Originally developed to treat patients with borderline personality disorder and suicidal thoughts, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy is now one of the most common therapy methods used to treat addiction and co-occurring mental health disorders. The core ideas of DBT, including improved coping skills, communication skills, and self-image are essential to achieving recovery from addiction and mental illness.
DBT is considered a form of CBT, however, it differs in that it focuses on accepting difficult feelings, thoughts, and behaviors as well as change. The word Dialectical itself means integrating opposites- finding a balance between accepting what is and what needs to change. A DBT session has a curriculum that includes mindfulness, interpersonal effectiveness, emotional regulation, and distress tolerance. It helps individuals recognize emotions, learn how to accept some of them as a part of their lives, and change the ones that lead to negative behaviors.
