Mindfulness And Dbt (dialectical Behavior Therapy)

[Abstract]

Sorry to hear that. I would be interested if Lionhearted feels it is something he would be OK to have discussed here. Thanks. Otherwise one of us could maybe start a thread. ?

Please know that mindfulness does NOT happen in a few weeks. It is hard work and a process especially for those of us with significant dissociative issues. Assuming that is the case for you too but it may not be! Be really patient and understanding with yourself. I have been doing it for almost two years now (guessing) and it is still a work in progress.

Have you done radical acceptance? That might help you deal with the rest better.

 

[Lionheart]

I am fine with any discussion about DBT skills here. I am interested to know what others experiences are with mindfulness and DBT. I think it will be a good thing for me, but I don't expect that it will be easy. Please feel free to discuss openly.

 

[Hashi]

I got frustrated with mindfulness, because the explanations or the exercises I originally had didn't work for me. One thing I tried to do mindfully instead of automatically, it made me clumsy and I nearly broke something I'd have been very upset to break. I was really unimpressed and demotivated.

It was only when I found a different book about mindfulness, very simple to follow, that I got something out of it other than being irritated. I'm still only a beginner, and it's a big mental effort, but it helps me with anxiety now.

 

[Hashi]

Nighthawlk, with something like the mindful eating, how would you feel about practising for only a few minutes a day - even two minutes a day - but consistently every day? I sometimes find that helpful with things I'm struggling with.

 

[Abstract]

good thing for me

I really hope so Lionheart. :)

it made me clumsy and I nearly broke something

It's the dish washing isn't it?! ;) What a genius way for them to suggest starting mindfulness practice. :p
Way too long and not exactly something I am motivated to be mindful with....

I will share

All ears here...

Do you have any eating issues or what is the biggest problem when you attempt to eat mindfully? How did you find dealing with emotions mindfully? In other words noticing them and not fighting them.

 

[piratelady]

It was only when I found a different book about mindfulness

What book was it?

 

[Nighthawk]

I have issues eating and many others. I Have major issue with disassociating during the skills group. I was being triggered from school. The pressure to get it right and the people there asking me continuously if I even I wanted to be there. After a few weeks I lost faith in them. Thought they did not want me there. Now I have the problem stuck in my head. I lost a lot of trust and a lot of desire towards the work.

I have a really hard time being mindful in general. I get frustrated at all the skills I need to use or even remember. The time and effort involved in trying to calm my mind is annoying. I have decided to stick with it for now. The truth is I have lost interest and motivation.

If you have any suggestions on how to get myself back with it I would appreciate it.

I am practicing following the breath and trying to accept things while in panic without judging them.

I don't think I will be able to get over the damage. It is a shame that my learning disability was not taken into account from the beginning even though they were aware of it.

 

[Abstract]

In many ways I am not qualified as have not done DBT in a group setting and so my knowledge in that respect is theoretical not experiential.

From what I know formal DBT is approached in a specific way. In many ways it is a bit tough love. There in't anything personal about it but there is continual emphasis on using skills and accountability. The emotional aspect of support doesn't tend to come from DBT group sessions and I have heard it is imperative to have normal therapy to process what comes up if one is in any way in a difficult spot in ones life.

For example I believe support in-between sessions is only about what skills one has tried and what has and hasn't worked, not what is happening or why or how one feels.

From what I have heard I think that aspect of it may have set me off without me realising it if I had done something like that earlier on (group DBT). I think what is really important is to realise is that it is a skills training course and not therapy in a conventional sense.

I am sorry you dissociated a lot in group. :( I can sympathise with that. It sounds like the setup was a bit triggering or unhelpful for you and that there was not enough support to help you past that. Are you no longer in the group?

One of the things to remember is that the more difficult mindfulness is the more helpful it could potentially be. It is very counter intuitive for any of us that are dissociative but exactly what we need to be doing. It will take a long time to learn.

If it wasn't for radical acceptance - which changed my life - I don't think I would have coped as well as I did. Maybe that would help you. If you concentrated on that first a bit. It helps to stop us turning everything into self attack - my personal speciality.

The other thing that helped me a lot was to start with emotion regulation. Naming emotions and remembering what they are for as well as accepting them in a mindful way. There are good excercise such as thinking of them as a leaf and placing it in a stream and watching calmly as it drifts away. I concentrated on that and on radical acceptance first and that worked for me.

You can also start off small like noticing what is happening around you and things like your feet hitting the ground when you walk.

Did you mean you have problems being mindful whilst eating or did you mean you do but also have eating problems along the line of eating disorders?

 

[Nighthawk]

I am still in the groups as well as see a private therapist at the program twice weekly. My eating problems are due to stress. I don't know its hard to explain as I feel like I have just come out of a coma. Maybe next week will be better. I have been there for 3 months and if I think about it today I feel as though I have learnt nothing except some more grounding skills. Maybe if I approach it as new next week maybe I can change the way I am feeling towards it.

 

[BloomInWinter]

It's ok to not like it. I don't think I ever liked it but it did help.

The most profound changes in my self-care abilities came from those skills which I practiced most when I didn't need them. I learned not to expect them to work, rather, expect that I could and would keep at them without judging my progress (or, more often, lack thereof).

I also changed the way I described the skills in my head. Instead of 4 letter words, I only classified them by whether or not they seemed to be a bit effective, which would mean I'd keep at it.

It's not fun, that's for sure. But it did change my life, my relationships, and my health in very positive ways.

 

[Abstract]

How is it going Lionheart?

 

[Hashi]

What book...?

Sorry not to respond before, haven't been around so much recently.

The book about mindfulness that I like is "Introducing Mindfulness: A Practical Guide" by Tessa Watt.