DBT: Has Anyone Here Gone Through This Therapy?

[jewel]

If you look for apps on your iPhone or iPad there are some great ones out there for DBT. I keep a folder called PTSD on my iPhone with DBT and CBT apps as wells as meditation (which is part of DBT) and various others. Feel free to email me and I will give you my list privately rather than posting it here.

Can you tell me more about the skills book? Where can I get it? I need some distress tolerance skills refresher, so I may like to do it with you guys.

Jewel

 

[fourwinds149]

DBT was a technique that helped me create a small island in a sea with huge waves, wind where I was alone.

You might want to go look up TARA maybe the woman who runs it might have a recommendation. It was developed for people suffering from BPD borderline personality disorder which is like having your emtions swinging up and down and not knowing how to find yourself. I didnt have borderline disorder.

Like yourself I suffered from flashbacks which made me panic and were very painful. There is a classroom component to DPT where you learn how to understand what people are actually saying to you. Borderlines have trouble knowing their own feelings. That was not my problem so my therapist was willing to see me w/out the requisite training part.

To make it simple, find an experienced DBT therapist and see them. Find out if they have hospital Exp., (I think that's good), and if they work with a Psychiatrist. My therapist had over 10 years experience. The DBT helped me find a place of peace through an approach that helped me deal with the symptoms of PTSD. I didn't find CBT that helpful to be honest.

If you are suffering from flashbacks and extreme anxiety panic, as I was, DBT may help you.

All the best. MH

<Edited for posting in capitals, which comes across as shouting to some>

 

[ericaboo]

I'm afraid of this, because I'm so used to coping with things in the same ways that I always have. In the past, I've only been willing to change my life to a certain extent - then there's a line.

This is going to push me past the line of my comfort zone if I can actually follow through. But the old ways aren't working, so what else can I do but try.

Yesterday, I felt triggered and threatened by it.

Today I feel scared, but there's this tiny bit of hope in there...

 

[Maryann]

My therapist want's me to go a DBT place that she suggested and get an assessment for the skills training class/group. I have been searching the internet to find out exactly what DBT is and how being in the group can help me.

The previous posts I read have given me some insight. Since my therapist will be out of the office for a while for surgery, she would like me to get started before she leaves.

After going to their DBT website, their classes/groups are during my work hours. I'm waiting for a call back from the place, but didn't get one Friday.

One of my other concerns is if this type of group would go against Biblical principles? From what I could find, no it wouldn't.

but I want to get more specific details on what happens within the skills training class/group.

 

[Abstract]

Hi Maryann,

Have a look at this site: http://www.dbtselfhelp.com/html/radical_acceptance_part_1.html

There are actual lessons listed under the self help section. Keep clicking on the sub sections and you will get to them. If done the way it was intended - in a group once a week for a year - then it is almost a class setting rather than therapy in a conventional sense.

Count me in too folks! I shall order that book. I might actually have it - need to check. I know many people whose lives have been changed by this and the little I have done on my own has made an enormous difference.

 

[Deleted member 12723]

What is the name of the book and who is the author? I am curious, I know I could benefit from this as well. Thanks.

 

[Nighthawk]

I think I would be scared of a group setting. I have been working on different aspects of DBT. I think if practiced would be very helpful.

 

[Hashi]

Don't want to confuse things, but another thread was started discussing DBT skills, here:
[DLMURL]https://www.ptsdforum.org/c/threads/the-dbt-skills-workbook.23998/[/DLMURL]

gizmo, details of the book are in that thread, here;
[DLMURL]https://www.ptsdforum.org/c/threads/the-dbt-skills-workbook.23998/page-2#post-404499[/DLMURL]

As I said earlier in this thread, the book can be helpful but not always. The early section on radical acceptance was just confusing (the one later in the book is better). It's a great book, overall though. It's really helped me with emotion regulation.

I know you can only do so much on your own, but any kind of T might be willing to talk with you about the skills if you're trying to practise them, if an actual DBT therapist or group isn't a possibility. When I started using the book I wasn't seeing a T at all, and I still got something out of it.

 

[Hashi]

One of my other concerns is if this type of group would go against Biblical principles? From what I could find, no it wouldn't.

Maryann, I think this is something to talk to them about but I can't imagine that it would. I do metaphysical/spiritual-based psychotherapy and it doesn't clash with DBT at all. In fact, my therapist likes to incorporate the DBT skills.

DBT was originally inspired by principles of Zen Buddhism among other things, but there's no ideology. I haven't come across anything that would go against Biblical principles - more the opposite. It's based on compassion, acceptance, learning good skills and helping ourselves. It encourages connection to a higher power, whatever that means for each individual.

Recently I was wondering about one of the skills in terms of my beliefs. This is Wise Mind, which is a healthy balance of emotional and rational thinking. I was talking with my T last week about where intuition/guidance/inspiration fits into that. I wouldn't say that was a great obstacle or that I felt it went against my beliefs. It was actually helpful to think about things more deeply.

 

[Gloria]

I just came across this and have been using DBT since summer. After years of EMDR and talk therapy, CBT and and holistic cures, this has literally changed my life. I am very "mindful" of what my body is telling me and before I get a full blown flashback, I can feel discomfort and write down my automatic thoughts in a thought diary and then have my loving self give me positive feedback. At first, I was overwhelmed by the amount of negative thoughts that I had and realized that I was the one beating myself up. As an example, I would start to feel flashbacks when I drove down the road and saw a bloated road kill animal rotting. This reminded me of finding my sister's body. But once I wrote this in my diary, I became aware that this was something that triggered me and would immediately think of my five senses and become mindful and stay in the present moment. At first it was so difficult and it seemed like way too much work and that I would never get all these automatic thoughts under control but after creating a large spreadsheet in Excel, whenever something would come up, I would know that I had already been there and dealt with that one so I didn't need put energy into it.

Paying close attention to my body, I went on a fast and then slowly started eating certain foods. I payed close attention to how my body reacted. For example, I will not touch a drop of alcohol because I didn't realize how sick I got from it. I don't drink too much coffee or use sugar because it affects my anxiety levels. I started to recognize and avoid people that gave me uncomfortable feelings and using my thought log figured out why. In many instances, the people in my life were not really supportive or healthy.

I want to do a Meetup group for people with DBT so that everyone can have a thread and share their experiences. The on-line thing is the only thing that I am comfortable with but since I am doing so well by myself now that I don't want to mess it up. I attend meditation weekends and belong to a spritual group in which we work on identifying our true selves and how our true selves relate to other people and the world which is very much in line with DBT.

Compared to seeing a therapist twice a week about a year ago and where I am now without medications or therapist, I would say that I am 500% more grounded, happy and stable. I still have occasional nightmares. I still have minor depresssion but nothing like I have lived with most of my life.

There are different modalities and methodologies that help different people. DBT is the one that worked for me. I have friends that do not have PTSD or any major issues but because I catch them in their automatic negative thoughts and challenge that thought who have greatly benefited from my DBT practice as well.

 

[Hashi]

Gloria - wow! You've done so much with DBT in a few months.

It sounds like you're able to use the skills and principles to work on healing in a deep and very effective way. I'm happy to hear how much it's helping, and how well it combines with other things that are meaningful for you.

Thank you for sharing this. It's great to hear.

 

[Gloria]

Thanks for the encouragement but I'm not bullet proof. My oldest son is a disabled veteran and was in the hospital for week during Christmas, New Year and my birthday. I did hold it together. I still use it and it works but the thing that I hate about this (and every other tool) is that you have to keep using it. You can't take a day off. I tried to take a couple days "off" of the constant monitoring and relaxation and just eat junk food and have a few angry thoughts now and then and this morning woke up in a cold sweat. I have to work all the time probably for the rest of my life.

Surprisingly, the anger and hatred just automatically passes right through me even when people do awful things. However, for a few hours I sit with it. I know my DBT coach would say that it's good that I sit in the reactive mode to process things. If I just blew and didn't feel the pain and hurt when someone lies to me or does something hurtful, I would be stuffing things and end up with a major depression. So instead of a major melt down, I do have occasional bumps in the road. This morning was one of them. I tend to trust and like just about everybody I meet. I get close to people even though rationally I see that they are not being honest with themselves or with me. I did this recently and when it suddenly hits me that just about everything that this is the core of this person is sick, I am hurt. I'm not even angry at the person. I just cried and prayed to my higher power and asked him why people are so careless about other people's feelings. I also don't understand how someone could hurt someone and show no remorse.

I would strongly recommend DBT. It is a lot of work but it is so worth it. I hate flashbacks, panic attacks, nightmares and that creepy feeling. Every time I think I just want to quit, I read the thread on what PTSD feels like. I want to feel the PTSD as little as I can. PTSD really sucks! (I hope don't get in trouble for saying that? It's not really swearing.)