If You Are Looking for an Effective Method for Finding Relief From Anxiety, Then Keep Reading...

Dialectical refers to the combination of two seemingly contradictory ideas. In the case of DBT, these opposites are Acceptance and Change. In DBT, patients are taught to accept things the way they are right now, at this moment, without judgment. Then they look to what change can be made to their behaviors, reactions, how they do things, to make things better in their lives. It is looking at the concept of accepting that at this moment, they are already doing the best that they can, and they can continue to do even better.

Behavioral refers to the actions, reactions, and traits that they exhibit. Behavior can be trained. It is all about Reinforcement and Reward. Whenever we do something, and a result happens from it, that action is reinforced. A dog sits for you and is given a treat. This is not about reward, but reinforcement. They come to realize that if they sit (the behavior), they will be given a gift (strengthening of the action). If an individual throws a temper tantrum, and the other person gives in to their demands, the temper tantrum (the behavior) gives them the result that they want (the reinforcement). So, support can work both to the positive and the negative, dependent upon how and when it is applied.

In DBT, harmful behaviors are targeted for change and reinforcement/reward. These can be anything from suicidal thoughts and thoughts of self-harm to over-indulgent practices with food and substance abuse, to reckless and impulsive traits. When the patient starts to have a better understanding of the more significant, more imminently harmful behavioral characteristics and how to modify their behaviors, then they can work on the smaller ones, which can also be very dangerous to the person and their loved ones. Each person is unique in what those traits are and how they manifest.

The T is, of course, for Therapy. This is a huge part of DBT, because Therapy, many forms that it will take during a DBT program, is essential to the reinforcement of positive behavioral changes and skill-building. It takes a lot of coordinated effort between an individual and their therapist to build a shiny new toolbox filled with the skills needed to change their lives for the better effect.

• Basic Distress Tolerance Skills
• Advanced Distress Tolerance Skills
• More Distress Tolerance Skills
• Basic Mindfulness Skills
• Advanced Mindfulness Skills
• Exploring Mindfulness Further
• Basic Emotion Regulation Skills
• Advanced Emotion Regulation Skills
• Basic Interpersonal Effectiveness Skills
• Advanced Interpersonal Effectiveness Skills
• How to Improve One's Personal and Social Skills
• Exposure-Based Cognitive Rehearsal
• Putting It All Together
• And much more

Altogether, DBT helps to teach individuals with Borderline Personality Disorder (among others) how to regulate their emotions, find healthy coping mechanisms for dealing with stress, how to live in the "now" of the moment, and how to improve their relationships with the people around them.