[dancinglady]

How ,many people here have done DBT and found that it did not work? Just curious they all say it is the most effective but want to hear from clients who have gone thru it to see what the real stats are.

Thanks for answering.

[geis]

I found it mildly helpful when I was first starting therapy and trying to get a handle on stuff.

However, I've since been forced to redo it so many times that I could probably run a group in my sleep. It's no longer useful to me, but they're now using it as the go-to treatment (and often the ONLY treatment) for everything under the sun. Now it just frustrates the crap out of me, and honestly at this point in my healing, I find it really condescending and overly basic.

[iditp20]

I was treatment resistant in regards to this. I kinda found it insulting that they thought I didn't have those skills

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[ifst5]

Everyone here knows my position on DBT so i wonder whether there's any point in me contributing but what i will say is; please don't think badly of yourself if you personally haven't found success with this treatment. There are plenty of others out there - but availability seems to be the biggest issue. More research is needed for BPD as a whole. It doesn't seem fair to continue pouring available money into one program that has known methodological problems and has failed many. There at least needs to be a choice. At the moment people either don't know about what else is suitable and/or can't access it. That's simply unacceptable.

[dancinglady]

Sorry but I just wanted to know. I have not been on here long enough to know people's opinions of a certain treatment.

I, on the other hand, have been through years of ineffective treatment - psychodynamic, CBT, supportive, very short psychoanalytic, general talk therapy, medications (ineffective big time). It leads me to believe that I am not treatable when I look at my past unsuccessful attempts in therapy. I have also done hospitalizations, partial hospitalization, day support, psychosocial and psychoeducational.

This is my life history and should not be taken wrong by anyone on the site. It is my experience and my experience ALONE.

[HD7970GHZ]

Hey Dancing,

To answer your question simply: I have just started DBT. It is very hard for me because I form a quick attachment to my therapists and the time between sessions is killing me. So far this is nothing new - but the skills that I am being trained have proven useful in the month or so that I have been in DBT. That to me is a sign that it is an effective form of treatment for me.

This below is off topic, and I know it has nothing to do with what you are asking:

This has been my experience in therapy:

Throughout my many years in therapy - I have tried my hardest to avoid researching the kind(s) of therapy I was being subjected to. I have found that for me: there's a certain point where I just had to stop researching - and simply: be a patient and allow the therapist to do his / her job... In doing this - it allowed us to fast-track a ton of potential barriers and get right to the chase... Perhaps that is why I attack so quickly... (Or maybe it's the borderline - LOL)

What I am trying to say is:

There's something to be said; for simply walking into therapy [without any prior knowledge of the therapeutic constructs or methodology] and for putting all of your effort into: just being you.

(By doing this - we ward off any unrealistic expectations or prior attitudes towards the therapy we are about to receive. Thus, we have a better chance of getting the most we can out of it)

Ultimately, it doesn't matter what happens in therapy - because everything that happens in therapy is a part of you, whether you like it or not... But I've found that [for me] obsessing over the kind of therapy and specifics behind it - has been the primary detriment in any kind of therapy I have gone through...

In saying this - I suggest that people going into DBT: try not to research everything there is to know about it. To give the treatment benefit of the doubt, and allow it to take its natural course. There's a reason why therapy is designed as it is designed: in realizing this - therapy is NOT only about the skills that are taught, or the aspects of awareness that are acknowledged and practiced... It is also about the, "experience," of the therapy.

Anytime that I research obsessively - I can become very distracted and can easily be swayed into thinking more about the therapy [as an: intellectual construct] - versus my actually opening up and learning and growing [as a: genuine expression of pain] despite my initial attitudes towards a specific kind of therapy...

For instance: Had I known prior to starting Schema therapy - that I would be, "re-parented," I don't think I would have been able to fall into the child role... My cognizance of the direction and central aim of Schema therapy - could have derailed any chance of it being as effective as it was... Luckily for me - I knew nothing about it - nor did I ask: all I knew is that I genuinely fell in love with my therapist and saw her as a Mother figure - and she was. For a time.

Same goes for DBT...

I just started DBT a little over a month ago - and I have been trying my hardest to allow the therapy to unfold: as it is designed... I have tried not to reverse roles and become the therapist in the sessions, because I truly want the most out of it! I have heard nothing but good things about DBT - even in the cases where people don't necessarily learn and grow as they initially expected they would - prior to going in...

All I know is - a therapist will adapt to the patients needs - and utilize ALL aspects of therapeutic tools in order to do whats best for the patient at hand. Just because you are in DBT, does not mean that your therapist will not include aspects of CBT, or Schema or Psychoanalytic, etc... It's important not to become befuddled with the specifics of your treatment regimen - and to instead: merely show up for therapy - put in an effort - and be yourself. If you do that; the rest should naturally unfold.

For me - every aspect of therapy has been useful. Even the painful aspects. I would be dead if it were not for my previous therapists. I suppose I could be lucky in saying this - as I know - not everyone has such a positive experience. But I also think I wouldn't have had such effective treatment - had I known more about what I was getting myself into.

Better to go in blind: as a person in need of help - than as someone with prior knowledge that could derail the effectiveness of therapy. (In my point of view)

I suspect DBT will be similar - lets hope so.

Thanks,
HD7970ghz

[Crazy Hitch]

Hi Dancinglady,

Never tried DBT.

The psychologist my pdoc refered me to (as I think I may have mentioned) does Schema Therapy. According to my pdoc, it's one step above DBT. But that's just my pdocs own personal experience in terms of what is most successful in the long run with her clients that experience bpd.

[ifst5]

I just want to make it clear - i have had personal experience of DBT.

And it was totally useless.

After that, i did some thorough research - seems i'm far from alone.

I started to write down, in detail, each issue with the well credited/regarded DBT i received when my computer crashed. This is the second time tonight i've lost a lengthy post but as this is a topic i feel quite passionate about i've decided to go ahead and at least list each concern anyway. At a later point i might come back and elaborate but hopefully it will be rather self explanatory;

1. My co-morbidity (mainly autism/OCD) simply wasn't acknowledged.

2. The above lead to a sort of bullying - i was made to feel like i wasn't trying hard enough to embrace something i simply couldn't.

3. Some of the concepts didn't even make sense anyway.

4. A lot of it was also hyped up common sense.

5. There seemed to be an overall aversion to dealing with anything from the past.

6. It was mainly group based. It's questionable whether a highly charged environment supports the teachings of such concepts.

7. It's odd that a therapy which seems to promote the here and now bogs it's clients down with so much paperwork and assignments. It almost puts up a barrier - highly emotive topics are placated with step by step instructions and handy future references *shudders*

I'm going to stop there because i'm gradually going into more detail and when you could go on and on you have to bare in mind the time.

The bottom line is, if this therapy appeals to the understanding you have of your own disorder - great. If it doesn't, it's likely that you're suited to a different approach.

I'm not out to offend anyone - in the same way that i'm also disinterested in pleasing people. These are simply my views and as subjective as anyone else's. What i do hope, is that the OP feels less alone by my contribution.

Peace out.