DBT stands for Dialectical Behavior Therapy and it has rapidly grown into a best practice treatment for a number of complex and life interfering conditions such as Anxiety, Depression, Bipolar Disorder, Personality Disorders, and other difficulties in living. However, people are often confused about what DBT is and whether it’s right for them. In fact, DBT is NOT the best treatment for everything.
DBT as a therapy utilizes many CBT protocols and “mini-treatments” inside the overall program- protocols such as Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) for Anxiety, and behavioral Activation for Depression, and Prolonged Exposure (PE), the single most empirically supported trauma treatment in the world.
But DBT was not created for any one of these conditions but rather it was developed for people who had numerous complex difficulties and pervasive problems related to difficulties in regulating emotions. Such difficulties might get in the way of being able to participate in any one of these “mini-treatments” without the DBT Individual Therapy and Skills training in areas like emotions regulation, distress tolerance, interpersonal effectiveness, and mindfulness. One way to think about DBT is to think of DBT as a program that helps sensitive people with a lot going on get the tools and techniques to stabilize their life so they can reach their goals.
One way to think about it is by asking yourself: Do you feel emotional all the time? Do you feel you can’t control your emotions? DBT Therapy is a Problem-Solving Therapy that helps people who have trouble managing emotions solve the problems and difficulties in living that get in the way of their goals.
DBT is right for you if your emotions or moods get a grip on you and make it hard for you to do the things you need to do like go to work, or attend to relationships. DBT can help you if painful and intrusive memories from trauma “hit like a ton of bricks” and throw you off track, making you want to avoid life or do impulsive things like try to hurt yourself, take drugs, or drink too much. DBT is for anyone whose decisions are affected by emotions that last a long time and are hard to get over, or who just feels like every day is an emotional one.
DBT is a type of Cognitive Behavior Therapy especially developed for people who seem to have thin emotional “skin” and are frequently irritable, feel empty, and maybe even suicidal.
Some people who have trouble regulating emotions keep their emotions hidden away and private. They might even seem like they are doing fine on the outside. But inside they are often in despair. You can be successful, have a great job and relationships…. and still, need DBT to live life to the fullest and achieve your dreams.
DBT is right for you if you need skills, tools, and strategies to manage your emotions so you can achieve your goals. Call san Jose DBT today at 408-893-4032 or contact us
