Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) allows a person with addiction to acquire important life skills for self-development and positive change.
Features of DPT
As a type of psychotherapy specifically designed to deal with risky and out-of-control behavior. DBT therapist offers a targeted approach to helping people with substance abuse stay sober and manage relapse triggers.
Benefits of DBT in Overcoming Addiction
While acknowledging the emotional difficulties a person faces during treatment and rehabilitation, DBT does not lose sight of the larger goal of adopting healthy behavioral and coping skills. In addition, dialectical behavior therapy:
- identifies potential influences or obstacles that may interfere with a person’s treatment and sobriety;
- prioritizes the safety of patients experiencing significant emotional or psychological distress;
- may help reduce cravings and the urge to return to harmful substance use;
- reinforces the adoption of healthy habits and promotes positive relationships with other people;
- teaches mindfulness skills that can be used to manage stress in difficult or dangerous situations;
- teaches important skills of stress tolerance and emotional regulation, thereby helping patients to better cope with feelings and other difficult emotions.
Addiction treatment typically includes several types of individual and group behavioral therapy. In some cases, withdrawal from binge is required , followed by detoxification and the creation of an environment for constructive activity.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) can also be very helpful for dual diagnosis patients who have another psychiatric disorder in addition to their substance use.
Start your recovery with DBT
The use of dialectical behavioral therapy in an integrated approach in the treatment of addictions contributes to the emotional and psychological recovery of patients.
The main treatments offered in drug rehabilitation centers, in addition to DBT, can be:
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
- Family Psychotherapy
- Motivational interview
- Mindfulness and stress management programs
- Art therapy
- Medical therapy
In the treatment and rehabilitation centers for patients suffering from alcoholism or drug addiction, specialists are guided by a holistic treatment philosophy that recognizes the importance of addressing the physical, emotional, mental and spiritual harm associated with addiction.
Key provisions of the DPT
Dialectical behavioral therapy is based on five main points called functions:
- strengthening abilities;
- generalization of abilities;
- improvement of motivation;
- reduction of dysfunctional behavior;
- structuring the environment.
A psychotherapist teaches people with addiction advanced behavioral skills of mindfulness, stress tolerance, emotion regulation and interpersonal effectiveness, he shows how to use them in everyday life, at work, at home and in the community.
As a self-guided toolkit, the patient is taught to use motivational techniques . It may just be small steps towards the patient’s goals that will allow him to stop feeling lethargic and gain more self-confidence by seeing results.
If this method does not work for a particular goal, the patient focuses on another goal and takes several steps in that direction. When confidence begins to grow (as the efforts bring results), then either the second task is performed, or a return to the original is made.
The development of these skills naturally shows a decrease in dysfunctional behaviors such as substance use, suicidal thoughts, etc.
All of these techniques are learned in a structured psychotherapeutic environment which itself acts as a fifth technique and which provides rules to follow. External assessment of the progress of the psychotherapist-patient relationship helps to determine which psychotherapeutic approaches are producing the desired results.
DBT is a clinically effective tool that can actually reduce dysfunctional behavior and improve quality of life.
Skills developed by DBT
Dialectical behavioral therapy focuses on developing four core skills:
- awareness;
- stress tolerance;
- interpersonal effectiveness;
- regulation of emotions.
Mindfulness helps you understand and accept the present moment. The skill of tolerance to stress allows you to cope with emotions during times of severe stress. Interpersonal effectiveness is essential for identifying your wants and needs, and for healthy communication. Emotion regulation skill allows you to better understand how to manage emotions and solve problems in useful ways, rather than reacting to emotional urges.
