I am just wondering if anyone here has been through DBT. I think the skills used can help people here.

[silentlyscreaming]

I'm almost half way through the DBT course, and although some of it is helpful, some of it is quite distressing. I find most of the basic skills can be helpful, but other suggestions make you feel worse. I actually had DBT today, and the group was discussing it. One particular suggestion that really caused ripples was when you're feeling bad, think of someone who is in a worse situation than you are. The general consensus was that that idea sux. You just end up feeling guilty for feeling bad. DBT has helped with my BPD, but definately not my SI.

That's just my opinion, it may have worked for others.

[asylumgardens]

I haven't done it, but I'm interested in alternatives to medicine and regular talk therapy. I don't know much about DBT, though.. what is it exactly? Somehow related to CBT?

[skittles]

whats dbt?

[MyBestKids2]

DBT( Dialectical Behavior Therapy) is used to treat difficult to treat conditions. I took a year long course about 2 years. No pros or cons.

[debbie_tabor]

They used it in a partial hosp program I was in, I do try and use some of the coping skills. It was first used for people with borderline personality disorder, but it's use is being spread wider. (I was in a depression/anxiety program).

It's meant to be different to CBT in that it accepts you can't change everything, so hopes to provide coping skills for any distressing situations that continue to arise.

Copied and pasted: improved coping skills in the areas of mindfulness, interpersonal effectiveness, emotion regulation, and distress tolerance.

If anyone's really interested, there's a link to a pdf file about DBT on this page http://www.twobrattle.com/Programs/programsIndex.html

[debbie_tabor]

PS Thinking about people who are worse off than you seems to be a suggestion in all the programs. I don't know why they don't just drop that one - it's offensive. Although, to be honest, I do think of people in Darfur when I think I'm having a bad time and it puts it in some perspective.

[splitimage]

I've used parts of DBT when i was in a hospital program - mainly around mood self regulation and it helped. I've found some of the stuff I learned helpful for when I want to drink (I'm an alcoholic and trying to stay sober.)

--splitimage

[silentlyscreaming]

Debbie, I totally agree with what you said about thinking about people in worse situations. It doesn't make you feel any better. If anything, you feel more guilty for feeling like crap