What is DBT Therapy?

How is DBT Helpful in Drug & Alcohol Addiction Recovery? 

DBT is helpful in various situations and has been used for many different mental health conditions, including eating disorders treatment, bipolar disorder treatment, anxiety treatment, depression treatment, PTSD treatment, and substance use disorders treatment.

While DBT has several similarities with CBT, dialectical behavioral therapy includes a level of optimism that is not found in traditional CBT. DBT assumes a few different things:

By making these assumptions and believing that unwanted thoughts and behaviors are learned and reinforced, DBT works to unlearn these thoughts and behavior patterns through some exercises and coping skills.

There are several methods of change that DBT employs in order to treat drug & alcohol addiction, all of them with the same goal: Equip clients with tools so that they are able to develop a healthier mindset. The basic premise for practicing DBT is that people who are exhibiting self-destructive behaviors and tendencies (substance use, self-harm, eating disorders, etc) do not have the skills to be able to solve the problems that were leading to their behaviors [2]. By replacing those behaviors with skills that have proven to be productive and promote positive change, destructive behaviors will decrease.

Treating Drug & Alcohol Addiction with DBT Methods & Principles 

Therapy may be offered in an outpatient or inpatient setting, however, inpatient drug rehab typically offers more intensive therapies and opportunities for healing than does outpatient care. In order for DBT to be successful, the therapist and client must form a collaborative partnership. While this may be hard at first, DBT drug addiction treatment methods help clients form this important relationship.

As soon as treatment begins, DBT drug addiction treatment encourages complete abstinence. For a person newly in recovery, this can be a very intimidating prospect. Because of this, DBT breaks down long-term sobriety into smaller, more easily obtained goals. The therapist may suggest that a person set a small goal, such as being sober for an hour, a day, or a week. Once a person has successfully attained this goal, they renew it and begin again. As a person continues to succeed, they gain stability and move closer to long-term abstinence.

As treatment progresses, the DBT drug addiction approach targets several behaviors that improve a person’s chance of recovery:

The main goal of DBT drug addiction treatment is to help a person develop what is referred to as a “clear mind.” In this state, a person remains focused on their recovery goals while also being aware of potential threats to their sobriety. With a clear mind, being mindful helps a person avoid relapse triggers and cope with them should they arise.

DBT Activities for Addiction 

Before engaging in DBT activities for addiction, a health care professional generally explains the process of this substance abuse treatment approach. The therapist and client collaborate to develop realistic goals to be achieved during each of the four stages of therapy.

Stage One

During stage one of DBT activities for addiction, individuals strive to gain control over their reckless behaviors, which could include heavy drinking or drug abuse. Those entering this level of therapy often have a history of self-harming, suicidal thoughts, or mental illness.

Stage one is designed to help people overcome these behaviors and achieve stability. It also aims to decrease behaviors that interfere with therapy. Through this stage, clients learn to increase their ability to manage stress and effectively interact with others.

DBT Skills for Addiction 

Every recovery addict will respond differently to DBT methods depending on their own unique circumstances. However, these specific DBT methods have been beneficial for people struggling with substance abuse disorders and co-occurring conditions:

Emotional Regulation

Managing emotions is a key component of emotional regulation. This method involves developing an understanding of one’s own emotions, how those emotions can make one feel vulnerable, and how to reduce emotional suffering. 

Interpersonal Effectiveness

Interpersonal effectiveness helps develop skills for effective and positive communications with others. It also teaches us how to balance our priorities, nurture our relationships, and live fuller and happier lives. 

Distress Tolerance

Everyone faces distressing situations in their life. For the addict, the way they deal with these situations is by turning to alcohol or drugs. Distress tolerance helps to recover addicts learn how to deal with these situations in a more manageable manner while reaching a tolerable emotional state rather than turning to alcohol or drugs.

Mindfulness

Mindfulness refers to teaching the person in recovery how to become more aware of their environment to be more engaged. The purpose is to get the addict to focus on what is occurring now rather than drifting off and concentrating on their past or worrying about tomorrow. It also helps them learn how to view their feelings and thoughts more impartially and unbiased.  

Benefits Of DBT In Addiction Treatment 

DBT is beneficial in addiction treatment because it addresses harmful behaviors that act as barriers to improving people’s lives. Within addiction treatment programs, DBT focuses on substance use and how it affects the quality of life, while also promoting target behaviors essential for overcoming addiction. 

These behavioral targets include:

Problematic behaviors often occur as a way to cope with a bad situation or feeling, like using substances to deal with depression, anxiety, or other mental health issues. DBT can help tRehab Center in New Jerseyhose those suffering from addiction develop effective ways to manage stress, regulate emotion, and be mindful of themselves and others. Within addiction treatment programs [3], the DBT drug addiction treatment approach is beneficial because of its unique approach to mental health and wellness, like promoting acceptance and change.

DBT in Dual Diagnosis Programs in New Jersey

Many individuals struggling with addiction also have another underlying mental health condition. When someone is diagnosed with other disorders along with addiction is it referred to as dual diagnosis or co-occurring disorders. Co-occurring disorders with addiction must be treated simultaneously. If the underlying condition led to substance abuse and is left untreated, the person will go back to drugs or alcohol because the original trigger was not handled. Finding success in sobriety can be more difficult for those with a dual diagnosis but the right therapies can help get them on that path. DBT provides the skills and methods to sustain long-term recovery from the New Jersey rehab center.