Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) is designed to treat borderline personality disorder (BPD). The goal of this treatment modality is to teach clients how to regulate their emotions and tolerate stress. BPD is a complex mental health condition that impacts a person’s ability to manage their emotions. This affects how they feel about themselves, but also negatively impacts their relationships with friends, family, and coworkers.
Signs & Symptoms of BPD
Borderline personality disorder is often misunderstood. People with BPD often feel their emotions very strongly and they can change quickly. People struggling with BPD may experience:
- Intense mood swings
- Uncertainty about oneself
- Rapidly changing emotions/feelings towards others
- Abandonment fears
- A pattern of intense and unstable relationships
- Impulsive and dangerous behaviors
- Self harm
- Recurring thoughts of suicide
- Intense anger and anger management problems
- Feelings and actions of dissociation
These signs may manifest together or one by one. Each person’s symptoms will look a bit differently depending on their personality and behaviors. If you or someone you know is exhibiting signs of borderline personality disorder, dialectical behavioral therapy may be the right treatment for their needs.
How Dialectical Behavioral Therapy Can Ease BPD Symptoms
Dialectical behavioral therapy was created to help people experiencing borderline personality disorder. It can be done through inpatient or outpatient care, easily integrated into any care plan. DBT is a group or individual treatment method that aims to help clients reinforce their skill building and validation.
Benefits of dialectical behavior therapy include:
- Improved emotional regulation
- Enhanced interpersonal relationships
- Crisis management skills
- Increased mindfulness and self-awareness
- Reduction in self-harming and suicidal behaviors
- Long-term stability and recovery
Dialectical behavioral therapy achieves success through three main techniques. These techniques are mindfulness, dialectical strategies, and distress tolerance.
Mindfulness involves cultivating awareness for the present moment. This includes the practice of non-judgemental acceptance of one’s thoughts, emotions, and experiences. Mindfulness exercises, such as meditation, breathing techniques, and sensory awareness, teach clients to observe and experience the world around them without becoming overwhelmed.
Dialectical strategies include the acceptance of opposing viewpoints. To do this, therapists combine conflicting ideas to balance acceptance and change, validation and accountability, and freedom and responsibility. ‘Dialectical’ refers to the logical discussion of ideas and opinions. This is beneficial for people experiencing BPD because it encourages them to think and act with critical thinking and emotional regulation.
The distress tolerance technique is essential for managing crisis situations and coping with intense stress in a productive, healthy manner. Coping skills taught during distress tolerance therapy include self-soothing, distractions, improving the moment, and radical acceptance. Learning to tolerate distress without making it worse is important for individuals with BPD because it helps control impulses and keeps them safe.
The dialectical behavioral therapy process includes these three techniques, which can be used all at once or one at a time. The techniques used will ultimately depend on the client and where their strengths and weaknesses lie.
Seeking Success After Dialectical Behavioral Therapy
Borderline personality disorder is a life-long mental health condition that requires constant management. Untreated BPD may result in suffering or even death for individuals who experience the condition.
Dialectical behavioral therapy is just one method of treatment for BPD. Research has proven it to be successful in treating BPD. If dialectical behavioral therapy does not work for yourself or a loved one, there are other treatment modalities available. These treatment modalities include:
- Cognitive behavioral therapy
- Medication management
- Solution focused therapy
Many people with borderline personality disorder need medication for life. In the past, society stigmatized medication, but it is often the safest and most successful method for long-term treatment of borderline personality disorder.
If you or someone you know is exhibiting signs of borderline personality disorder, connect with the team at Alter Behavioral Health. We offer dialectical behavioral therapy and additional treatment styles for borderline personality disorder and any co-occurring mental health conditions. Everyone deserves to live as their healthiest, most authentic self, which is why we offer all levels of care for successful outcomes. Give our admissions team a call today.
About Alter
Alter is a behavioral healthcare provider that specializes in evidence-based clinical treatment approaches. We provide a wide range of programs for adults and families experiencing mental health conditions including schizophrenia, depression, borderline personality disorder, anxiety, substance abuse, and more. This is done through client-centered care for a full-continuum of treatment. We serve the entire U.S. population from our revolutionary locations throughout sunny Southern California. Whether an individual needs 24/7 care or wants an outpatient program – we are there to guide every step of the journey. For more information, give us a call at (877) 613-9776 or visit our website at alterbehavioralhealth.com.
