Mental Health Has anyone had Dialectical Behavior Therapy?

[Libby]

My psychiatrist (the sexy cunt) said I'm supposed to get dialectical behavior therapy to like complement the meds he gave me (wish he'd complement them with his cock) and I was just wondering if anyone's had it before? The DBT, not cock... although do go on..

 

[spork]

Yeah, I went through more than a year of weekly DBT group therapy and it changed my life for the better. I still have a binder full of my worksheets that I look at occasionally to remind me of skills that I can use that I learned from DBT. Mindfulness is at this type of therapy's core and if you go into it with an open mind, I think pretty much anyone can benefit from both DBT and mindfulness.

Here is a website chock full of info and DBT skills. If you have any questions, feel free to ask (either here or by PM). I hope you like DBT and find the skills you'll learn to be beneficial to your life!

 

[New]

I've used DBT before as well...it's an amazing system which I still find myself using to this day.

 

[Abject]

Good to see you're still around Libby

 

[herbavore]

My psychiatrist (the sexy cunt) said I'm supposed to get dialectical behavior therapy to like complement the meds he gave me (wish he'd complement them with his cock) and I was just wondering if anyone's had it before? The DBT, not cock... although do go on..

Libby, you crack me up!
DBT gives you really practical ways of changing your thoughts. I find it very useful.Good luck with everything--glad to see you here.

 

[Khadijah]

Ugh, I was just in a IOP program for a few months that did this. (it was a psych program not a drug one)

It was possibly the most annoying unhelpful thing Ive experienced. It depends on your problems obviously. but for me it did nothing except irritate the shit out of me.

But my situation is a lot different than most peoples. I would guess that maybe for somebody who has your straight up chemical imbalance related depression it might be useful. But to me , out of all the classes we had each day that was the one I hated the most. I got a binder full of the shit still and read thru it all. basically distress management techniques, the whole idea being 'you cant change whats going on but you can change how you react to it. if you got a shitty thing happening, youll just make it shittier by reacting shittily, so try and accept it so you can save yourself some xtra trouble."

For me though none of this was remotely helpful and it just made me feel worse. Like I said tho, my situation was different than a lot of peoples. I aint even tryin to get into the whole story right now but I had some fucking sick, traumatic shit happen that just destroyed my soul and will to live and scarred me for the rest of my (hopefully short) life. I cant live with it to be totally honest and the DBT was ridiculous to me, and i felt like it was kind of patronzing but thats just me. To me, the problems Im dealing with are way beyond the ability of something like DBT to help and the group leader even recognized that so maybe Im a bad person to ask. honestly I dont believe there is anything that can help me, but even if I did, something like DBT is not some kind of heavy duty extreme therapy for incredibly deep damaging issues. its just a thought pattern awareness program basically. Its something that aint gonna help some acute extreme issues, but might be helpful to your average run of the mill depression or anxiety. I dont wanna be discouraging so I guess Ill STFU but just wanted to say it aint some kind of magic great thing that will help everybody (of course, nothing is...) but I didnt think it was all that great at all, matter fact I really hated it and thought it was kind of stupid.

 

[Libby]

Khadijah - I wasn't diagnosed with depression or anxiety (though I do have those as "moods") I'm supossed to have DBT for Borderline Personality Disorder/Post Traumatic Stress syndrome. I thought it was developed specifically for BPD patients and so would be good for trauma. *waits and worries* :/

's all :D

 

[Khadijah]

I guess just go into it with a open mind and try and get whatever you can out of it.

For me, its basically like....no matter how much I try and be "mindful" and "in the moment" and use distraction techniques and etc etc, none of that changes what happened and how unbearably painful it is to be alive now after that happened. The whole idea of dbt is to kind of keep your mind off the really stressful shit until it becomes less stressful. But for me it never does. Like, if youre having a extremely bad moment, panic attack, really strong craving to use drugs or cut yourself or hurt yourself, or whatever other bad emotion, DBT is supposed to help you get thru that brief period til its more stable. Cuz for most people, it does pass. You dont have really strong unbearable cravings to use 24/7, you dont feel intensely suicidal 24/7...at least according to the booklets and worksheets I got. But the thing is for me it IS like that all the time. The entire purpose is to get you thru the really bad moments til you can deal with them in a more rational and calmer way and not let your emotions get the best of you...but for me its never a really bad moment. " a really bad moment" is all the fucking time so in that case it aint really the kind of thing that can help. I dont think this is the type of therapy thats really gonna help some acute severe issues but helpful for somebody who is more 'with it' and functional. I dont know. Im talking like I know everything herea and I really dont and I dont wanna be talking out my ass so let me just give you a little more info about some of it. the shit i was describing before, they call it "riding the wave", instead of standin there like "oh shit theres a tidal wave comin right at me" you just let yourself go with it, 'surf' it or whatever, the forever-repeated phrase was "do not judge it just observe and accept what you are feeling, be in the moment" whatever whatever. For me it just dont make sense. but thats the idea, I guess.

It even said on one of the worksheets tho...It was a sheet with a list of things you can do to get yourself thru a bad episode of anxiety or panic or stress or whatever bad emotion. Stuff like watch a movie, take a bath, call a friend, play with a pet, exercise, cook a good healthy meal for yourself, write your feelings in a journal, all the typical standard shit--like, "hey, right now you feel this irresistable urge to cut yourself (just using that for example), so instead, watch your favorite show until it passes, just do whatever you have to do, right now, as long as its not also unhealthy, to get you thru the moment and distract you, because it will pass sooner than you think."

But then it said that this aint something you should be doing all the time and to be careful to not use this 'coping skill' to the point where youre just avoiding your problem(s). And see for me, Im walking around with a knife thru my heart wanting to die 24/7 so it aint useful to me and is actually counter productive.

I dont wanna make this about me because its your thread which is why I aint gettin into my problem here and why its so un-get-overable, but basically, no matter how much I try and change my thinking, or "surf the wave" or what the fuck ever, no matter what on this earth happens, none of it can change what happened and how much it damaged me, none of it can bring things back to how they were, nothing can bring back the person I lost as he slipped thru my fingers. Nothing can change that I went to bed one night with a future and woke up the next morning with a world so shattered that there wasnt even any pieces to pick up and put back together. Whether I walk thru life telling myself "i can handle this" or not, its still the exact same situation, and my feelings dont come from a conscious decision , they are just the blood gushing out of the psychic wounds. Its just how it is and no therapy is gonna change that. Somebody might argue that its my attitude causing the no change but Hey, I really dont care what they think because they have no idea what happened and how it affected me and just how permanently fucking destroyed I am by it, so I really aint too concerned there.

I did see that a couple people in my IOP program said the dbt stuff helped them and it was supar grate or whatever, so I aint gonna be the person who gets all discouraging here, you should look into anything you think could help you. Shit, I went into it with a open mind too and wanted to try but found it to be the most inane retarded shit that had no practical value to me but thats just me you know? I dont want you to get a bad idea of something that might help you just cuz some dumbass like me said somethin bad about it on the internet. I just wanted to put my 2 useless cents in I guess. you should let us know how it goes for you tho I hope you have success with it I wouldnt wish my misery and negativity on anybody

 

[Libby]

Oh ok. Yeah sounds like your experience is more severe, I think I'ld really like to learn some techniques to deal with the things more efficiently, they are transient for me, always temporary.

*hug*

 

[Libby]

Hah.. I downloaded a DBT workbook thing on kindle, 'distract yourself by counting' is one of the advise given . Fucking lulz I already do most this stuff!

Edit: shit I spoke too soon it's full of whack-job religious crud. dissapoint

 

[spork]

^I've never had any sort of religious stuff preached to me in DBT. What workbook did you get?

 

[coors light]

Ive tried this with no success. but Iv heard it works wonders for some.

 

[Libby]

^I've never had any sort of religious stuff preached to me in DBT. What workbook did you get?

Just the first cheap DBT book I found on kindle that looked useful called "The Dialectical Behavior Skills Workbook"
I can ignore the part on "higher power" bullcrap and the few refrences to such in other parts of the book since there's also good things in it.
It just fucks me off that they put that kinda crap in things like this, the last thing someone working on their memtal health needs is to adopt a delusion. Err maybe I'm not quite mental enough, lets create a character to be a voice in my head and build a relationship with it,
hearing voices will help, as will delegating my responsibility over my life to my imaginary friend.

 

[TooOldForThis]

I hate to say this, but it is a bit of a relief to hear that others did not get a lot out of DBT. I was in a DBT program for a year, but the skills never stuck, at least not when a horrible unexpected experience hit. Your post is a good reminder that I should get out the materials and see if I can't start using some of the skills again. I hope if you do try it, it will be helpful to you.

 

[samira]

I had my first DBT session today. it was mindfulness. I went in with a open mind. I was and always will be held back by fear (of what? idk) but I have to agree with Khadijah - maybe I haven't gave it a fair chance but WTF how is mindfulness and holding a rock and focusing on how it feels and shit meant to change how you feel about yourself and the past!

The past is fucking real and what if you can't deal with the present because you're living in the past and can't move on from the hurt and fear it caused you that it's ruined your future like wtf

 

[cj]

Any kind of group therapy will only be as effective as the group leader and the actual group you are in.

 

[liteupyourlife]

Where I live they don't even offer DBT programmes. You'd have to pay eur6,000 and even then you have to be living in a specific catchment area to get in. I got diagnosed with BPD/EUPD plus depression&anxiety this year and all I get is an appointment with my psychiatrist once every three months which is basically ten minutes of useless questions and prescribing some new drug, none of which have worked for me. So I bought a DBT workbook, think it's the same one you downloaded Libby. It sucked, didn't even get halfway through it. I just know it's not gonna work for someone like me. So I imagine an inpatient DBT program wouldn't be much different. Basically I've been left to my own devices, can't afford private therapy. They did give me some sessions with a drug/alcohol counselor which was totally pointless, like they just wanted to pin all my problems on that, but my drug/alcohol use is a symptom of my illness if you ask me...that's why I've been struggling with it since I was like thirteen or fourteen.
Anyway sorry to get off-topic. I have to agree with Khadijah, that it just won't work for some people, especially anyone with deeper issues or people that are already self-aware of exactly what they're doing and why they're doing it but can't seem to stop anyway...it's all-consuming. How can becoming more self-aware help people like that? I would say I'm very self-aware already, part of my sensitivity and also part of my problem. What I'm usually striving for when I self-harm or use drugs/alcohol is LESS self-awareness. I need to switch off for awhile. My brain is constantly whirring and racing and sometimes I just need it to stop...
In conclusion, I'm sure DBT would be very useful for some open-minded people who may have difficulty with self-awareness, the kind of people who don't realise what they're doing or why but if someone pointed it out to them they would be able to implement the techniques to help themselves.
Unfortunately, I'm not one of them. I have to agree with Khadijad. But don't mind us...we're fucked.

 

[NeuroDr]

I had my first DBT session today. it was mindfulness.... but WTF how is mindfulness and holding a rock and focusing on how it feels and shit meant to change how you feel about yourself and the past!

This is just the beginning. Mindfulness is about being in the present moment, being aware of everything around you, and it starts with big things like this. Don't let this first activity turn you off to it. It takes more than being open to it to have it change your behavior. It must be something you truly want, need, and dedicate yourself to integrating into your thought patterns. As your leader works on getting you to be able to bring your awareness to just the present it should start to become about yourself much more. When you're in a situation and someone pisses you off, for example, rather than hitting them or running off you will be able to bring about awareness of what's going on, why it's happening, and what is the best course of action both for yourself and for the other parties involved. It's just about stopping and thinking before you act. It's very beneficial if you absorb it and make it part of your natural thought processes, but this takes a good amount of work and dedication on your part, won't happen overnight. Nothing will change the past, and afaik DBT isn't meant to change the way you feel about your past, but as far as changing how you feel about yourself, it made me feel better about myself seeing that I'm making smarter decisions and coping with stressors much more effectively. Everyone's different though, results may vary

Libby, I think you will be able to find the benefits in it as you said that it already sounds like something that would be helpful for you. As someone else said, I also believe that it will be a beneficial therapy for anyone, no matter who you are and what your issues may be, it definitely won't hurt you, that's for sure. I hope you're able to gain something from it and really see positive changes. I know PTSD and BPD are not easy things to cope with.

Peace

 

[ZacherySwan]

As a last resort, to save my (then) shaky marriage, a marriage counselor, (MSW) advised us that I desperately needed
Dialectic Behavior Therapy. I took the weekly therapy, for two full years, meaning, my MSW went thru the Skills Training
Manuel (twice) plus I read the complex book, by Dr. Marsha Linehan, and purchased optional CD's from the DBT website.
I also had a one hour "one on one" of DBT psychotherapy, with a male Ph.D, trained by Dr. Linehan. once every 3 weeks.
My marriage counselor, made her decision to discharge me, and demand I take DBT, based on one single test I took, in
December of 1999, (Dr. Theodore Millon's MCMI-II test) that indicated I had two Personality Disorders (Passive Aggressive
P.D. 114%, and Borderline P.D (103%). administered by a 26 year old Graduate Student, working her internship.

This Psychiatric Group had one DBT group for females, and one DBT group for males. "I was the only one to complete two
complete sessions, and all of the modules". When session 2 ended, after 22 months, it was determined, by those above me,
that I needed "Emergency Marriage Counseling". "No more DBT" by both instructors with rank over me.

The 11th hour twice a month marriage counseling, failed within 60 days, and my wife of 12 years, filed for a Legal
Separation, and a Divorce. Things got very ugly, with the expensive attorney fees. Not satisfied with a legally agreed
upon $90,000.00 cash settlement, I paid my ex-spouse, she "stole" this Millon MCMI II along with assistance from the
Domestic Violence folks, in my city of 700,000 people, and, exaggerated my behavior "over the top" to convince a Judge,
to issue a one year Restraining Order against me in Civil Court, 8 weeks after the Divorce was made legal.

The consequences: 90 days in jail, with no bond, for a misdemeanor, if I violated the terms of the Restraining Order, such
as calling my ex-spouse, writing my ex-spouse, attending the Methodist Church we were married in, with, or without my
spouses presence, and, for me to not approach her within 300 feet, if I saw her in public..+ no e-mails, for 3rd party type
of communication. I was also banned from purchasing any firearms, (I never owned a firearm). I complied so I would not
have to go to jail, to disgrace me, and my family, and create a "police record" that would ruin my career.

I received over 30 harassing telephone calls, and six (6) unprintable e-mails threatening me from a 3rd male party,
originally associated, as a male client of mine, who had a psychotic break and tried to seduce my ex-wife, who I later
discovered, (he) was a twice convicted felon, and had served prison time, twice, for the violation of women's rights.

Regarding "DBT Therapy" some positive points.............
+ I still use the "DBT Diary Card" every week, since March of 2004. Why? for structure & accountability
- I do not believe in my heart, the approximately $10,000.00 in fees over 24 months was a plus when I
weight in the cost benefit analysis. Perhaps I am biased and bitter, because, my wife threatened to divorce
me if DBT did not "fix me".

I have had three USA Medical Board Psychiatrist's place in writing, that, I do not meet the criteria for the
label Borderline Personality Disorder, DSM-IV 301.83. I also have the opinion of a male Ph.D who I have
seen approximately 100 fifty minute one on one sessions, that his interpretation, also, is I do not have
Borderline Personality Disorder, the primary disorder, than Dr. Marsha Linehan's popular DBT therapy is
specifically designed for.

I have received these Diagnosis's ................."by 4 USA Medical Board Certified Psychiatrist's" for A.D.H.D alone
1. Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder 314.0
2. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder 300.3
3. Anxiety Disorder NOS 300.0
4. Mood Disorder, Not Otherwise Specified 296.90
5. Strong Traits of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder 309.81
6. Adjustment Disorder with Mixed Anxiety and Depressed Mood, Chronic. Multi-axial assessment Axis IV "Divorce"
7. Impulse Control Disorder NOS 312.30

MMPI-2 (Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory) Code 6-4 (pronounced Fear/Paranoia and Anger)
L=52, K=41, F=79, the latter for test reliability and validity, "80" or higher for F is the cutoff.
Scale 6 Paranoid Scale I scored a 94. "50 or less is baseline or normal, 65 or higher means more maladaptive behavior.
Scale 4 Psychopathic Deviate "I scored 87, measuring a significant level of rebelliousness.

 

[a dream]

Ugh, I was just in a IOP program for a few months that did this. (it was a psych program not a drug one)

It was possibly the most annoying unhelpful thing Ive experienced. It depends on your problems obviously. but for me it did nothing except irritate the shit out of me.

I was in a partial hospitalization program for a few weeks, and DBT was a daily component of the program. I didn't find it annoying, but not very useful and I don't think I gained anything from it. Part of it was probably the presentation and format; from what I can surmise PHP/IOP program at this hospital isn't very good and I would have been better off going to another hospital (read more below).

My impression of DBT and the program in general was that it's most useful for those with problems related to bad life circumstances or self-control issues, such as traumatic experiences, stressful childhood / family / relationship situations, dealing with loss, major health issues (like cancer), drug/alcohol abuse, emotional issues, irrational fears, and low self-esteem. Not so much for those who have no real problems in their life but generally feel depressed (me). It might have helped when I had more anxiety issues but I dealt with those using simple CBT (when it was caused by stress) or by reducing use of some drugs.

But my situation is a lot different than most peoples. I would guess that maybe for somebody who has your straight up chemical imbalance related depression it might be useful. But to me , out of all the classes we had each day that was the one I hated the most. I got a binder full of the shit still and read thru it all. basically distress management techniques, the whole idea being 'you cant change whats going on but you can change how you react to it. if you got a shitty thing happening, youll just make it shittier by reacting shittily, so try and accept it so you can save yourself some xtra trouble."

I think DBT is most useful for those with emotional issues. For many of those with neurological depression and mood disorders it might not help at all if they are aware of their moods and have an understanding of how mood affects behavior and emotions. (That's more of a CBT concept, and I found CBT to be much more useful... unfortunately the hospital program did very little CBT. and the bit they did was less in-depth than what I learned in three of my weekly 45-minute sessions with my therapist.)

I didn't like the special language/phrases used within DBT/mindfulness. A little bit too close to Buddhism for my tastes; not against Buddhism but in a clinical setting I found it difficult to connect with.

They did give me some sessions with a drug/alcohol counselor which was totally pointless, like they just wanted to pin all my problems on that, but my drug/alcohol use is a symptom of my illness if you ask me...that's why I've been struggling with it since I was like thirteen or fourteen.
Anyway sorry to get off-topic.

Earlier this year I was extremely depressed I was told to go to an outpatient partial hospitalization program (5-6 hours of group therapy 5 days a week) if I wanted to go on short-term disability. The first hospital I tried to go to would only accept me if I would enter their "dual diagnosis" program which is for patients with mental health issues plus substance abuse issues. As a condition of entering the program I would agree not to use drugs or alcohol, be subject to random testing, and be required to attend two outside community addiction support group meetings a week. No thanks. Their decision was based on two SINGLE incidents of excessive marijuana or alcohol use in the past year I told them about. No daily drinking or cannabis use, and no use of drugs like cocaine, meth, or heroin at all.

I ended up going to another hospital and didn't tell them about those incidents, but was open about the rest of my drug/alcohol use, and they accepted me into the regular mental health program. Unfortunately the first hospital I tried to go to is better, from what I heard from other patients and my therapist and my initial experience with them (up until they wanted me to receive chemical dependency treatment).

My drug/alcohol use patterns are so much different than those treated by modern mental health practitioners. It doesn't fit into the narrow category of addiction/chemical dependence that all the inpatient, outpatient, and community support groups attempt to treat. If they think my drug/alcohol use is a problem, branding me as an "addict" in the same vein as an alcoholic or chronic pot smoker when I am clearly not will just make me resentful and resistant to receive any treatment at all.