Dbt (dialectic behaviour therapy)

In this brief article, we will be talking about dialectical behaviour therapy, the benefits of dialectical behaviour therapy, the goals of dialectical behaviour therapy and more concepts about this therapy.

What is the definition of dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT)?

Dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT) is a kind of psychological intervention classified as a psychotherapy in the psychology field.

This kind of therapy is based on cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) but has been revised to help people who feel emotions very deeply.

This kind of therapy has been initially and commonly used to treat people with a borderline personality disorder but this therapy has also been used to treat other psychological disorders as well. 

What’s the distinguishing characteristics between CBT and DBT?

The following are what distinguishes cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) from dialectical behaviour therapy.

• CBT emphasizes helping you to change unhealthy patterns of thinking and behaving.
• DBT has its similarities with CBT where this therapy is also aiming at altering the unhealthy behaviours of the patient. Additionally, this therapy places emphasis on the person’s acceptance of oneself which can be implemented when a therapeutic relationship is built in the midst of this therapy.

You can learn more about this kind of therapy by buying this book on this website.

What are the preferred outcomes of DBT?

The preferred outcomes of DBT are to guide you in knowing about your intense thoughts, emotions, and behaviours and then, learn how to control these intense inner characteristics of the client.

When you know how to accept yourself and regulate your inner qualities, you will be able able to cope more with challenges and get a good quality of life. 

In order to achieve these goals, DBT therapists will use techniques that can help you change and some acceptance measures to help you be more connected with yourself.

The meaning of dialectics

The meaning of dialectics is to interconnect the opposite sides of thought, emotion, and behaviour.

In DBT, you will be able to stay neutral since you will be working in between the opposing characteristics:

• Acceptance – accepting yourself as you are despite your flaws.
• Change – creating optimistic and healthy changes in your life.

In the later sessions of therapy, you will be able to learn that challenging these opposing qualities is not as uncomfortable as you have felt in your first session.

In a way, the understanding of your conflicting emotions can make you feel more mature and ready to take on the world but using baby steps as you are still settling from the effects of therapy.

You can learn more about dialectics by buying this book on this website.

Acceptance strategies in DBT

These acceptance strategies in DBT help you understand who you are and be more considerate of yourself and you can also help yourself in knowing why you behave in such ways.

The DBT therapist may explain to you that these unhealthy behaviours are your only escape because you didn’t give much thought that there are other ways of dealing with these disturbing occurrences in your life.

Change strategies in DBT

DBT guides you in changing your unhealthy behaviours using the change strategies and helps you find other ways in dealing with distressing problems healthily.

These kinds of strategies help you to get rid of your unhealthy behaviours that only serve to destroy your functions in life and be able to move further in life. 

In this way, you can learn some strategies to challenge your negative thoughts and emotions and help you find a balance in conflicting situations.

You can learn more about these kinds of strategies in DBT by buying this book on this website.

The chunks of DBT

The following sections will be describing the detailed strategies used in the course of DBT.

Mindfulness exercises

In the group kind of DBT, mindfulness exercises have been used to develop mindfulness skills needed in clients. In order to practice these exercises, you need to master the skills which are observe, describe, and participate to reach your mindfulness potential

In order to reach this potential, you need to practice the following skills of mindfulness in a non-judgmental, one-mindful, and effective process.

You can learn more about how to do mindfulness by buying this book on this website.

 Interpersonal Effectiveness as a change technique in DBT

Interpersonal behaviours are essential skills that will be learned in DBT and these skills are quite similar to what is taught in assertiveness training and social skills training.

This technique will teach you about how to say no to things that do not describe you and how to deal with interpersonal problems rationally and clearly.

The research was able to find that people with borderline personality disorder are equipped with the interpersonal skills that are also rampant in common people.

These people experience concerns, however, in the application and realism of these skills in specific situations, especially emotionally intense or volatile situations. 

The client will be able to learn about the social outcomes in doing some specific behaviours and what needs to be done during a distressing conflict.

In this case, the aim of this skill training is to let clients change their behaviours in social situations that allow them to be more socially adept.

The learning of these skills allows the person to cope with daily interpersonal problems but still keeping their sense of self-respect in their identities.

Distress Tolerance

Most assumptions and models used to treat mental health conditions focus on how clients should change their situations.

The limitations of these models are the fact they don’t grant the client to learn about accepting oneself and coping with distressing symptoms whether emotionally or behaviourally. 

This aim was more practised by people in the religious sectors and spiritual practices.

Fortunately, DBT became the psychological practice to reach these aims and the client will also learn how to deal with pain effectively.

The distress tolerance skills in this therapy are somewhat slight developments to the mindfulness exercises.

In this skills program, you will be able to learn how to tolerate yourself and others and be able to know more about yourself. 

These skills are used to train clients on how to tolerate the inevitable pain of a distressing situation and realize the enlightenment of the present moment.

These are the sets of skills that will be taught to tolerate distress: distracting, improving the moment, self-soothing, and thinking of advantages and disadvantages. 

Acceptance strategies are taught in this skill program where radical acceptance and willingness that allow these people to know about what they need to do.

You can learn more about this skill program by buying this book here.

Emotion Regulation as DBT skills

People with a borderline personality disorder are more likely to have a labile mood state which is a changing mood state of frequently angry, intensely frustrated, anxious, and depressed.this is an indication that people with this personality disorder should take emotion regulation training which is part of DBT.

The following are skills learned in the emotional regulation program in this therapy:

• Learning to properly determine and label emotions
• Identifying challenges to altering emotions
• Minimizing vulnerability to the emotional mind
• Increasing optimistic emotional experiences
• Increasing mindfulness to present emotions
• Taking the opposite side of the action
• Applying distress tolerance strategies in real-life

What psychological disorders does DBT treat?

Dialectical behavioural therapy is used to treat people who are risky behaviours that can lead to danger and the symptoms are difficult to treat with other interventions.

Patients who are prescribed with this kind of therapy are more likely to have been diagnosed with comorbid psychological disorders.

The founder of DBT formed this therapy to treat people with a borderline personality disorder.

But this kind of therapy has been renewed to make it useful for people with other psychological disorders to help them from their dysfunctional and distressing symptoms.

Borderline personality disorder can make affected people feel significant emotional distress.

Patients with this kind of personality disorder may have intense bursts of aggression, extreme vulnerability to rejection, and labile moods that shift immediately.

People with this kind of personality disorder are also likely to have less or no control over their emotional intensities.

These affected people experience instability and unpleasantness in:

• moods
• behavior
• self-image
• thinking
• relationships

Examples of impulsive behaviours that are rampant in people with this kind of personality disorder are substance abuse, self-injury, unprotected sex and repeated life difficulties such as legal troubles and homelessness.

Psychological associations around the world have endorsed this kind of therapy as effective towards those people who are suffering from a borderline personality disorder.

Patients who have experienced this kind of therapy have seen improvements such as the following:

• less usual and less extreme self-destructive behaviour
• fewer hospitalizations
• less aggression
• less likely to get out off of intervention
• improved social adaptiveness

As mentioned before, substance abuse is a mental health problem that can become comorbid with a borderline personality disorder.

People with this kind of personality disorder comorbid with substance abuse has been successfully treated with this kind of therapy but substance abuse alone doesn’t seem to benefit from this therapy.

Studies are still ongoing if DBT is beneficial to the following psychological disorders:

• mood or emotional disorders
• Binge-eating or overeating
• ADHD
• post-traumatic stress disorder

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Conclusion

In this brief article, we will be talking about dialectical behaviour therapy, the benefits of dialectical behaviour therapy, the goals of dialectical behaviour therapy and more concepts about this therapy.

If you have any inquiries about dialectical behaviour therapy, please let us know and we will help you with your present inquiries.

What we recommend for Counselling

Professional counselling

If you are suffering from depression or any other mental disorders then ongoing professional counselling could be your ideal first point of call. Counselling will utilize theories such as Cognitive behavioural therapy which will help you live a more fulfilling life.

FAQs: Dbt (dialectic behaviour therapy)

Citations

Behavioral Tech. What is Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)?.

Heretohelp. What’s the difference between CBT and DBT?.

Mind. Dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT).

NHS. Treatment – Borderline personality disorder.

PsychCentral. An Overview of Dialectical Behavior Therapy.

Psychology Today. Dialectical Behavior Therapy.

Verywellmind. Overview of Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT).

WebMD. Dialectical Behavioral Therapy.