[LoneWolfie]

I have been waiting over 6 months to start an intensive 3 full days for 15 weeks DBT program. Orientation starts September 11th and I am scared.

Just thinking of setting the obtainable goals, has me freaking out. I have never set a goal in my life and this seems so HUGE!

I'm trying to stay positive but that damn little voice keeps telling me I am going to fail and things will never change. I know my personality and how things drop by the way side.

I know I will stick with the whole program, my concern has always been whether I will be able to continue to use the learned skills when I am done.

I have taken a few short programs in order to get into the intensive and I know what I haven't kept practicing those skills.

I hate this disorder so much! For someone that tends to bounce from one thing to another and not be able to focus. It is like a double edged sword.

People in my circle of care, "professionals" keep telling me the way I have reacted/have done things in the past doesn't mean that is how I will be now.

But I still continue to drop things and lose interest. I'm a slacker and have been for the last 30 years, that won't change over night.

I hate my life and myself.

LW

[AngelWolf3]

You can do this! (easy for me to say, I know....) But just wanted to put some support out there for you...

[SwayintheBreeze]

Committing to doing it is a great start LW! One day at a time ... one step at a time...

DBT is hard work - you need a lot of focus and commitment, they will help you reinforce the skills you are going to learn but its really down to you to be honest - as they say, you reep what you sew. It sounds like your determined to get better though so i can only wish you luck. Im on the programme for a year (possibly two) so i know where you're coming from. All the best, please update us with your progress

I have just started CBT and I was freaked out too.

You can do this, I have faith in you, I know for me learning this stuff is hard as I have never tried all these skills but I am willing to give it a try anything so I can start to heal, Not saying that I will but surely it will help I hope.

[LoneWolfie]

I'm going to give it my all, that is how I do anything. It is afterwards that I am worried about. When I am left with the skills but whether I will continue to practice and use them time will only tell. I know my past behavior with life and things, it doesn't look good.

All I can do is try my best.

I know it will be hard work and I don't relish it but I do what a better life, a life more stable would be a life worth living.

Thanks all..

[tinyghost]

My hardest part was utilizing the skills when I was out of group, but take it a little bit at a time. If you have a DBT binder (binder full of DBT worksheets etc yer group should give out, if it's the same as the group in Hamilton) - then refer to that often. Read through it and do little mindfulness exercises and such on your own. I used a paper journal to record when something happened that wound up with me using a DBT skill, and referred to that journal when stressed/upset to see that I DID use the skill and was capable; it helped me quite a lot.

Good luck and stick with it! The first few weeks of intensive DBT are difficult but it is so worth it in the end.

[LoneWolfie]

Hi Tiny,

You're just down the road a ways! My brother bought me the DBT skills workbook and the daily journal several months back while I was waiting to start the program. I barely looked at it, but a few weeks ago I did look at the diary/journal.

[SwayintheBreeze]

Originally Posted by LoneWolfie

I'm going to give it my all, that is how I do anything. It is afterwards that I am worried about. When I am left with the skills but whether I will continue to practice and use them time will only tell. I know my past behavior with life and things, it doesn't look good.

All I can do is try my best.

I know it will be hard work and I don't relish it but I do what a better life, a life more stable would be a life worth living.

Thanks all..

I really admire that attitude LW .. Keep it up!