Dialectical Behavior Therapy for Addiction

Dialectical Behavior Therapy Techniques

Both CBT and DBT seek to instill skills for managing adverse behaviors and thoughts. However, DBT goes a step further to demonstrate that there’s more than one way of looking at a situation. It applies these techniques:

Distress Tolerance 

This technique teaches healthy alternatives to cope with challenging situations, such as breathing deeply, playing with your pet or taking a bubble bath. By performing these self-soothing practices, you can improve your mood and distract yourself from the difficult situation. Distress tolerance also encourages acceptance.

Emotion Control

You’ll learn how to identify your feelings without judgment, recognize their impact on your behavior and determine the barriers that prevent you from controlling them. DBT sessions also recommend engaging in habits that promote positive emotions.

Interpersonal Effectiveness

This technique demonstrates how to improve communication with others and learn to ask for what you want. It also enhances your listening skills and teaches you how to resolve conflicts to strengthen relationships.  

Core Mindfulness

You’ll discover thought awareness skills and how to assess and separate yourself from them. Mindfulness also entails discerning how to focus on the present and concentrating on one thought at a time.