What It Is and How It Helps
Dialectical Behavior Therapy often referred to as DBT, is a specialized form of cognitive-behavioral psychotherapy. It was originally designed to treat issues with borderline personality disorder as well as emotional regulation issues. DBT is also useful in helping survivors of abandonment and trauma. However, it also helps in providing tools for anger management to find positive ways to channel energy and to avoid negative and self-destructive behaviors.
The Origins of Dialectical Behavioral Therapy
Firstly, Dialectical Behavior Therapy was developed by Marsha M. Linehan in the late 1980s. Linehan was a psychology researcher at the University of Washington. However, He look for a new approach to helping people achieve greater control over their reactions to trigger events. DBT theory states that individuals with post-traumatic stress disorders, chronic suicidal ideations and borderline personality disorder typically have a biological basis for these issues. By taking a nonjudgmental and practical approach to treatment, DBT can provide the tools and skills needed to achieve the best results.
The Basics of DBT
Standard Dialectical behavior therapy treatment consists of three basic elements:
- Individual therapy sessions
- Group therapy to help patients practice their social skills
- Coaching through telephonic or online contact for crisis situations
DBT therapists also engage in consultations on a weekly basis to ensure that they have the resources and support they need to provide the best treatment for the patients in their care. While this is not part of the patient-centered components of DBT, it is essential and integral for the success of the process.
Three distinctive features of DBT are its focus on three basic tenets:
- The interconnectedness of all things
- The idea that change is an inevitable and desirable part of life
- Embracing contradictions can help patients determine the real truth more quickly
Practicing Mindfulness
Mindfulness is at the core of DBT. During treatment, patients will learn skills that will promote greater awareness of their environments and will help them to react nonjudgmentally to the situations they face and the people in their lives. The skills learned during this module of treatment include some or all of the following:
- Establishing an attitude of acceptance and trust
- Developing the tools needed to embrace change
- Observing the environment without judgment
- Describing the things observed without the use of judgmental language
- Participating in an activity with focus and attention
- Identifying and implementing the techniques that work
Developing Effective Interpersonal Skills
During this module, patients tasked with building the emotional and verbal tools needed to express themselves effectively and to ask for help when they need it. This can assist in resolving relationship problems and ensuring the greatest confidence for patients in dealing with challenges involving other people. The goals are to maintain self-respect and to help patients to find ways to negotiate positive results in interpersonal interactions. The skills learned during this module can be practiced in group therapy to increase the confidence and competence of patients in their daily lives.
Building Tolerance for Distress
For survivors of trauma, poor emotional regulation, borderline personality disorder, relationship problems or other conditions that can be triggered by outside stimuli, DBT is designed to provide tools for coping with emotional distress. Some of the most important skills in this module include the following strategies:
- In high-stress situations, the TIP technique can be very effective in calming self-destructive urges. Patients first reduce the temperature of their face by splashing it with very cold water. They then engage in intense exercise for about 20 minutes. During this time, the patient should pace their breathing and make an effort to relax their muscles.
- The practice of self-soothing is also a valuable tool for reducing emotional anxiety, depression and anger. By engaging in activities that are comforting and calm, patients can achieve improved emotional regulation during their DBT treatment.
- ACCEPTS is a method for addressing temporary emotional upsets by engaging in positive activities, contributing to the community, comparing the current situation to the plights of others, stimulating other emotional responses, pushing away negative thoughts, thinking about other things and indulging in positive sensations like hot or cold showers or favorite foods.
- Radical acceptance is a method by which patients can often achieve a measure of peace of mind during difficult times. By making a conscious effort to accept situations as they are, it may be possible to prevent emotional responses that
Correcting Poor Health Habits
Because emotional states often linked to health issues, DBT includes a set of skills that collectively known as PLEASE:
- Physical illness can have a significant impact on emotional regulation and stability. Seeking treatment for these issues is essential to promote the best possible emotional control for patients dealing with depression, abandonment issues, trauma and low self-esteem.
- Eating a healthy diet is also important in managing borderline personality disorder and problems with low self-worth.
- Avoiding the use of alcohol or mood-altering drugs not prescribed by a physician or therapist is essential for successful treatment.
- Sleeping for eight hours a day is generally recommended.
- Exercising will release endorphins and will often help with body-image issues and problems with low self-esteem.
Putting It All Together
Working with an experienced and qualified therapist is typically the best way to engage in DBT and to achieve the best results. Your therapist will tailor your dialectical behavior therapy to suit your specific set of needs and to help you control your emotions and your actions more effectively. This can help you with anger management issues, suicidal ideations and issues related to borderline personality disorder.
To learn more about your options for DBT and other forms of therapy, call Psychotherapy Partners today at 612-886-6112 to request an appointment. Our team is here to serve you.