Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)

It is modified form of Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT). DBT is an evidence base psychotherapy used to treat drug/alcohol abuse. This therapy focuses on thinking patterns and mood swings that are responsible for drug/alcohol abuse. The purpose of this therapy is to enhance emotional and cognitive regulations of the patient by learning about what drives them to use drugs/alcohol.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) enables a recovered patient to remain abstinence of drugs/alcohol by helping them develop skills such as mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotional regulation and interpersonal effectiveness. DBT also impress on the factors that may influence drug/alcohol use like surroundings and patients behavior.

Common DBT strategies for addiction treatment

• Avoid surroundings and groups that encourage drug/alcohol use.

• Encouraging addicts to remove situation and activities which might trigger cravings.

• Boosting confidence and self-esteem of the patient to stay sober in bad situation.

Prominent techniques in DBT

Skills Training – the therapist will teach skills in group classes once or twice a week

Mindfulness: the act being completely aware of present situation and engaged in current setting is termed as mindfulness. The general tendency of any addict is of getting easily distracted by wandering in thoughts of the past or to worry too much about the future.

Distress tolerance: when anyone is facing some stressful situation, they want to get out of it and generally a recovered addict will likely to opt for easiest way by taking drugs/alcohol. This skill will help recovered addict to go through bad situations without being relapsed.

Interpersonal effectiveness: addicts are generally introverts; they are not open about their feelings. By improving skills of communication and having healthy relationship one can lower the chances of using drug/alcohol.

Emotional regulations: this skill will emphasis more about thinking rationally about what one feel or how to cope up with unwanted feelings that might become responsible for drug/alcohol use.

Individual Therapy – everybody is different so the application of previously learned skill will be different for each individual. In this, therapist will guide the patient in applying those skills in life personally.

Phone Coaching – the therapist will make themselves available for guidance when the patient wants to discuss issues. This will enable the patient in right decision making and thinking through all possible options available at the time.

Team Consultation – DBT is a intense process, it requires therapist involvement with other therapists and patient to ensure the best treatment plan for the patient.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) have been proven to effective in treatment for addiction and this form of CBT is widely used today.