For those of you who may have been in therapy or in some kind of counseling program, the term DBT likely has been talked about. Today, we’re going to talk about what DBT is and how it is applicable to everyone. DBT stands for dialectical behavior therapy. As part of this therapy, individuals learn skills training to help with managing everyday stressors, communication skills, and interpersonal skills. It is to help individuals be able to hold two opposing ideas or feelings at the same time.
Life isn’t black and white and these skills help individuals see the gray areas in life and see scenarios from more than one perspective. Remember, there are always three sides to a story: Your side, their side, and then there’s the truth. There are a few different goals for skills training. First and foremost, it can help people live a more meaningful life through acceptance of yourself and your own actions. Secondly, it helps change behaviors, emotions, and thoughts that can lead to more problems and more distress, which ultimately helps decrease suffering that can people can feel on a day-to-day basis.
Another reason why skills training can be so helpful to everyone is because it also teaches us problem solving skills. If you think about it, how would you solve a problem step by step? Some people might have difficulty explaining how to solve problems and where to even begin solving a problem. We all have problems we run into on a daily basis that can range from being simple to really complex. Skills training breaks down these steps so that they are understandable and relatable to everyone.
Let’s give an example of one of the skills that can be useful for everyone. This skill is useful for when you’re feeling stressed, overwhelmed and may not know what to do besides scream. One of the skills that can helpful is called TIPP. The T stands for temperature, meaning to change your body temperature using cold water or ice. The I stands for intense exercise, meaning to go for a walk, climb stairs, jump up and down, anything that is going to increase your heart rate. The P stands for paced breathing, such as breathing in and counting to five. The last P stands for paired muscle relaxation, which means to tense your muscles when breathing in and relax them when breathing out.
These are all things we all can do to help ourselves calm down when we’ve just had enough. Given the pandemic, we’re all in this together and we need to find healthy ways to relax. This is just one example of how DBT skills can help in your everyday life.
- Kim Wendel, LPC