I just received a report my old therapist sent to apply for IP funding for treatment of my Bulimia.
It says at the end:
"I also think a DBT approach or very similar would be particularly beneficial for her. Such an admission should be combined with preparatory work with Helen....."
I'm not entirely sure what happens in it but I think it's not disimilar to CBT
Preparatory work I guess would mean beginning look at DBT
I don't know but I do know DBT is common amongst self harmers so someone whose had it should be able to tell you more
When we lose twenty pounds... we may be losing the twenty best pounds we have! We may be losing the pounds that contain our genius, our humanity, our love and honesty. ~Woody Allen
Is a chocolate muffin loving glitter ball
"DBT combines standard cognitive-behavioral techniques for emotion regulation and reality-testing with concepts of mindful awareness, distress tolerance, and acceptance largely derived from Buddhist meditative practice. DBT is the first therapy that has been experimentally demonstrated to be effective for treating BPD.Research indicates that DBT is also effective in treating patients who represent varied symptoms and behaviors associated with spectrum mood disorders, including self-injury. Recent work suggests its effectiveness with sexual abuse survivors."
I just looked it up on wiki baby girl & it actually looks quite good, it might be really useful for you.
I did nine months of DBT. It's tough at first, because you get given a load of skills you have to practice daily. And you fill out diary cards rating certain emotions and feelings/actions of self harm/suicide etc. Usually you have one group session a week and one individual session with the psychologist.
But it is really effective and if you put the effort it, it will really help.
It envolves a lot of hard work and commitment but it can be really helpful. Ive never done it, but I know several people who have and there are as Sarah said, 4 modules to it. There is also an idividual side where you talk through personal stuff. The modular work is taught in a group setting and you have to practice the 'skills'. You would probably get a workbook or worksheets to fill out.
It tends to be used to treat Borderline Personality Disorder or similar conditions and can be extremely effective. Like people have already said it has different strands to it centered around crisis management, emotional regulation, mindfulness & interpersonal effectiveness.
I went through some DBT and it definitely had some good skills. I didn't find it as helpful as they predicted, but I have heard a lot of people say they liked it. It kinda breaks down different things in how you relate to the world and kinda teaches you methods to improve stuff. I remember there was stuff on distress tolerance (basically learning to deal with bad stuff in a more healthy way), interpersonal relationships (some was about basically how to assess your interactions with people, like not being too aggressive but also not letting people use you), ways to use both emotion and logic, and just kinda ways to be balanced.
So yeah, that's what i know of it. I didn't do it as strict as it often is though, i just basically went through all the papers but wasn't responsible for like homework. I imagine it could be very useful in an inpatient setting like you mentioned where you're in constant treatment and can really focus on practicing it all the time.
i did some dbt in hospital and it was quite helpful, especially when i think back to that time...i was so out of it...but some of it stuck with me. the ways to manage distress were good for me, and they still sometimes pop into my head when i need them.
also, sending you hugs, and my best wishes, as always.
I'm doing DBT right now and I find it helpful in a lot of ways. There are three modules in the course I am doing: Interpersonal Effectiveness, where you learn how to deal with people in day to day situations, Distress Tolerance, where you learn how to deal with stress in various ways, and Emotional Regulation, about looking after yourself and regulating your feelings. I found some parts much more interesting than others, but it was all worthwhile. In my course, you do each of the modules twice, so you do six in all.
I was told I needed a 'DBT approach' too. I think it just means that they think a certain type of therapy will help you. Even if you don't do DBT with a group, some of the ideas and theories make a lot of sense, and I think a lot of different types of people could benefit from them. :)
DBT has been the most helpful of all the therapies I've done (and I have quite a list!). What makes it effective for me is that it can be done on an outpatient basis, but I never leave my sessions empty-handed--I always have a new ways I can cope with the various things in my life. With my therapist, I've worked out ways to deal with flashbacks, nightmares, self-harm urges and controlling ED symptoms.
To clarify more--DBT is different from several therapies out there. For example, CBT says we need to change our thinking in order to get better. DBT says that bringing behaviors and stress under control will enable us to deal with the mental part and move on. Which makes total sense--who wants to try and work through trauma, disordered thinking, and life problems if they're still so sick and stressed?
EDIT: And I'm not surprised your therapist recommended it--DBT is shown to be very effective for eating disorders and self-harm, as well as other mental health issues.
Last edited by PaleMoon : 28-05-2010 at 10:34 PM.
Reason: add-on
My name is Matt, and I am a boy. Feel free to PM me :)
I have learned that the world is not a safe place. Not at all. But there are so many people who love me and want to keep me safe. And that is enough.
DBT was a life saver for me, it really really helped me strongly reduce severe self harming behaviours. As previously said it is hard work, there is a lot of self analysis of why you did a certain thing e.g cut/purge/whatever but it is well worth the effort. It seems to be particularly helpful with regards to the more impulsive self destructive behaviours such as cutting or purging.
'Never forget what you are. The rest of the world will not. Wear it like armor, and it can never be used to hurt you.'
['There is only one thing we say to death. Not today'.']
'We are each our own devil, and we make this world our hell.’ – Oscar Wilde
‘It’s hard to dance with the devil on your back.’ Sydney Carter
I was taught midfulness and cbt (so i suppose it was dbt, just wasnt called that, was only called therapy) and i found it difficult and i felt like an idiot most of the time doing it but it does help abit when im feeling very distressed. its all to do with letting your thoughts come and go like a wave and not acting on them just letting them pass through your head. It can also be touching something and discribing it to yourself and feeling the touch of it so your are concerntrating on something other then your thoughts. like you can walk mindfully by feeling the motions you are making with your feet and the presure they are putting on the floor!
thats what i got out of it anyways, i could have got it totally wrong!
