Just wondering if anyone here is already being treated with DBT and how its going? Do you feel like your making progress at a speed your satisfied with? How well is it delivered by your therapist? What kind of things do you get as "homework" ? Are you doing any other treatment too, like art therapy etc ?
Hey,
I did DBT group therapy not individual. It was really good and decreased my self harm and distress. Ifeel I'm more able to deal with my emotions and how I feel now. We used to get homework nearly every week but its one of those therapies where the amount you put into practising and using the skills, the more benefit you will get out of it.
Crisis management is the best module and and a good one to start with. Just keep at it.
Ballerina123 - My lovely superstar
Call me R -
The best thing about the future is that it comes one day at a time - Abraham Lincoln
Thanks for the reply noodle. I actually havent started yet but Im very anxious too. Rang today to try and get it pushed forward to next week but they said ring back Monday :( Jeez I hope mine isnt group therapy, I'll lose the plot :D I did mention that in the assessment, that I couldnt handle group therapy right now so fingers crossed. I have every intention to do the work whole heartedly, I cant wait to get myself back to a normal functioning person :D I guess I just wanted to know what I can expect, it sounds like your very happy with how yours went so thanks for the reply.
Have you tried looking up on Google what to expect in addition to posting here?
Loads of people on here are doing or have done DBT, so hopefully you'll get a few more replies.
I tried DBT in therapy, it wasn't group and also just part of my treatment rather than the focus of it.
I didn't really manage to progress much as I disagreed with parts of it and found the homework bits silly and too much effort. However, I would never discourage anyone from trying it, I know a number of people who found it incredibly helpful and who managed to reduce self harm and regulate emotions better over time. I felt like it focused a lot on harmful behavior and I didn't do any at the time so got no use out of it/had little motivation to do it.
What are you doing it for?
It can help to have a goal in mind or a concrete idea of how you're hoping it will help. I didn't and I think that was a huge part of why I wasn't willing to engage fully.
I have done it before. I had a group session and an individual session every week. The homework was to fill out diary sheets every day which rate your emotions and behaviours. Also have to practice skills daily. Its a complicated thing to learn at the beginning but the more you practice the easier it becomes!
Isn’t it funny how day by day nothing changes but when you look back, everything is different…
you once called your brain a hard drive, well say hello to the virus.
I haven't done DBT but have done mindfulness and found that really helpful. Some of my clients have been through the DBT group where I work and I have heard really positive feedback. DBT is often done in a group as that leads to the best outcomes.
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
Night Circus - Im glad you found it helpful. I did some CBT workbook things before off my own back that I got online. I wasnt exactly having a major turnaround while doing them but they did help me to see how irrational my thoughts can be. I presume the DBT homework will be very similar.
Last edited by OverEmotional : 13-08-2015 at 12:26 AM.
Reason: Editing
I'm so sorry about your dog. It's so devastating to lose a beloved pet.
I did DBT for a year. I had both group and individual sessions once a week. I recently finishef and now i am doing schema therapy. DBT made a massive difference to certain aspects of my life and I am functioning a lot better now. It reduced my self harm and now when I have urges I have a set of skills I can draw on and am able to manage to resist the urge. It also helped me with tolerating and accepting difficult emotions. There is a module on interpersonal effectiveness which you might find useful as it provides techniques to help with conflict and difficult situations and maintain healthy relationships. Mindfulness is a key component of DBT and it helps with managing judgement thoughts, both about others and yourself.
The idea of groups can be daunting but my group was very helpful as it was focussed on learning skills rather than talking about very personal stuff. In fact we were not allowed to talk about selfharm or suicide. It was good to be with other people who were going through the same process and I gained a lot from sharing experiences of using the skills and problemsolving when i had trouble using them.
Thanks Secret Squirrel and Daisy Mipp <3
I forgot spirituality was a module too..I just remembered it when you mentioned mindfullness. I have practiced mindfullness from time to time and I already try countering my neg thoughts with more positive ones.
Sometimes it can just be really irritating though..like someone says "well if you only look at it negatively you'll never see the positive" Grrrrrr
Although they're right, its just not what you want to hear when your in a dark pit of despair.
Im feeling a little more together today which is good, but I have a lot of anger and resentment coming up. Im trying to just sit & let them pass but it just feels like Im bottling and its the weekend..bottling + booze = Never a good outcome!! Im sure some on here will agree.
This is why I want my appointment pushed forward, I cant sit around the house for 2 weeks like this..its just not healthy & its unfair on my bf when he needs supporting too.
@Daisy Anti mindfullness? :D I get you there as mentioned above. Its a good thing that you dont have those mood swings often!!! I cant remember the last time I had a good week, its rare for me to be in top form for more than 2/3 days or so. I look forward to fixing that!!
But maybe try doing the homework when having your most recent swing in mind? Or jot down the events of your next swing to use for future homework?? I know, prob easier said than done!
@Secret Squirrel How long was your treatment?
I was thinking 6 months max...****! I realise I will eventually have to start group therapy at some stage, I just hope they will let me wait till Im ready.
Did you start both at the same time? (individual & group)
I really dont like being stuck somewhere with people I dont know. But I guess most of the others there will be thinking the same. Like I can barely use public transport Id rather walk the 5 miles!!
Daisy you can practice mindfulness when you're not in a mood swing etc. you can do the usual things like brush your teeth mindfully, peel an orange mindfully, notice the environment around you etc. its so you can get really good at it so its second nature when you dont feel good
Isn’t it funny how day by day nothing changes but when you look back, everything is different…
you once called your brain a hard drive, well say hello to the virus.
Well during my assessment he definitely mentioned Id be doing spirituality after he asked what religion I was. But maybe he was on about it separately and not with DBT Im not sure.
For me, I did the programme for a year after a few weeks of pre-treatment individual sessions to see if DBT was the right treatment for me. Then I joined the group and continued my 121s. Some people in my group did 6 months.
It was not a complete "cure" for me but I made great improvements and saw othet people in my group make positive changes too.
