Dialectical Behaviour Therapy Explained
Dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT) is derived from cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and is utilized in treating mental health disorders like depression, mood disorders, eating disorders, and also addiction.
DBT helps the individual change and foster a holistic view of their life free from addiction. This kind of therapy combines meditative practices like distress tolerance, mindfulness, and CBT techniques to help the person develop healthier coping skills. These skills help combat circular thinking and change patterns that lead someone back to addiction.
Why Dialectical Behavioural Therapy Works
In addiction and mental health treatment, DBT is an essential part of helping people understand their patterns and histories with substance abuse and create positive changes in their way of thinking. DBT is a form of talk therapy that aims to position the therapist as an “ally”, not an “adversary” to the patient. This is essential as most people struggling with addiction can develop trust issues and are not willing to open up about their struggles in confrontational methods.
DBT creates a positive space for people to share their struggles and be open to new ways of thinking. This kind of therapy focuses on acceptance and “loving-kindness”, which can be especially helpful for individuals living in hostile conditions or suffering from an invalidating environment.
What Happens During Dialectical Behaviour Therapy?
Dialectical behavioural therapy (DBT) consists of four core elements, these are:
- Mindfulness
- Acceptance
- Distress tolerance
The therapist will work in a 1:1 or group setting and teach patients how to develop positive changes and skill sets from each core element.
Some of the tools used in DBT by a therapist are diary cards to track emotions and observe the patient’s thoughts and behaviour. They also identify critical events that led to the problematic relationship people have with substance abuse and address these inciting incidents.
What lies behind us and what lies before us are
tiny matters compared to what lies within us
The benefits of dialectical behavioural therapy
DBT is a helpful approach to treating patients with complex mental health disorders. It has been found to be an essential tool in addressing not just substance abuse disorder but also other mental health issues tied to it, like depression or anxiety.
Here are just some of the benefits of DBT to patients in treatment:
- Help develop proactive problem-solving skills
- Fosters a safe space for people to uncover their trauma and triggers
- Helps people to regulate their emotions
- Educates people on ways to manage stress
- Helps patients avoid self-destructive patterns
All of which can lead to maintaining healthy thought patterns and habits effectively. Even if people develop these skills slowly, over time, their consistent actions give them confidence and control over their lives. This is what makes DBT such an effective treatment approach for long-term recovery.
The Role of Counselling in Dialectical Behavioural Therapy
DBT counsellors aim to foster an alliance with the patients to have a successful therapy treatment. The therapists o en teach them mindfulness, acceptance, distress tolerance, and emotional regulation step by step. The key is doing this at a steady pace that matches each core area so patients can ease into them better. The approach will also vary and depend on the severity of the addiction.
DBT treatment aims to help patients relax and focus on their recovery by creating a nonjudgmental environment.
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Facts about dialectical behavioural therapy
Dialectical behavioural therapy is considered the “gold standard” by many experts in the field of psychotherapy. Itʼs heavily researched, and most experts have proved its efficacy.
Below are just some of the facts about DBT as a treatment approach:
- DBT was first developed by Marsha Linehan of the University of Washington in the 1980s.
- DBT is effective in treating borderline personality disorder, substance use disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, binge eating disorder,and other traumatic brain injuries.
- DBT has also been found to reduce suicidal ideation and have a profound positive effect on addiction treatment.
- Together with other treatments like acceptance and commitment therapy, multimodal therapy, and reality therapy, DBT is considered as part of the “third wave” of CBT.
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