Dialectical Behavioural Therapy

Ds16dv · 2023-08-31T13:36:09+00:00

Can anyone tell me what Dialectical Behavioural Therapy is? I'm doing a 12 week course. It's to help with my sons emotional disregulation. I googled it's not clear really.

Healthandsocialcaremodule · 31/08/2023 16:05

It was originally developed for borderline personality disorder (BPD), so most of the evidence for it so far has been about treating people with this diagnosis. Some NHS services are also starting to offer DBT for:

Original poster

Ds16dv · 31/08/2023 16:27

Healthandsocialcaremodule · 31/08/2023 16:05

It was originally developed for borderline personality disorder (BPD), so most of the evidence for it so far has been about treating people with this diagnosis. Some NHS services are also starting to offer DBT for:

What actually is it though? What do they do whats the aim etc

OP posts:

Gymnopedie · 31/08/2023 17:03

DBT

ohsuzannah · 31/08/2023 19:41

I'm interested in this too!

willittho · 31/08/2023 19:54

It's a manualised therapy like CBT meaning it's structured rather than a free flow talk therapy.

It aims to help people to regulate their emotions by firstly recognising and accepting them and then empowering them to make changes.

So BPD usually involves a lot of emotional mood swings and black and white thinking. It's about working to become aware of strong emotions and acknowledging them whilst also looking for practical ways to make changes.

So something like "I realise I feel really rejected when my partner doesn't respond to my messages instantly and this can come out as an anger response".

"I acknowledge my emotional response and I will put in strategies to manage it, such as reminding myself that my partner is often busy with work and this is not a rejection. I can put in communication strategies so that if something is urgent my partner and I have an agreed way of communicating that with one another".

Is it you having DBT or your son?

Kewchoc · 31/08/2023 19:55

It's used to teach people how to handle their intense emotions. So for example, there will be information on how to think more rationally, how to self regulate, how to notice when emotions are starting to become too intense and what to do when that happens

Original poster

Ds16dv · 31/08/2023 20:27

willittho · 31/08/2023 19:54

It's a manualised therapy like CBT meaning it's structured rather than a free flow talk therapy.

It aims to help people to regulate their emotions by firstly recognising and accepting them and then empowering them to make changes.

So BPD usually involves a lot of emotional mood swings and black and white thinking. It's about working to become aware of strong emotions and acknowledging them whilst also looking for practical ways to make changes.

So something like "I realise I feel really rejected when my partner doesn't respond to my messages instantly and this can come out as an anger response".

"I acknowledge my emotional response and I will put in strategies to manage it, such as reminding myself that my partner is often busy with work and this is not a rejection. I can put in communication strategies so that if something is urgent my partner and I have an agreed way of communicating that with one another".

Is it you having DBT or your son?

Me, they said its to understand his emotions better and to be able to.put things in place for the home to be safer. I don't really understand it.

OP posts:

willittho · 31/08/2023 20:41

Are you in need of mental health support yourself, OP?

Gymnopedie · 31/08/2023 20:45

Me, they said its to understand his emotions better and to be able to.put things in place for the home to be safer. I don't really understand it.

That doesn't sound right at all. How old is your son? As PPs have said, DBT is a very structured therapy. The only thing I can think of (and I'm really stretching) is to make you aware of the techniques of DBT so that you can use them with him, but DBT therapists are specially trained, I wouldn't want to think that someone who had had it done to them once was expected to apply them.

Are you sure it's DBT?

XenoBitch · 31/08/2023 20:53

DBT is around a year long, and you have 1-1 with a therapist in that time too.

It sounds like an emotional regulation course, which is just one part of DBT (but not actual DBT). A lot of IAPT have it on offer.

Seems odd that it is you that would be doing it, and not your son.

Original poster

Ds16dv · 31/08/2023 21:03

Gymnopedie · 31/08/2023 20:45

Me, they said its to understand his emotions better and to be able to.put things in place for the home to be safer. I don't really understand it.

That doesn't sound right at all. How old is your son? As PPs have said, DBT is a very structured therapy. The only thing I can think of (and I'm really stretching) is to make you aware of the techniques of DBT so that you can use them with him, but DBT therapists are specially trained, I wouldn't want to think that someone who had had it done to them once was expected to apply them.

Are you sure it's DBT?

for parents or carers of young people whose strong emotional reactions are causing big problems in their lives. The course is based on Dialectical Behavioural Therapy and is very helpful for parents and carers to help them manage their young person's emotional state and to feel calmer and more in control as parents. Please see flyer attached

Above it what it says on email I have taken the identifying bits of. And I have added the flyer

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TheYear2000 · 31/08/2023 21:08

I know people who've done a friends and family DBT course to support a loved one. It's basically so that you can understand and support your loved one better.

DBT focuses on emotional regulation, distress tolerance, interpersonal effectiveness, mindfulness... and I can't remember the last one.

By learning about these, you'll be better placed to support your child if he's emotionally disregulated (very upset) and you can also model better strategies for him.

Nomorecoconutboosts · 31/08/2023 21:22

DBT was created by a psychologist called Marsha Linehan
this screenshot may help to explain more
some trusts/areas will offer some of the modules as standalone, or a more ‘basic version’ of DBT
for example near to me it is called Managing Emotions Skills.

Nomorecoconutboosts · 31/08/2023 21:25

If you attend the parent/carers’ course it’s highly unlikely you will be teaching DBT to your child.

it’s about increasing your knowledge and awareness. working out what is beneficial when your dc is struggling to manage his emotions.
when a family member is experiencing a high level of distress, it can be difficult for those around to know what to say/do and this may lead to them using strategies that may exacerbate things. This is understandable when for example the dc is harming themselves or damaging items in the home, or being rude/aggressive to siblings or others in the household.

Physicstruck · 31/08/2023 21:28

Honestly take the course, jump at the chance, you’re lucky ..they’re really hard to access in most areas. As far as I can gather from my own research it’s much harder to learn the techniques from books etc than cbt ,and has a high success rate for some families.

Original poster

Ds16dv · 31/08/2023 21:30

Physicstruck · 31/08/2023 21:28

Honestly take the course, jump at the chance, you’re lucky ..they’re really hard to access in most areas. As far as I can gather from my own research it’s much harder to learn the techniques from books etc than cbt ,and has a high success rate for some families.

Oh yes I'm definitely going to do it. It would be silly not to. London of looking forward to it.

OP posts: