Recovery from addiction is a complex and multifaceted journey that can require multiple therapeutic modalities. One of these evidence-based treatment approaches that Luxe Recovery uses is Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT).
This holistic treatment process has helped numerous individuals transform their thinking and achieve lasting recovery from addiction disorders.
Luxe Recovery is a luxury detox and rehabilitation center offering world-class mental health and substance abuse treatment. We treat a wide range of substance abuse disorders, and our treatment plans are individualized to the specific needs of each patient.
What is Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)?
DBT is an offshoot of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). It was initially used as a treatment for Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD). Presently, many programs use this approach to treatment as it has proven to be an effective treatment for a variety of mental health disorders including anxiety, depression, and substance use disorder.
DBT treatment has been proven particularly effective in helping individuals who struggle with emotional regulation, self-harm, and suicidal ideation be better at regulating their emotions.
DBT combines cognitive behavioral techniques with the concepts of mindfulness and acceptance. It’s based primarily on dialectics, which focuses on finding the balance between two opposing forces. In the context of treatment, the opposing forces are change and acceptance.
What is a DBT Residential Treatment Center?
A residential treatment program is essentially a rehab facility that incorporates Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) into its treatment program.
A patient checks into a treatment facility of their own volition or with the strong encouragement of loved ones. Inside this facility, they detox and wean themselves off of their drug(s) of choice.
They also undergo intense therapy and other treatment programs so they don’t relapse once they check out of the facility. The length of stay in a facility can vary from one person to another, but it’s usually between 30 to 90 days, depending on the severity of someone’s addiction.
Residential programs can also be a prelude to an outpatient program. Many people who are in outpatient treatment often go through inpatient treatment first and use their current program as a means to continue treatment while continuing to live their lives.
Inpatient treatment can be vital for patients who have a history of self-harm or suicidal ideation, as residential staff can monitor their behavior to protect them from themselves.
How Does DBT Work?
This form of therapy teaches patients four essential DBT skills: core mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness. By learning these skills, people can better regulate their emotions, behaviors, and thoughts. This skills training is often done in group therapy sessions, allowing patients to practice them.
Mindfulness
This is centered around helping patients be more present at the moment, to observe and describe their present moments without any judgment. The goal of developing this skill is to help patients be more aware of their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.
Emotion Regulation
Difficult emotions can spiral an individual out of control and cause them to turn to destructive behaviors as a means or coping. This module aims to help people become more aware of their emotions and develop strategies to regulate and manage them.
Interpersonal Effectiveness
This module is aimed at helping people develop their interpersonal skills. By developing this skill, patients become better at communicating as well as building and maintaining healthy relationships.
Patients also become more assertive in a relationship and are better able to set and maintain boundaries.
Distress Tolerance
High-stress situations can cause people to turn to substances as a means of self-medicating. This module aims to help people cope with and manage stressful situations and crises in healthier ways.
These methods include distraction, self-soothing, and other ways to practice healthy coping skills without making impulsive or harmful decisions.
Goals of DBT Residential Treatment
The primary focus of DBT. is to help a patient learn the skills in the four key areas. Developing skills in these four areas helps a person become more well-rounded and less prone to turning to self-destructive behaviors or harmful thought patterns when under emotional duress without turning to substance use.
How Does a DBT Treatment Program Work for Addiction?
There are several ways that addiction treatment can use DBT to further a patient’s recovery. Some of these ways include:
Managing Triggers
Distressing emotions can be a major trigger for substance use. Being able to manage these emotions can help a person resist their urge to use substances, helping them prevent relapse.
Managing Relationships
Another way that it can help a person in treatment for substance addiction is that it helps a person manage their relationships. This can help them set boundaries with people who may enable their addictive behaviors.
Ongoing Support
DBT can offer significant support for a person once they leave a treatment center. The group therapy sessions can offer ongoing support, and many DBT programs integrate phone coaching sessions to allow patients to reach out to therapists to manage distressing situations in real time.
Techniques used in DBT
DBT uses several different techniques in both individual and group therapy. These techniques are designed to help people develop and practice the skills in the four modules listed above. These techniques can include:
Observing and Describing
Patients are encouraged to observe and describe their experience in the present moment without any judgment. This helps them become more aware of their present state. In addiction treatment, this can help them acknowledge their cravings without acting on them.
Patients are also taught to verbalize their present state, such as their thoughts, feelings, and physical sensations.
Mindful eating
Patients are encouraged to fully observe the sensory experience of eating food. This is an important technique for someone with an eating disorder.
Self-soothing
Patients are taught healthy ways to soothe themselves when they are under duress. This can include activities such as listening to calming music, smelling something pleasant, or holding something that calms them down.
Identifying and labeling emotions
To foster a healthy emotional identity, patients are taught to accurately label what emotions they are feeling. Doing so helps patients develop greater understanding and control over them.
Distraction
Patients are taught to distract themselves from emotional distress by focusing on something else. It’s recommended that this thing be something positive.
Validation and Self-Validation
Therapists validate – but do not agree with or encourage – the patient’s self-destructive or harmful behaviors so that the patient knows that someone is listening to them and that their past is acknowledged.
Patients are also taught to validate their feelings and their pasts to be more compassionate towards themselves.
Behavioral Chain Analysis
This technique is about analyzing the chain of events that led to a specific behavior. This helps patients be more aware of their triggers, emotions and thought patterns that lead to self-destructive behaviors.
Behavioral Chain Analysis
This technique is focused on analyzing the chain of events that led to a specific behavior. This helps patients be more aware of their triggers, emotions and thought patterns that lead to self-destructive behaviors.
Diaries
Patients are encouraged to keep diaries to monitor their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors daily. This is to help identify harmful patterns and make better progress in their recovery.
It should be noted that while the techniques above are often used in DBT, some aspects of DBT may not be effective at treating an individual patient.
Treatment plans at Luxe Recovery are personalized to the individual, and not everyone will have the same treatment approach.
Is DBT for Me?
A comprehensive treatment approach will often integrate DBT. But not everyone needs it, and not everyone will respond to it in the same way.
If you’re struggling with borderline personality disorder, substance use, or other mental health issues, maybe DBT can help you. But how do you know that it’s the right approach to your treatment?
If you’re someone who struggles with emotions, interpersonal relationships, self-harm, and struggle with co-occurring mental health issues along with your addiction, then DBT may align with your needs and provide you with the skills and tools you need to manage your thoughts and behaviors to achieve lasting recovery.
Get Help Now
Too many don’t get help for their addiction disorders because they feel as if becoming an addict in the first place is a moral failure on their part and that getting treatment for that perceived failure is yet another failure.
They think that seeking out addiction or mental health treatment is a sign of weakness.
But becoming an addict isn’t a moral failure, and neither is looking for treatment. Finding a therapist to help you get control over your addictions and manage your mental health conditions doesn’t make you weak. It makes you strong enough to know you need help to make a life worth living.
If you’re struggling with an addiction or a mental health disorder, the treatment team at Luxe Recovery LA will develop an individualized treatment plan for you.
Please don’t wait to get better; contact us. We take most forms of insurance, and we’re ready to help you on your recovery journey.
