder County Central Office
More general tips and advice:
-breathing skills
-get a therapist (not always doable, but if the option is available it is recommended)
-going outside
-getting good sleep
-sobriety
-do not be afraid to ask for help, if you don’t know where to start, the hotline is a good place
-talking to trusted friend
-Journaling/writing down feelings
-Doing nothing intentionally
-Listening to music
-Exercise
-Simply going outside and eating well, maintaining physical health
-ask yourself why you feel the way you feel
-ask yourself what you think you may need from both yourself and others for support
-understand that other people have felt similar to you, or been in a similar situation
-understand emotions do not last forever, and no matter how intense they will eventually pass
-train of thought writing, after you are done, toss out the paper, maybe even light it on fire
-drawing
-do something mindfully, be completely immersed in what you are doing, be it walking, eating, writing, etc. but do not be hard on yourself if you lose focus
-do not bite off more than you can chew, know your limits
-know you cannot go through life alone
-social interaction
-consistent routines, habits, schedule
-know you are not perfect
-take a break from social media
-be realistic with yourself
-be patient with yourself, you are not perfect and you are not expected to be
-treat yourself as you treat others, or how you would like others to treat you
-know that doing something is better than nothing
-allow yourself to feel your emotions
-know that you are not responsible for another person’s emotions
-you can control how you react and respond to things in your life and the world around you
-eating your favorite food
-self care days, take yourself on a date, focus on you
-reconnect with old friends
-compliment a stranger
-wear comfortable clothes
-be vulnerable and honest with those you trust, you don’t need to hold on to everything in your head
Advice from a therapist, Dr. Andrea Cuva, LMFT, MCAP
(September 10th, 2025)
———————————————————————————————————
I (John Barthlow) had a conversation over the phone with Dr. Cuva in regards to mental health
tips and general advice. Below are some anecdotes from the conversation:
Question: “What is something you would have wanted to hear when you were in college in regards to mental health?
Dr. Cuva: “That’s a great question, well for the sake of being transparent I’ll share that I wasn’t
one to open up easily. Although I was very fortunate to have a supportive family I kept my
struggles to myself because I didn’t want to burden them with my problems, especially when I
knew they were already going through so much of their own. Eventually I couldn’t bottle up or
stuff things down on my own and unfortunately turned to substances to help me numb.”
Dr. Cuva: “So a couple of things I would have wanted to hear are, one, you are not weak if you
chose to reach out to someone for help. In fact it actually takes a lot of courage and strength to
admit you are struggling and it’s not your job to protect adults from added burdens. It creates far
greater stress on them to see that their child is struggling and not know why. Two, be mindful of the expectations you carry, whether they be your own, your families, your community, this is your time to begin to explore adulthood and discover who you are as an individual, try things out, ask tons of questions, volunteer in areas you are curious about so you can gain real time experience to help you determine if its something you like or or not and most importantly don’t be afraid to ask questions”
——————————————————————————————————————
Question: What are some valuable resources for mental health that people can use to help themselves?
Dr. Cuva: “As a college student you are provided a certain amount of free mental health
services, and since I am a trauma therapist it is important to know about healthy relationships
and content, Love is Respect is a great resource to learn about healthy dating dynamics, and RAINN has resources to help understand consent.”
——————————————————————————————————————
She also provided a link to her website: Mental Health Links – Andrea Cuva
She also provided her email: ac@ptsfl.com