Although it isn’t a commonly used term in most households, dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT) is gaining traction worldwide as a vital part of treatment for certain mental health conditions. Mental health treatment programs in Orange County and other forward-thinking places offer DBT as part of their effective approach.
But what exactly is this advanced psychotherapy, and why is it considered vital to many addiction center programs? DBT, short for dialectical behavior therapy, is, at its core, a form of talk therapy. What makes it unique from other approaches, like cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), is that DBT focuses on those with mental disorders that come with intense emotions.
These conditions include diagnoses of borderline personality disorder and other extreme illnesses that are frequently linked with substance abuse. Treating the addiction without addressing the emotions that caused it is rarely effective long-term, so professionals include DBT as part of an overall treatment plan. Here, we’ll share 5 key takeaways that will help you understand the importance of dialectical behavior therapy for extreme emotional regulation.
1. DBT is Effective for Multiple Conditions
Emotion regulation doesn’t come naturally to most of us. From early toddlerhood, we must be taught, modeled, and coached on how to express our feelings and thoughts healthily. Not all of us have the right environment and upbringing to meet this goal, so we spend our formative years into adulthood teaching ourselves and getting help from outside sources to make this happen.
For those with mental conditions that come with extreme emotions, this self-regulation can be highly challenging. Working with a therapist using DBT techniques helps make learning the proper ways to manage feelings healthily easier. This approach has been effective in treating patients with conditions such as:
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Eating disorders
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Borderline personality disorder (BPD)
- Self-harm tendencies
- Suicidal behaviors
Through DBT treatment, individuals learn how to cope with their intense emotions through healthy choices.
2. DBT Has Strategic Goals
Most types of therapy have individual goals that the patient and therapist determine through their sessions. But DBT providers are trained in more strategic technique to ensure the person they’re treating is always physically safe from any self-harm or suicidal behaviors.
Reaching this crucial target includes various smaller goals, including reducing limiting behaviors that keep the therapy from being productive. This could be anything from lying to substance abuse. Through the process, the therapist will work with the patient to address and correct things that are causing an obstacle to progress, such as their mental health disorder, substance use, or relationship problems.
The patient will replace any unhelpful actions with new, healthy skills. This instruction can be done in groups or individual settings.
3. DBT Teaches Daily Skills
In addition to struggling with emotional regulation, those with substance abuse and mental health disorders often need assistance with regular daily activities. DBT sessions address the blocks to progress, but they also teach skills that can reduce stress and, therefore, minimize the obstacles that get in the way of productive living.
In DBT, patients learn strategies to practice living in the moment through mindfulness, managing their emotions through distress tolerance when stressful situations arise, and recognizing their internal needs while also setting boundaries to ensure self-respect and interpersonal respect.
4. Not Everyone is a Candidate for DBT
This type of therapy is extremely effective, leading to decreased rates of self-harm behavior, diminished aggression, and improved substance abuse rates. Patients who engage in DBT sessions consistently are less likely to be hospitalized for substance use or related conditions, have improved symptoms of depression or anxiety, and increase their overall chances of recovery and success.
But DBT requires a commitment to oneself and the therapy sessions. Through this approach, the patient must be ready to make healthy life changes, do the homework their therapist assigns, and be willing to work in a group at times.
5. DBT Timelines Are Unique to the Patient
It’s extremely common in humans to want to know the prognosis and length of a treatment plan when receiving a diagnosis. But DBT timelines depend on factors such as the severity of the individuals’ condition, their behaviors and self-work during treatment, and willingness to be proactive instead of reactive.
In general, DBT patients are in treatment for somewhere between six months and one year. It’s not unusual for patients and therapists to decide to continue sessions for years, though, if the symptoms continue and neither party feels that the patient is ready to handle life without a little professional assistance.
Still, DBT is effective, and the sooner you begin treatment, the quicker you’ll get to the comfortable, healthy daily life of your goals.
