The key difference between DBT and CBT is that CBT focuses on changing thoughts and behaviors, while DBT focuses on managing intense emotions through skills-based strategies as well as behavior change. With substantial contributions from Grace Anderson, Ph.D. What Are CBT and DBT? Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT) are both forms of……
Understanding Opposite Action in DBT Managing emotions can feel like riding a rollercoaster. Sometimes, our feelings take us in directions that don’t serve us well, leading to actions that make things worse rather than better. But what if you could learn a simple yet powerful technique to help manage those emotions? Consider “opposite action,” a……
Wise Mind ACCEPTS is a group of skills that comes from Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT). DBT focuses on helping you manage strong emotions and difficult relationships. The ACCEPTS skills help you cope with and tolerate distress. We have all experienced difficult problems that can’t be solved immediately. When that happens, strong emotions of frustration, anger, sadness,……
Understanding OCD What is OCD? Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) is a condition characterized by repetitive intrusive thoughts, images, or urges or compulsive behaviors. The intrusive thoughts cause emotional distress, including worry or fear. Many people with OCD, but not all, might also experience compulsive behaviors that try to decrease that distress. Common symptoms of OCD……
Radical acceptance is a critical concept and skill as taught in DBT therapy. Read on to learn about how it can help you. What Is Radical Acceptance? Radical acceptance comes from Dialectic Behavior Therapy, a type of therapy that focuses on managing strong emotions and difficult relationships (Linehan, 2014). It is a skill that helps……
DEAR MAN is an approach to communication taught in dialectical behavior therapy (DBT). DEAR MAN helps you ask for what you want in a way that’s more likely to get results. Do you want to ask someone for something, but you’re worried that it will damage your relationship? Or maybe you’re hoping someone will just……
Everybody has emotions, both positive and negative. We can never have complete control over them. If you struggle with intense emotions so much that it gets in the way of your everyday life, you may have trouble with affect regulation. Updated on December 31st, 2023 What Is Affect Regulation? Affect regulation is the capacity to……
Last updated: June 18th, 2024 With contributions from Gabrielle Ilagan and Leah Walsh, Ph.D. We all have moments when our emotions get the best of us. Some of us also have moments when we ignore our feelings altogether and let logic guide our decisions. Wise mind is a term for the state when you can……
Few emotional problems are as destructive as unhealthy anger. Fortunately, cognitive-behavioral therapy, or CBT, can be very helpful if your anger is hard to control. Anger is one of the basic human emotions. It’s universal – everyone feels angry at times. Anger is often labeled as a “bad” emotion. But the truth is it isn’t……
Do you always feel like there are at least six things you should be doing? Over time, rushing from one task to the next and to the next can take a toll. The busyness and stress of life can make you feel like you’re about to explode. Mindfulness can be a powerful antidote to that……
Complex post-traumatic stress disorder (cPTSD), sometimes referred to as complex trauma or complex PTSD, is somewhat different from PTSD. Here’s what you need to know about distinguishing cPTSD from PTSD and the treatment for each of these conditions. What Is PTSD? Post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, is a syndrome that affects some people who have……
Not every relationship is worth preserving. For those relationships you want to maintain or improve, The ‘GIVE’ skills from dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) help you do just that. G — (Be) Gentle. One part of being gentle is to avoid being attacking or threatening in your communication. These types of actions are likely to put……