Anyone done DBT?
 

Hi All!

I was wondering if anyone here is familiar with or been in DBT (Dialectical Behavior Therapy)? I know it was originally used for Borderline Personality Disorder but more recently it has expanded to other areas, such as depression, anxiety, ADD, PTSD.

Ever since I lost my job a year ago, I have been unable to move forward in my life. I know I was grieving that loss, but it's a year later and I still can't get myself out there.

DBT sounds like it is what I need to give myself the skills to do just that, put myself out there:eek: and get a life. I am so hoping it will help...

I am starting DBT this week and if you have anything to tell me about it, I'd like hearing it. :)

~Hope

:o (This is a duplicate post from the General Mental Health forum. Forgive me for being lazy!)

Go for it
 

Hi,

Give it a good try. It sounds like a good thing.

The closest experience I have is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy -- my old therapist was big on this when he and I started out.

My current hypnotist/therapist uses a few of these techniques -- having to do with mindfullness and such.

Good luck.

Mari


I cut and pasted a few bits from wikipedia because I wanted to know more about it:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dialect...havior_Therapy

Thanks Mari

I'm going to be starting tommorrow. Since the group already started, I have a session tommorow and Monday individually to catch me up before I join the group sessions on Thursday.

I'm kinda nervous about it. :lookaround: Wish me luck!

~Hope

good luck hope and let us know how it is going.
Did you see the thread that I bumped up for you?
bizi

Yes I did, Bizi

It looks like that might be the precursor to the mindfullness module in DBT. I'll find out soon enough as the catch-up sessions are the mindfullness module. I'm not sure about that though. And I just skimmed the article. My brain hasn't exactly been in "reading" mode lately....

Thanks Bizi :hug:

OK, maybe I'm more than just a little nervous... I'm breaking out in hives!!! :eek: :D :p

Oh dear, maybe you went already and are calmer now.
I know that anticipation can make us anxious.
I hope you are ok.

In DBT you will learn ways to calm yourself down (soothe yourself I think they call it) and help yourself live in the moment. Those are great skills to have.

Good luck with this new process.

M.

Hoping to hear from you soon and find out how you feel and the first session went.


Nikko;):hug:

Thanks for all your inquiries....

This is going to be more of a VENT that anything productive...
And you probably won't know what I am talking about, so forgive me in advance. :o

So far, I am not impressed. It was ridiculous how she threw the information at me. And she talked too fast. She kept talking about self-soothe (which I understand) and mentioning Borderline Personality Disorder and those with intention to self-harm (about being safe) and that no way applies to me. The more that kept coming into the subject matter the more upset I got. Criminy, I felt like I was half way to the psych hospital. She's talking about stuff I already know. I'm not stupid. I don't want to feel like a little kid, I want to be normal and treated normally. Everyone is so afraid of overwhelming me that I am starting to be overwhelmed because of that. Gee, I am grown person who had the wind knocked out of my sails, that's all. I REALLY DO WANT TO HAVE A LIFE!

One side note - I did stop her at one point and told her she talks too fast... and she appreciated it.

I also feel like I have been pushed into this. Everybody else seems to know what is best for me, but gee, nobody ever bothered to ask me what I think. Nobody calls me back... Grrr.. I guess about a month ago, I got so frustrated that I gave up trying. So, I let them decide for me...

I hate this, I hate this...

All I can think of to do is when I see her again tomorrow, I am going to tell her how I feel..

Hey, I figure I don't have anything to lose.

[End Vent]

~ Hope

print this out if it helps...you are very clear how you feel and sometimes it is helpful to have something to hold on to literally whilst you say what you need to say.
keep posting, venting we are here to stay.
bizi

Hi,

Tomorrow you might feel differently about her.
When I first met my current therapist she seemed a little bossy -ish. And I can't stand bossy.

By the second visit I decided that she was great.

Talk to her the way you did to us in the Vent and see how she responds.

Mari

Well, it went better today. I told her exactly how I was feeling. I told her about the total lack of communication between all parties involved and how I was feeling railroaded into doing this. Without giving you all of the details, when I told her this she understood that too. So, I am going to at least join the group (small, three including me) on Thursday. Then we'll see how it goes. I also stopped taking the Trazodone last night because I was too hung over for until about noon. I had to take a klonapin twice last night because I woke up at 4 oclock. But at least I feel like I have all my wits about me today and that is a good thing. :)

~Hope

good for you for telling her exactly how you felt...it is good to speak your mind.
glad that you are sticking with this.
klonipin can stay in your system 8 hours so becareful with that.
.5mg is a strong dose...don't know what dose you are taking.
keep posting
bizi

I hate it! I honestly don't know how this is supposed to help me. I feel like I'm in kindergarden. These are your emotions... what do we do with this emotion... how do we tolerate this emotion... and I didn't participate in the class of TWO! I felt like I wanted to cry because this isn't what I need... I think. I don't need to go into emotion work. I don't need a safety kit. I've been there... done that for years. How is this going to help me get a freaking job? .... Can you tell I am a little upset? Good. 'Cause I KNOW MY EMOTIONS. :p

Talked to T-doc about it yesterday and I think he agreed with me that this may not be what I need. If the therapist is just following the BOOK and not able to think outside of the box for my situation it may not help. So he recommended that I try it today and to go with my gut feeling on it and my gut is screaming NO! But the problem is I am still scared and feeling hopeless and disppointed. It seems like everybody is turning away from me.

~Hopeless

I hate myself because I am such a wimp...

I guess I don't have all my wits about me today. :(

Thanks for letting me have a hissy fit without being judged :o

Hi, Hope,

You have a great tdoc. He is probably right. Any therapy needs to be tailored to the individual.

It's ok if you don't like DBT at first. I think you should give yourself a lot of credit for giving it a try and taking it this far.

What happens if you decide it is not for you and leave?
Does it effect your treatment?

Mari

dear hope,
What are they suggesting you do with your emotions?
journal...verbalize them...stuff them...
heck half the time if you are able to idn=entify what emotion you are actually feeling that is half the battle.
Are they working on you trying to learn what triggers you?
or are you working on self esteem stuff?
keep posting venting we are here.....
any kind of therapy is hard work...
I remember when I first went I kept talking and talking week after week and not getting any real feed back...I got so frustrated that I went screaming out of the room...."when is it going to be better?"
in time she said....
and she was right...it took me along time...but you can do this.
You are doing this and your work is hard and will be worth it....
be patient with yourself....
((((HUGS)))))
bizi

My t-doc is great. I've seen him for 8 years! That either tells you how bad he is or how bad I am.:p This really wasn't his idea, it was brought up by someone else that DBT might be good for ADD and PTSD issues and for giving me structure in my life. I have no respect for this counselor. I don't need to go through this crap again. I don't need a safety plan or a crisis plan. Like I said it makes me feel worse. Yes, I've avoided my way into insignificance and that hurts. They say it's about tolerating emotional distress. I suppose you could argue for it since I am distressed. But I know what my triggers are and this class is triggering me. I've fought for years to come out of emotional numbness. I can name emotions now. I don't want to protect myself from them. If I don't have respect for the therapist, the therapy ain't going to work. I fired a vocational counselor with the state because we didn't have a good relationship. They questioned me on that and said that in the real world you can't pick your boss. I said, yes I know that but I also know that in therapy if you don't have a good relationship there, it's not going to work. I think I already said that, sorry.:o

I'm also upset because I'm taking some classes because I had this idea that I wanted to get into graphic design. Well, I am starting to think that I suck at it. I'm not too swift with photoshop and as far as inspiration to design anything, I have ZERO. So, there goes that plan out the window. It seems like people, even t-doc are pulling away from me, like they are waiting for me to get my act together and do something. I KNOW it's up to me, I KNOW my life is my responsibility, but I suck at it and it scares the crap out of me. And I am so tired of doing it alone. I try the very best that I can. Making decisions and being assertive is not one of my strong suits. I'm so tired and I'm so emotional now. I'm so afraid. :frown:

I SUCK AT LIFE!!!

Dear Hope,
I can remember coming completely undone and upset by bad therapists.
Most of the time, I knew that the problem was the therapist and not me. But I still got upset.

Are you doing this DBT in a group setting? Is the group part of what is throwing you off? -- I hate groups by the way.

At any rate, you don't have to do this.
And even if you do this, you don't have to do it now. You can do it some other time in the distant future if you are ready to try it again.
Or you can buy a few workbooks on DBT and work through some exercises yourself.

DBT happens to be popular among the therapy people right now. That does not mean that it is a miracle.
And it does not mean that it works for everyone.

Take it easy on yourself.
You are the same person you were a few weeks ago. Don't let the bad experience of DBT throw you off.

Take care of yourself. You will be all right.

M.

Dear HOpe,
I am sorry that you are this upset.
The lasts thing you said was that you are so afraid.
Please tell me why you are afraid.
((((HUGS))))
bizi

Forgive me for being stupid, but what exactly does DBT stand for?

How did you get into these sessions, by your p-doc?

Nikko:hug:

Ive done this
 

I did DBT in my eating disorders clinic I had to attend after I was discharged from the hospital in Novemeber and it really helped me. It took me by surprise how they talk to you and how it seems your being mocked but its not really! Maybe giving it a chance you may start to feel better about yourself than you do now. Try a good week of it before giving up. Good luck. I'll be keeping a watch for your posts.

This was very good advice Mari and I really appreciate it. I'm not real impressed with the teacher and it is in a group setting. However when I went, there was only one other person in the group (the other one was absent) and she seemed to have the mentality of a twelve year old. Like I said before, I don't think doing emotional work is what I need to be doing now to build my self-esteem. If anything, at this stage of my life, I think it might tear me down, making me feel like I am going backwards to stage one. DBT could be helpful but I think I am capable of doing it on my own as in self-help, if I choose to do so. I don't feel like I need a babysitter to make sure that I do my homework. If they want to build my self-esteem then I suggest going for mastery. I am going to suggest to the state that they buy me the software programs and possibly upgrade my computer so I can spend my time learning new skills as opposed doing emotional work and tolerating emotional distress :Noooo: and sitting home feeling sorry for myself.

I am afraid that I will never find work or that I will be cleaning toilets for the rest of my life. They treat me like a nobody so I feel like a nobody. I am afraid I will run out of money. I am afraid I will have no friends. I am afraid that I will never live up to my potential. I am afraid to ask for what I need. I am afraid I will never be or feel NORMAL again.

You're not stupid,:hug: I didn't know what it meant either until I looked it up. It stands for Dialectical Behavioral Therapy

Thanks Ginny, I suspect that your group might have been better run since it was done in a clinical type setting. Just my guess. This is just being run by a MSW at a local counseling center. She appears to be following the book and unable to think outside the box and personally, I don't see how this is supposed to address my needs of more structure in my life and coping skills, particularly for my ADD issues. I'm just wondering, how long were your classes? This is a six month deal... it seems way too long, especially for something I an not committed to.

All in All, I think I've decided not to go through with it. I did one group, might do one more but I don't think so. I will talk to my t-doc again about this tomorrow, I think he will agree. The problem is that I am back to square one again.

I'm sinking back into the dark hole again. I have to call p-doc as I think the change in meds recently, took the anxiety away but the depression is still here. I feel pretty dull.

Thanks so much for your replies. :hug:

~Hope

This is hard work....
be easy on yourself...
you are putting too much pressure on yourself....
take it a step down and try to go easy...slow down...
no pressure....no hurrying...try to focus on getting better....
at your own pace.
((((HUGS))))
bizi
thank you for verbalizing your fears....I know that was hard.

Dear Hope,

DBT was originally developed for Borderline Personality Disorder.

I don't have Borderline Personality Disorder and it seems to me to be difficult to differentiate it from Bipolar Disorder. However, I am assume that people with BPD lose their sense of identity, especially when stressed, and that BPD is supposed to help them retain it.

It is used now for other disorders for which it was not originally designed. I have to say that using it for ADD, at least, seems ridiculous. ADD, it is agreed, is caused by the torpidity of the part of the brain that enables concentration. That's why central nervous system stimulants are given for it.That is, so that this regulatory part will speed up and send the proper signals to the cortex to permit concentration. I don't see how changing your cognition would affect an autonomic function.

I have actually done two courses of CBT. In both, I was the only attendee who showed up for all the meetings. I found the sessions to be interesting academically, and I liked many of my fellow participants. However, I have never found cognitive therapy, (and DBT is a particular type of cognitive therapy), to be useful.

My opinion is that people like myself, with lifelong Major Depressive Disorder, need meds. We have already tried all the cognitive stuff both intuitively and as a result of research. It didn't work. I remember how outraged Francoise Sagan was when she developed breast cancer and someone implied that it resulted from her negative energy, (or some such bushwa). I think that the same is true of endogenous major depressive disorder. You can't think it better.

On the other hand, people whose Depression is situational can recover using cognitive measures and no meds. It is hard for many to know which group to place themselves in. Their life is crappy but is that a cause, an effect, or coincidence? For me it was easy.

Good luck!

Cordially

I talked to t-doc about my experience with the group last week and we both came to the conclusion that this is not for me. So, I just got off the phone and left a message and told them that I am dropping out. I feel really good about it and I believe I made the right decision.

Now, it's time to abandon that path and find another...

bizi, it was hard for me to open up and I admit that I got online again the next morning with the intention of maybe deleting my post until I saw your replies. :hug:

highhatsize, thank you. You really hit the nail on the head for me. I agree totally. This is not for me, nor does it make any real sense in the realm of ADD or depression. Cognitively, I think I know better. It's a bunch of bushwa! :wink:

Thanks again everybody for welcoming me, I so appreciate what everyone has had to say. It has helped me immensely.

~Hope

Hi,
Sometimes after we make a decision we feel much better.
I'm glad that the tdoc supported you.

You'll do fine in whatever you choose as your next step.
M.