1. What Is Dialectical Behavior Therapy
2. Opposite To Feelingdialectical Behavioral Training Techniques
3. Dialectical Behavioral Therapy Definition
4. Dialectical Behavioral Therapy Training
5. Dialectical Behavioral Therapy For Children

What is Dialectical Behavior Therapy? Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is a type of cognitive-behavioral therapy that focuses on the psychosocial aspects of therapy, emphasizing the importance of a collaborative relationship, support for the client, and the development of skills for dealing with highly emotional situations (Psych Central, 2016). Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) is a type of modified cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) that was originally developed by psychologist Marsha Linehan to treat chronically suicidal individuals diagnosed with borderline personality disorder (BPD). Research has shown that it is also effective in treating a wide range of other disorders such as.

Emotions are neither good or bad, they are essential for survival. Emotions help us to defend ourselves (anger and jealousy), to protect ourselves (fear, shame, disgust), to connect with other beings (love), to motivate (envy) and to live according to our values (guilt). Emotions do this by triggering an urge to do something.

Human beings (and sometimes other mammals) are sensitive. Thoughts (interpretations) produce an instant biochemical response. Our brains, eyes, skin tone (and usually our facial expressions) change instantly. And we feel an urge to take action. All this happens before we’re even aware of an emotion. The “action urge” is powerful. We find ourselves taking action before we assess the efficacy of the action. Sometimes this is very helpful. If I see a tiger running towards me, it’s beneficial that I take action immediately, without stopping to think about what to do. I don’t need to make an interpretation; I just need to get to safety. But if someone cuts me off on the freeway, and I feel angry and an urge to retaliate, that may create problems for me (like possible death!). That is a good time to do the opposite to the emotion action (urge).

People may have trouble in life because they take action on their emotion urge before using Wise Mind and other mindfulness skills.

We all do Opposite Action on many occasions. If the Walgreen’s clerk is irritating me (my anger might be justified, I’m in a hurry, the clerk is chatting with her friend instead of helping me), I generally don’t yell at her. My emotion is justified but the intensity is not. I moderate the action urge to yell at her, and I use interpersonal skills to effectively get her attention. We do ok, perhaps, in situations like that. But many people don’t do Opposite Action when the urge is very strong. Then life gets harder – “I don’t feel like getting out of bed to go to work,” = I lose my job. “I feel like people don’t like me” = I avoid people and am lonely. When my girlfriend breaks up with me, I feel like hurting or killing myself = ….

How to do Opposite Action:

1. Use Mindfulness to notice the emotion, the action urge (and, if possible, the prompting event and the interpretations of the prompting event).
2. Ask yourself, is this emotion justified or unjustified?
3. Don’t suppress the emotion, when we suppress emotions, they just get bigger. Emotions are not the problem – urges and/or intensity are the problems.
4. sk yourself, if the emotion is justified, if the intensity of the emotion is justified or helpful. If the emotion is not justified or the intensity of the emotion is not helpful:
5. Do the opposite of the emotional urge.
6. Do all the way Opposite Action.

How to figure out if an emotion is justified? This takes some study of emotions. Again, we need emotions for survival. But we are complex. If I have a thought about an event, the thought is not necessarily a fact, even though it feels like it is. In short, checking the facts helps. If I’m not absolutely sure that an emotion is justified by the facts, and I have a habitual problem behavior that I want to change, it’s a good idea to experiment with Opposite to Emotion Action, and to get help from therapy and possibly a DBT Skills Training group.

An example: A shy person might be lonely and might feel Shame and Fear when he goes to social gatherings, which comes from thoughts like “people don’t like me,” “I don’t know how to talk to people,” “I never have a good time at parties,” etc., etc., etc. Is Shame justified? Shame fits the facts of a situation when you will be cast out/rejected by an important group or person if attributes of yourself or your behavior are made public. Is Fear justified? Fear is justified whenever the situation is a threat to your life, your health or your well being. What can the shy person do?

1. The partygoer can use Wise Mind to figure out if he will be cast out or rejected if he goes to the party or if his life, health or well-being will be threatened.
2. If the partygoer thinks that he might be tolerated and relatively safe at the party, he can use Opposite Action and go.
3. Once there, the shy person needs to use All the Way Opposite Action: He needs to approach people, to avoid thoughts like “I hate parties,” “No one likes me,” and so on. If he goes to the party and stands alone in the corner, the partygoer is NOT doing Opposite Action.

This is a simple explanation of what could be a complex problem, informed by years of painful experiences. By practicing Opposite Action, the partygoer is beginning to change his brain and will begin to notice a reduction in Shame, an emotion that might be especially painful and not really justified in his life. (The partygoer is also practicing Exposure. Exposure to the things we’re afraid of is the antidote for fear and shame.) Opposite Action, a powerful skill taught in DBT Skills Training groups, can help him to have a life worth living.

When you’re feeling miserable, you might wish all emotions away. It’s sometimes appealing to imagine an absence of anguish and the irritability, lethargy and emptiness that go along with it.

I remember a story in the news a few years ago about a girl, Ashlyn, who had a rare disease which left her unable to feel pain. At first glance, this seemed like a wonderful blessing. Who wouldn’t want to live a pain free life? Wouldn’t painlessness mean no worries about paper cuts, headaches, stubbed toes, or burnt tongues?

What Is Dialectical Behavior Therapy

In reality, an inability to feel pain causes significant life problems. Ashlyn has to be examined regularly to ensure that she isn’t in danger of killing herself through high fevers or unknown injuries. Pain, however uncomfortable, serves a purpose. It’s an indication that something is wrong with our bodies.

Emotions, like pain, serve a purpose.

Opposite To Feelingdialectical Behavioral Training Techniques

• Emotions communicate to and influence others
• Emotions motivate action
• Emotions support our point-of-view

Anger, for example, communicates to others that we feel a situation is unjust. It motivates us to assert ourselves, resolve conflict or right a wrong. Expressed sadness lets others know we’re in need of comforting and kindness. We’re often quite motivated to avoid feelings of sadness and, as a result, take care of the people we love and reach out to those in need. Joy communicates that you like or care about something or someone. It inspires activity, kindness and helpfulness. Love expresses caring and causes us to protect, care and sacrifice for the ones we love. Fear communicates danger and prompts us to avoid the dangerous situation. Finally. shame and embarrassment tell us that we’ve done something unacceptable in our social group. Feelings of shame and embarrassment can produce changes toward socially acceptable behavior.

When it’s important to send a message and we push the feeling down or somehow fail to communicate it, the emotion tends to stick around. Feelings can be little red flags letting us know to change course or behave differently. If we ignore these emotional alarms we often find ourselves in difficult situations.

Dialectical Behavioral Therapy Definition

This is not to say that emotions should be treated as facts. People regularly misinterpret events and, in turn, feel anxious in a situation where there is no danger or angry when they haven’t been insulted. However, understanding what emotions do for us is an important step in changing how we feel.

References:

Dialectical Behavioral Therapy Training

Dialectical Behavioral Therapy For Children

Linehan M. M. (1993). Skills Training Manual for Treating Borderline Personality Disorder. New York: The Guilford Press.