Dialectical Behavior Therapy
for Addiction & Mental Health
Why Choose Beachway for Dialectical Behavior Therapy?
What is
dialectical Behavior Therapy?
In the late 1980s, psychologist Marsha M. Linehan used cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) to treat borderline personality disorder patients. Linehan developed dialectical behavior therapy in response to what she viewed as CBT’s limitations.
DBT is derived from meditative practices such as mindfulness, acceptance, and the ability to experience life in the present moment. Using DBT to treat a wide range of disorders has gained immense popularity within the treatment realm. DBT can be an effective treatment option for both addiction and mental health disorders.
DBT’s overarching goal is to unearth the root cause of addiction and mental issues by learning how to develop new ways of thinking and behaving. Apart from addiction, research proves that Dialectical Behavior Therapy is highly effective in tackling other illnesses and conditions, like depression, anxiety, and bipolar disorders as well. DBT is also a highly effective treatment option for individuals struggling with co-occurring addiction and mental health issues.
Unearthing the root causes of addiction and learning how to develop new ways of thinking and behaving can help those who struggle with substance abuse. One therapeutic approach that may improve the outcome for individuals combating addiction and substance problems is called Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT).
Research demonstrates that Dialectical Behavior Therapy is a useful tool for treating addiction. It’s also practical for tackling other illnesses and conditions, like depression, anxiety, and bipolar disorders.
DBT for Substance Abuse & Mental Health
Using DBT to treat a wide range of disorders, including mental health disorders and addiction, is rightfully gaining popularity in the treatment space.
DBT is expansive and is broken down into four major domains: Mindfulness, Distress Tolerance, Emotion Regulation, and Interpersonal Effectiveness. Traditionally, DBT skills are taught in group settings with two facilitators; one facilitator is responsible for providing education on skills, and the other acts as a moderator for patient behavior.
Many individuals seeking help have been struggling with complex, underlying, and severe emotional problems and often reach to drugs, alcohol, and self-destructive methods as a way to soothe. As a result, individuals seek help because their self-destructive strategies exacerbate their problems, resulting in extraordinarily high-risk and destructive behavior.
With DBT, patients can discover that they are not alone and can be equipped with a toolbox of skills readily available for use when facing new life challenges in recovery. DBT can work, and it’s effective; it can reach many people in the treatment setting if implemented in a practical and informative way.
How is Dialectical Behavior
Therapy Different from CBT?
Dialectical behavior therapy is a type of CBT that promotes a balance of both change and acceptance. This therapy helps empower patients to develop healthy coping mechanisms in response to stress, understand triggers, manage emotions, and set positive goals.
In this context, ‘dialectics’ refers to bringing two opposite things together, specifically the wholehearted acceptance of an individual as they are with the knowledge that they must change. Although a therapist may understand an individual and accept them, it’s up to the individual to be willing to change so they can live a fuller, freer life. DBT forges a collaborative partnership between the therapist and patient, so that the long-term goal of recovery can be broken down into smaller, more manageable goals.
Dialectical Behavior Theory
DBT is based on the theory that some human beings react in an unusual way to their emotions during interactions with friends, romantic partners, and family members. These intense and long-lasting emotional responses can affect an individual’s life in unwelcome ways.
How Can Unusually Intense Emotions Negative Impact a Person’s Life?
If a person experiences emotions in an abnormally intense way, mood swings can make life, and daily interactions feel chaotic. An individual might feel happy in an almost euphoric way before descending into gloom or sadness due to illogical beliefs or a misunderstood situation.
Someone who feels strong emotional impulses might also perceive the world in more binary terms. For example, they might fear they’re hated if they do something relatively insignificant (such as showing up late somewhere) that annoys a friend.
Characteristics of Dialectical Behavior Therapy
Patients undergoing this therapy will also be assigned real-world homework that will bring therapy techniques – like calming techniques – directly into their lives and relationships.
Supportive
Dialectical behavior therapy focuses on supporting the individual and helping him or her discover their strengths. In turn, this helps build self-esteem and self-confidence.
cognitive
DBT unravels thought processes, so individuals can more easily identify the beliefs underneath their thoughts and confront unhelpful beliefs and ideas.
collaborative
A therapist will role-play problems in relevant relationships, modeling new ways of communicating and thinking.
Four Domains of Dialectical Behavior Therapy
Mindfulness
Distress tolerance
emotion regulation
interpersonal effectiveness
Cornerstones of Dialectical Behavior Therapy
In weekly individual psychotherapy sessions, patients review the past week, tackling any severe issues first, like impulses to self-harm. Then, the patients work on any problems that may interfere with their progress in therapy.
Weekly Group Session
A therapist leads weekly group sessions, usually about 2.5 hours long, where patients develop practical skills that fall into four categories: effective communication with others, stress tolerance, emotional regulation, and mindfulness.
Find Healing and Recovery at Beachway Therapy Center
At Beachway Therapy Center, trained therapists are ready to assist those combatting addiction or substance abuse issues. The road to recovery and healing can be difficult, which is why Beachway provides an ideal, life-affirming environment for patients. Compassionate staff, proven therapies, and customized treatment plans offer those dealing with substance abuse, and addiction issues hope for a better future.
Treatment at Beachway Therapy Center
DBT is one of many types of therapy that Beachway offers. By combining a wide range of therapies at our inpatient Florida treatment center, we help individuals recover from addiction and mental health disorders while providing a safe a serene space to recover.