WHAT IS DIALECTICAL BEHAVIOR THERAPY (DBT) ?
DBT was first created to treat a condition called borderline personality disorder, but it can help kids with lots of issues. DBT is used to treat everything from anxiety to depression, ADHD, bipolar disorder, eating disorders, and drug abuse. It’s often helpful for kids who have had trouble with other kinds of therapy. DBT can especially help kids and teens who are hurting themselves or who think about dying a lot.
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How Does DBT Work?
DBT treatment is designed to help with extreme emotional instability, which clinicians call “dysregulation” — the inability to manage intense emotions. Dysregulation leads to impulsive, self-destructive, or self-harming behaviors. The goal of DBT is to teach adolescents techniques to help them understand their emotions without judgment — the mindfulness component — and also to give them skills and techniques to manage those emotions and change behaviors in ways that will make their lives better. But it takes work and commitment.
What skills does DBT teach?
DBT skills training is very structured; for adolescents, it consists of five modules:-
Mindfulness skills: Being present in the moment and understanding the signs of unregulated emotions
Emotion regulation skills: Coping with difficult situations by building pleasant, self-soothing experiences to protect from emotional extremes. “Especially with teenagers,” says Dr. Emanuele, “there’s a big focus on the physical body: eating properly, getting enough sleep, taking their medicine and avoiding drug use.”
Interpersonal effectiveness skills: “It’s often interactions with others that are the negative triggers for impulsive behaviors,” Dr. Emanuele says. The purpose is to teach adolescents how to interact more effectively with others, and enable them to feel more supported by others.
Distress tolerance skills: “It’s being able to recognize urges to do things that would be ineffective, such as hurting themselves or trying to kill themselves” and consciously controlling them, says Dr. Emanuele.