Addiction and mental health disorders are typically lifelong battles. Stress is something you’ll deal with many times. You may have past trauma that finds its way into your life from time to time as well. Having a way to cope with these situations is critical. That’s what a dialectical behavior therapy program can do for you.
Also known as DBT, it is one of the tools we use at Fort Behavioral Health to change the course of your life and empower you to live fully. If you or a loved one may benefit from a dialectical behavior therapy program, reach out to our team today.
What Is DBT?
DBT is a type of therapeutic approach. It aims to help you cope with difficult situations and emotions. DBT was originally developed as a tool to treat borderline personality disorder. However, it has been shown to be helpful to those battling a variety of mental health disorders. Dialectical behavior therapy is often used to help those with depression and substance use disorders, for example.
Coping Skills Taught in Dialectical Behavior Therapy
When a person engages in DBT therapy at Fort Behavioral Health, they’ll learn four coping skills, also called modules. Each one aims to teach a new strategy for managing emotions or dealing with difficult situations in a meaningful way. These coping skills include:
- Mindfulness – In this concept, you’ll learn how to be more aware and accept what’s happening at the moment. You’ll learn to notice what’s occurring and accept the thoughts and feelings you have without judgment. This can help with balancing irrational thoughts and taking the right action in situations.
- Distress tolerance – In this module, you’ll learn how to get through difficult situations, such as instances of crisis, without engaging in destructive or negative behaviors. This may include distraction techniques to help you calm down enough to properly address the situation or self-soothing methods to help you feel peace.
- Interpersonal effectiveness – This coping skill focuses on helping you to relate better to other people around you. When you learn to do this, you’ll be able to listen better, engage more fully with social skills, and even engage in assertiveness. This may include learning how to ask for what you need or working through conflict in relationships effectively.
- Emotion regulation – Here, you’ll learn how to deal with primary emotional reactions to situations. This way, you can prevent those emotions from leading to guilt, feelings of shame, or depression. In this module, you’ll learn how to reduce your vulnerability, recognize your emotions more effectively, and express yourself better. You’ll also learn to stop giving in to your emotions.
What Can DBT Do for You?
It’s critical to recognize how much of a role emotions play in your life. How much are they impacting your mental wellbeing and your use of substances? At Fort Behavioral Health, we encourage you to learn more about these coping skills and embrace therapy with us. You’ll have the opportunity to explore this type of therapy as a component of individual sessions with your master clinician. This allows you to open up fully with ample privacy.
Learning more about yourself and developing strategies for dealing with tough times is a big component of long-term recovery. We’ll use DBT along with a wide range of other strategies to help you achieve those goals. Some of our other therapy options, such as:
- Cognitive-behavioral therapy
- Dialectical behavior therapy
- 12-Step therapy programs
- Trauma therapy program
Gain Healthy Coping Skills in DBT at Fort Behavioral Health Today
Overcoming addiction and mental health disorders through the use of DBT or other therapies can change your outlook. It can give you the tools and resources you need to manage good and bad days with ease. Most importantly, you remain in charge of your future. Are you ready to experience this type of improvement? Call Fort Behavioral Health at 844.332.1807 or reach out to us now online. Let’s start working on improving your life.
