Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) effectively teaches people to identify emotions, pause and reflect on them, and avoid reacting impulsively. There are numerous benefits of dialectical behavioral therapy, which is why many addiction counseling programs use it in various treatment plans.
DBT can help people who have intense emotions effectively manage their reactions to circumstances in life. Discovering and learning coping mechanisms is important in relieving a person’s tendency to jump from one crisis to another. If you or someone you know might benefit from DBT, contact Liberty Bay Recovery Center in Portland, Maine, at (855) 607-8758.
How Does Dialectical Behavior Therapy Work?
One of the most effective therapeutic solutions available for managing addiction and addictive thought patterns is dialectical behavior therapy (DBT). Dialectical behavior therapy provides clients with new skills for managing difficult emotions and limiting conflicts in relationships. DBT involves a strong client-therapist connection and promotes openness, mindfulness, distress tolerance, and interpersonal effectiveness.
Mindfulness
Mindfulness training focuses on improving a client’s ability to accept and be present in the moment.
Distress Tolerance
Distress tolerance promotes the client’s ability to tolerate negative emotions rather than attempting to escape from them.
Emotion Regulation
Learning to regulate and manage emotions can cause significant improvements in a client’s relationships, self-esteem, work habits, and family life.
Interpersonal Effectiveness
Our goal in interpersonal effectiveness training is to help clients strengthen healthy relationships by teaching assertiveness, self-respect, and communication skills.
The Benefits of Dialectical Behavior Therapy
There are many benefits of DBT for people who struggle to accept and adapt to the world around them. This struggle leads to ineffective emotional reactions that are overly intense or exaggerated. They might take issue with people not agreeing with them or things not going the way they had planned, causing them to react disproportionately. Some of the many benefits of dialectical behavioral therapy are as follows:
- The creation of coping mechanisms
- Developing acceptance of the world
- Discovering healthy ways to react
- Becoming able to recognize emotions
- Being able to manage those emotions
- Becoming less judgmental of the world around them
In addition, dialectical behavioral therapy can also reduce several destructive behaviors and lessen a person’s risk of suicide and self-harm. People who complete this type of therapy can move on to form healthy, strong relationships with others in their lives, as well.
DBT in Addiction Counseling
Having the consistency of solid relationships boosts a person’s self-image and, as a result, can decrease the likelihood of that person turning to substance use as a coping mechanism. For people in an addiction rehab program, dialectical behavioral therapy can help maintain sobriety and boost their chances of getting and staying clean. Those who participate in DBT are less likely to experience hospitalization for mental health concerns, enabling them to lead healthy, stable lives of which they are in control.
This proactive approach to problem-solving is a form of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) initially developed in the 1980s to help treat people with a borderline personality disorder diagnosis. However, today, it’s known to be successful in treating those with various mental health challenges.
Learn More About DBT at Liberty Bay Recovery Center
DBT can help those who struggle with depression, bipolar disorder, borderline personality disorder, addiction and eating disorders, and anxiety disorders. In dialectical behavior therapy, people can learn how to make behavioral changes to reduce emotional reactions and take charge of their lives.
DBT is a practical approach to teaching the skills necessary for emotional stability and appropriate reactivity to situations. Reach out to our friendly professionals by calling (855) 607-8758 and taking the first step to manage emotions with DBT at Liberty Bay Recovery Center.
