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DBT or Dialectical Behavior Therapy is one of the most effective therapies used to treat Borderline Personality Disorder. Previous to the development of DBT, patients with Borderline were told that their illness wasn’t treatable.

How Does DBT Work?

DBT teaches life skills that allow people to regulate their emotions and tolerate pain. DBT focuses on four principles:

Increasing distress tolerance – One of the things that people with Borderline Personality Disorder struggle with is tolerating high levels of intense emotions such as depression or anger. When they feel these powerful, overwhelming emotions, they tend to become reactive and lash out at others. Another part of their distress tolerance is stopping them from engaging in self-harm, which includes physical injury as well as substance abuse.

Learning emotional regulation – A key component of DBT is being able to recognize what you’re feeling, label the emotion without judging it and then tolerate the feeling without trying to run away from it or become overwhelmed due to its intensity.

Mindfulness- You may have heard of mindfulness meditation, which is the practice of becoming aware of oneself and staying present while thoughts go in and out of your mind. Mindfulness is a similar practice, and it teaches people to be mindful of their feelings, not judge them and stay in the present moment without trying to change it.

Interpersonal effectiveness: People learn to handle conflict, express how they feel, become assertive as opposed to aggressive. Learning interpersonal skills as someone who manages BPD is a fantastic skill that they can apply to many different relationships whether they are close friends, coworkers or a stranger on the street.

IMPORTANT: The information in this video is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. All content, including text, graphics, images, and information contained in this video is for general information purposes only and does not replace a consultation with your doctor.