DBT Skills List
Monday, June 24, 2024.
Let’s discuss the essential skills of Dialectical Behavior Therapy.
Originally developed by Dr. Marsha Linehan to treat Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD), has proven to be an effective antidote to the emotional dysregulation and interpersonal chaos often associated with BPD.
But don't let the clinical jargon scare you off—DBT skills are essentially life skills that can help anyone navigate the choppy waters of their emotional life with greater ease and grace.
Imagine having a toolkit to help you stay calm during a heated argument, communicate your needs without escalating tensions, and even find inner peace amidst life's inevitable ups and downs.
Sounds like magic, right? Well, it’s not magic, but it is incredibly effective.
What is Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)?
DBT is a type of cognitive-behavioral therapy specifically designed to help people who struggle with intense emotions, self-destructive behaviors, and chaotic relationships. Dr. Marsha Linehan developed DBT in the late 1980s, primarily to treat BPD, but its applications have since expanded to include a variety of mental health conditions.
The core philosophy of DBT is dialectics—the concept that two seemingly opposing truths can coexist. For example, you can accept yourself as you are and still strive to change. This balance between acceptance and change is at the heart of DBT, and it is cultivated through four primary modules: Mindfulness, Distress Tolerance, Emotion Regulation, and Interpersonal Effectiveness.
The Essential DBT Skills List
Mindfulness: Staying Present
Mindfulness is the foundation of DBT. It involves being fully present in the moment, without judgment. Mindfulness skills help individuals become more aware of their thoughts, feelings, and actions, which is the first step in making positive changes.
Observe: Notice your surroundings, your thoughts, and your emotions without trying to change them.
Describe: Put words to your experience. Describe what is happening without interpreting it.
Participate: Engage fully in the present moment, whether it's in a conversation, a task, or a leisure activity.
Think of mindfulness as the art of paying attention on purpose. It's like finally tuning in to that boring radio station in your head and realizing it has some pretty interesting content after all.
Distress Tolerance: Surviving Crisis Situations
Distress tolerance skills are about surviving crises without making things worse. These skills help us manage moments of acute distress with effective, non-destructive techniques.
TIPP: A quick and effective method for reducing extreme emotion quickly: Temperature (change it), Intense exercise, Paced breathing, and Progressive muscle relaxation.
Self-Soothe: Use your five senses to calm yourself (e.g., listen to music, take a warm bath, smell your favorite scent).
Distract with ACCEPTS: Activities, Contributing, Comparisons, Emotions (opposite), Pushing away, Thoughts (distracting), Sensations (intense).
Distress tolerance is like having a first-aid kit for your emotions. You reach for it when you’ve stubbed your soul instead of your toe.
Emotion Regulation: Managing Emotions
Emotion regulation skills help folks understand and manage their intense emotions. These skills are crucial for reducing emotional vulnerability and increasing positive emotional experiences.
Identify and Label Emotions: Noticing and understanding your feelings is the first step to managing them.
Reduce Vulnerability (PLEASE): Take care of your physical health (PL), avoid mood-altering substances (E), balance sleep (S), get exercise (E), and eat healthily (A).
Build Positive Experiences: Engage in activities that bring you joy and satisfaction regularly.
Emotion regulation is like being the director of your own emotional orchestra. It’s about making sure the violins don’t drown out the flutes.
Interpersonal Effectiveness: Navigating Relationships
Interpersonal effectiveness skills teach humans to communicate their needs and maintain healthy relationships. These skills are particularly useful for resolving conflicts and asserting oneself in a respectful manner. if you’ve read this far, I can help you with that.
DEAR MAN: A skill for making requests and saying no: Describe, Express, Assert, Reinforce, stay Mindful, Appear confident, Negotiate.
GIVE: A skill for maintaining relationships: be Gentle, act Interested, Validate, and use an Easy manner.
FAST: A skill for maintaining self-respect: be Fair, don’t Apologize unnecessarily, Stick to your values, be Truthful.
Interpersonal effectiveness is like having a GPS for your social interactions. It helps you get to your destination without too many awkward detours.
DBT as an Antidote to BPD
DBT has revolutionized the treatment of BPD by providing folks with the skills they need to manage their emotions, improve their relationships, and build a life worth living.
The effectiveness of DBT is supported by numerous studies, including a landmark study by Linehan et al. (2006), which found that DBT significantly reduces suicidal behaviors, hospitalizations, and treatment dropouts compared to other therapies.
For couples, the skills learned in DBT can be transformative. Mindfulness helps partners stay present and truly listen to each other. Distress tolerance provides tools for managing conflict without escalation. Emotion regulation ensures that partners can handle their emotions without taking them out on each other. Interpersonal effectiveness helps partners communicate their needs and resolve conflicts in a healthy way.
Final thoughts
DBT is more than just a therapy for folks with BPD; it is a set of life skills that can benefit anyone. Whether you're dealing with intense emotions, relationship challenges, or just the stresses of everyday life, DBT offers practical tools for managing it all with greater ease and grace.
Integrating DBT skills into your life and relationships can create a more balanced, fulfilling, and harmonious existence.
So, next time you feel overwhelmed, remember that you have a DBT skills list at your disposal. Use it wisely, and watch how your life and relationships transform.
Be Well, Stay Kind, and Godspeed.
REFERENCES:
Linehan, M. M. (1993). Cognitive-Behavioral Treatment of Borderline Personality Disorder. Guilford Press.
Kahl, K. G., Winter, L., & Schweiger, U. (2012). The third wave of cognitive behavioural therapies: what is new and what is effective? Current Opinion in Psychiatry, 25(6), 522-528.
Rosenberg, M. B. (2003). Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Life. PuddleDancer Press.
Linehan, M. M. (2014). DBT Skills Training Manual. Guilford Publications.
Chapman, A. L., & Gratz, K. L. (2009). The Borderline Personality Disorder Survival Guide: Everything You Need to Know About Living with BPD. New Harbinger Publications.
Stoffers-Winterling, J. M., Völlm, B. A., Rücker, G., Timmer, A., Huband, N., & Lieb, K. (2012). Psychological therapies for people with borderline personality disorder. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, (8).
Tatkin, S. (2011). Wired for Love: How Understanding Your Partner's Brain and Attachment Style Can Help You Defuse Conflict and Build a Secure Relationship. New Harbinger Publications.
