In the last few months I have extensively searched the web for Dialectical behavior therapy resources for self help with little luck.
Mind.org has a very nice introductory description of the treatment.
BehavioralTech (the official website) has links to purchasable material.
But I couldn't find a reliable free online workbook. So here I am compiling the information I have found from library books. I do not claim any of these material to be mine, these are plagiarized from books.
Introduction (DAY 01)
Personally I have trouble focusing enough to read long posts so for each section I am also including a synopsis that highlights only the major pieces of information one would need to move on to the various workbooks.
Research shows that dialectical behavior therapy strengthens a person’s ability to handle distress without losing control or acting destructively. A lot of people struggle with overwhelming emotions. It’s as if the knob is turned to maximum volume on much of what they feel. When they get angry or sad or scared, it shows up as a big, powerful wave that can sweep them off their feet. And when that happens, it makes you—understandably—afraid to feel things because you don’t want to get swept away by your emotions. The trouble is, the more you try to suppress or put a lid on your emotions, the more overwhelming they can get.
There’s a fair amount of research to suggest that a propensity to intense emotions is often rooted in genetics or trauma but that doesn’t mean the problem can’t be overcome. Dialectical behavior therapy teaches four critically important skills that can both reduce the size of emotional waves and help you keep your balance when those emotions overwhelm you.
Exercise 01: write down three ways you currently react to your emotions that you want to change. In other words, what three things do you do when upset or overwhelmed that are damaging—and that you are committed to replace with better ways to cope?
1._________________________________________
2._________________________________________
3._________________________________________
Mind.org has a very nice introductory description of the treatment.
BehavioralTech (the official website) has links to purchasable material.
But I couldn't find a reliable free online workbook. So here I am compiling the information I have found from library books. I do not claim any of these material to be mine, these are plagiarized from books.
Introduction (DAY 01)
Personally I have trouble focusing enough to read long posts so for each section I am also including a synopsis that highlights only the major pieces of information one would need to move on to the various workbooks.
Synopsis
Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) is effective at helping people manage overwhelming emotions often associated with borderline personality disorder (BPD), and other mental health problems. DBT teaches four skills:
- Distress tolerance: to help cope better with painful events.
- Mindfulness: to focusing less on painful past or frightening possibilities in the future and to overcome habitual, negative judgments about yourself and others.
- Emotion regulation: to modulate your feelings without behaving in reactive, destructive ways.
- Interpersonal effectiveness: to express your beliefs and needs, set limits, and negotiate solutions to problems
Exercise 01: what three things do you do when upset or overwhelmed that are damaging—and that you are committed to replace with better ways to cope?Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), developed by Marsha Linehan, is extraordinarily effective at helping people manage overwhelming emotions. DBT is a type of talking treatment, generally conducted by a qualified therapist. It's based on cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), but has been adapted to treat problems associated with borderline personality disorder (BPD), and a number of other different types of mental health problems.
Research shows that dialectical behavior therapy strengthens a person’s ability to handle distress without losing control or acting destructively. A lot of people struggle with overwhelming emotions. It’s as if the knob is turned to maximum volume on much of what they feel. When they get angry or sad or scared, it shows up as a big, powerful wave that can sweep them off their feet. And when that happens, it makes you—understandably—afraid to feel things because you don’t want to get swept away by your emotions. The trouble is, the more you try to suppress or put a lid on your emotions, the more overwhelming they can get.
There’s a fair amount of research to suggest that a propensity to intense emotions is often rooted in genetics or trauma but that doesn’t mean the problem can’t be overcome. Dialectical behavior therapy teaches four critically important skills that can both reduce the size of emotional waves and help you keep your balance when those emotions overwhelm you.
- Distress tolerance will help you cope better with painful events by building up your resiliency and giving you new ways to soften the effects of upsetting circumstances.
- Mindfulness will help you experience more fully the present moment while focusing less on painful experiences from the past or frightening possibilities in the future. Mindfulness will also give you tools to overcome habitual, negative judgments about yourself and others.
- Emotion regulation skills help you to recognize more clearly what you feel and then to observe each emotion without getting overwhelmed by it. The goal is to modulate your feelings without behaving in reactive, destructive ways.
- Interpersonal effectiveness gives you new tools to express your beliefs and needs, set limits, and negotiate solutions to problems—all while protecting your relationships and treating others with respect.
Exercise 01: write down three ways you currently react to your emotions that you want to change. In other words, what three things do you do when upset or overwhelmed that are damaging—and that you are committed to replace with better ways to cope?
1._________________________________________
2._________________________________________
3._________________________________________
Don't believe everything you think. There IS every reason to hope.Reference: Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills Workbook: Practical DBT Exercises for Learning Mindfulness, Interpersonal Effectiveness, Emotion Regulation and Distress Tolerance(2007) by Matthew McKay, Thomas Marra, and Jeffrey Brantley.
