Sunday, March 14, 2010

Using Dialectical Behavior Therapy - DBT - To Treat Borderline Personality Disorder - BPD


Borderline personality disorder is characterized by impulsive actions, unstable moods, and problems having relationships with others. Many people suffering with it also have paranoid thoughts or complain of feeling "numb" or "spacey". Along with often suffering from severe mood swings, they are often uncertain about their identity and self-image. Sufferers of Borderline Personality Disorder find that it affects many areas of their lives including work, school, relationships and physical health. Sufferers often say they feel empty so some will cut or burn themselves "to feel something."

Dialectical behavior therapy is used by treatment with personality disorders. It was developed by Marsha Linehan, PhD. It is a type of psychotherapy that uses cognitive behavioral techniques with mindful awareness. Cognitive therapy focuses on thoughts and beliefs along with actions. It is the first therapy that has shown to be effective to treat Borderline Personality Disorder.

Dr. Lineman's theory is that the core issue in BPD is a combination of emotionally unstable environment as a child and emotional dis regulation. The goal of Dialectical Behavior Therapy is helping the patient to learn techniques that decrease emotional swings and unhealthy ways of coping with them when they do occur.

Using dialectical behavior therapy to treat patients with BPD involves helping the patient to develop skills for regulating emotions and also reducing the symptoms of borderline personality disorder. There are several components of the treatment. Supervision by therapists to provide support to the patient, individual therapy to help the patient realize the reasons for treatment, training to increase their capabilities, and to learn new skills in ways of coping with their feelings and emotions. Patients learn to assert their needs, manage relationships, how to handle upsetting factors that occur, and in general learning overall to observe and participate in life without labeling things "good" or "bad".

Even though it is now thought that Borderline Personality Disorder is contributed to by genetic factors and actual differences in the brain structure and functioning of the brain in some people Dialectical Behavior Therapy is the first cognitive therapy that has shown real improvement in people with Borderline Personality Disorders.

To learn more about treating borderline personality disorder (BPD), head on over to http://www.RetreatAtSP.org, a world-renowned psychiatric hospital and online mental health resource. There you will find a wealth of information about all different disorders and treatments, including dialectical behavior therapy (DBT).

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