Scared About Dbt

[recoveringfromptsd]

I am being given no choice about doing DBT, if I don't my providers won't work with me, and that includes my meds for my manic depression.

I was just told it would start on December 8, 2016

On an thread on this site, I was in a discussion where the point was made by someone that they got kicked out of DBT simply for not being able to handle its rigid requirements, I don't know if that's that persons program or that is every DBT, but it has me worried.

For one I have exposure to some DBT both in PHP, and at SP TDU, but those were not rigid. Well PHP was more rigid, but it was flexible. Neither were a formal DBT program.

When I was in the hospital they had to remove process groups from my schedule, because I just did not function at a level where I could complete the work that was involved.

So I am concerned I am going to drown in this DBT stuff, I am worried that instead of it helping, it being the source of another crisis.

I could use some feedback on this, maybe I am being hypercritical over this. Just like when before I went in the hospital the feed back I got on this site from others help get me thru until I could get help, I could use that kind of feedback now, in my recovery.

 

[Justmehere]

DBT groups are not process groups. They are skills building groups. I have done two DBT groups. I found it very helpful early in my recovery. Nut a sure but it helped me later do trauma work. DBT groups are not places where trauma processing work is done.

Check out dbtselfhelp.com for info on DBT and you could call the therapist leading/teaching the group and ask for the boundaries of the group and the workbook ahead of time. I didn't find it grueling at all, but every group could be different. It is structured, and boundaried - but when done well, it simply helps the process move forward. There usually is a simple daily card to complete and maybe 1-2 small homework assignments to do every week, but that helps make it more effective and I found it to be very useful.

 

[recoveringfromptsd]

I looked at the site, and it's all the stuff that was covered in PHP, and SP TDU.

 

[Silver.]

So it sounds like you already know what to expect if you have gone through it a few times, so what is different now? Is it that someone has gone through it under strict conditions, and you worry this time around will be like that?
If you haven't encountered that type of situation, then it very well not be that way for you in your area. At the same time, I would follow jmh's advice: make a list of worries, concerns and questions and call the instructor ahead of time so you know for sure.

 

[Sideways]

I was given a similar ultimatum about doing dbt a few years back. I was pretty unimpressed, and I was frustrated that my progress was being put on hold for a group that seemed really inflexible with its rules.

I stayed pretty resistant to dbt for quite a while. But for me, the situation was basically that my treating team had reached the point where it was too unsafe to continue treatment until I had better skills on board to deal with therapy.

I hate to say it, but they were right on the money for me. I was chronically suicidal, and dbt blew a huge hole in that. And yes, it definitely made it easier for me to cope with treatment. I genuinely believe that the "time out" of therapy to do dbt, I've actually made uo several times over because post-dbt, I'm so much better at managing and coping with therapy. So I make much better progress.

I'm still not a fan of ultimatums. But certainly in my situation, my treating team decided that it was unsafe to continue therapy until I had better coping skills. I can respect that, for them, they were concerned about my safety. And in my case, they made the right call. Dbt was worth it, many times over. Yes, you will have encountered some of the stuff elsewhere. As I had. But it was still, very definitely worth it.

 

[Powder]

I'm curious about how would you summarize what DBT is, or what kind of skills are being taught?

Thank you for any information you can share.

 

[Justmehere]

I looked at the site, and it's all the stuff that was covered in PHP, and SP TDU.

You got this.

I'm curious about how would you summarize what DBT is, or what kind of skills are being taught?

Check out the website above. It covers it all pretty well. This is a link to a workbook that goes through all the skills: Link Removed

There are 4 areas of skills: mindfulness, interpersonal effectiveness, emotion regulation and distress tolerance. There are some overarching principles used throughout. There is some discussion of using your "wise mind" - which is a portion of your emotion mind, and reason mind. It involves holding a lot of balancing things together at the same time - thus the title dialectic.

One of things often said is "you are doing the best you can, and things need to change." And this is true for pretty much everyone in a DBT group -- and that peer support, learning all the skills together, was very helpful for me.

 

[Powder]

That's a fantastic summary, @Justmehere Thank you for sharing your expertise on this topic. I think that I could always use some of the skills listed.

I feel I could gain more ground. But I'm happy that over a long time of effort, I've made progress in finding ways to cope with sudden feelings of anger and fear when I feel that someone is "messing" with me, and I now know that I feel triggered by the reminders of being lied to and manipulated by my abusers.

Just knowing that this is a "Button" for me and that this person is definitely not an abuser to me helps me to put my emotional surge into another place other than my mouth or defensiveness. But the feeling is often still there, especially when I'm already stressed about something and feeling jumpy. I've come to accept that my emotions and my body's feelings of defensiveness are part of my PTSD-body that I don't choose, but I do choose to work to have tools to cope so that things are better for everyone and I can be more proud of the results.

I should check that out over my upcoming break. Thanks for the link.

 

[lostforgottensoul]

I can't do a group thing but I bought the DBT workbook and it has been extremely helpful. I can't express how helpful it has been. So it is possible to do it without doing a group but I keep hearing that it's best to do a group thing.

I honestly don't thing I'd be doing as well as I am without DBT skills so it's a great therapy to go through!

I did feel like it would be too much too and that I was going to drown in it and it wouldn't be helpful but the way its set up, it really does take you slowly step by step (and with the book I can go as slow or fast as I need and then can go back over stuff when I need. I have found that months later it was helpful to go back through stuff).

And it also sort of eases you in. So you don't get overwhelmed. But I do get that concern as there are many parts to it. @Justmehere gave a wonderful summery of it.

I hope it helps you as it has me!

 

[recoveringfromptsd]

So it sounds like you already know what to expect if you have gone through it a few times, so what is d...

Actually I don't know what to expect, while in both cases they were working from the DBT workbook, it was a formal DBT program, but they did teach about of the same elements that was described earlier.

 

[recoveringfromptsd]

I was given a similar ultimatum about doing dbt a few years back. I was pretty unimpressed, and...

@Ragdoll Circus That's very helpful, I now get the point why the hospital recommended it and why I am being required to do it, as your situation very much is a mirror of mine, I have had chronic SI/SH my whole life since my abuse, and over 50 hospitalizations, and over a dozen actual suicide attempts with several coming close to being successful, and I am only 58, I have spent more birthdays and christmas in the hospital than out, I have even had some passive SI (I seem to always have had that every now and then). So with my record I can understand why they are requiring it.

My current therapist is very clear on stuff, that's why I like her, boundaries are easy to figure out, as well as what I can trust with her, but that same way about her extends to stuff like this.

She has called the sheriff on my twice already because she was concerned I was too unsafe. And she will not let me leave her office if she feels I am too unsafe.

I guess the good side of this is I have had some of the material already so it may be a little easier for me to get through it.

My therapist also wants me to have counseling a life crisis center (they do abuse stuff, both current victims and past), that's important for integration of these memories. I am not sure I am ready for that, but I want to proceed anyway, but from what you all have said it seems that DBT should come before the hard therapy.

 

[recoveringfromptsd]

You got this.


Check out the website above. It covers it all pretty well. This is a link to a work...

I checked out the link, and its is all the stuff they covered in PHP (over 120 hours), the php cost me $750 out of pocket, the DBT they want me to take is going to costs $2000 and its only 75 hours total, the difference with php is they covered this stuff for 8+ hours a day every day for several weeks.

If its going to be just presenting the same material and does not go further and provide more, it would seem a waste, it would be better to repeat php as I can do it in a month. But if they are going to challenge my actions and thinking when I don't myself so I can actively change behaviors by identifying them real time, and changing them then it might be worth it.