Dialectical Behavior Therapy

Interpersonal effectiveness–which largely refers to the skills you use to have successful or productive interactions with other people–is a common goal in DBT. DBT can help you improve your relationships with others, such as friends, family members, and romantic partners. In DBT, you might work on things like:

• Setting boundaries.
• Communicating clearly and empathetically.
• Balancing self-care with relationships.
• Conflict resolution. 
• Self-respect.

Since addiction and mental health often affect interpersonal relationships, interpersonal and communication skills are an essential part of recovery in many cases. Some people shut down rather than communicate, whereas others get angry or have a hard time honoring their needs. Regardless of what interpersonal skills are more challenging for you, DBT can likely help.

Emotion regulation is the ability to self-regulate or manage emotions in a healthy way. DBT promotes emotion regulation by helping you honor your feelings while teaching mindfulness and related skills. In DBT sessions, you and your group might practice things like: 

• Identifying (labeling) emotions. For example, “I feel overwhelmed.” 
• Acknowledging how you feel without judgment (radical acceptance).
• Taking time to think before you react.
• Grounding exercises.
• Problem-solving.

Emotion regulation skills are necessary for everyone and can empower you to manage and care for your mental health. 

Exactly what it sounds like, distress tolerance and crisis management skills help you navigate stressful situations in a way you are proud of. Usually, people use drugs and alcohol for a marked reason, such as to cope with stress, anxiety, poor body image, or depression. These things can feel overwhelming when we don’t have the skills we need to address them. By learning to tolerate, accept, and manage distress in healthy ways through DBT skills, you will likely feel better equipped to cope with negative emotions, difficult life events, and other triggers or stressors. 

On a similar note, DBT can help people with overcoming maladaptive behaviors, including but not limited to substance use, self-harm, or eating disorder behaviors. The ability to manage these behaviors often goes alongside emotion regulation, mindfulness, and problem-solving skills taught in DBT. As a substance abuse treatment center, our DBT treatment plan for women is used to address maladaptive behaviors like drug and alcohol abuse, as well as underlying causes.