Dialectical Behavior Therapy

Who Can a Dialectical Behavior Therapy Program Help?

DBT was pioneered in the 1980s by Dr. Marsha Linehan as a way of treating borderline personality disorder and has since been accepted for use in treating substance abuse and mental health disorders.

At Avedis Recovery, we provide dialectical behavior therapy in our Los Angeles treatment center as a way to assist a variety of patients to overcome any number of issues, including:

• Addiction
• Eating disorders
• Substance use disorders
• PTSD
• Depression

What Does Dialectical Behavior Therapy Look Like?

A dialectical behavior therapy program will typically involve a mix of therapies and skill-building sessions. There is individual, one-on-one therapy with a trained medical professional therapist that will work to ensure all of your needs are met. Additionally, you can expect to receive DBT skill-building in a group therapy environment that promotes learning and sharing among others walking a similar path. Being in a group with others will keep you motivated. You will also learn how to utilize dialectical behavior therapy skills going forward in your daily life. This will help you avoid obstacles you may encounter both in treatment and outside of the therapy sessions.

The dialectical behavior therapy at our Avedis Recovery focuses on providing patients with critical skills in four important areas:

Mindfulness

Mindfulness is a state of active, open attention to being in the present. In becoming mindful, you will observe thoughts and feelings without judgment and learn to be active and present. This is accomplished, in part, with exercises based on practicing mindfulness.

Distress Tolerance

Instead of escaping negative emotions through drugs, alcohol, or other means, distress tolerance in a dialectical behavior therapy program will help to increase your tolerance of negative thoughts and feelings.

Emotion Regulation

Intense emotions may be causing the problems that are being masked with substance use disorder. During DBT sessions, you will learn strategies to manage and change those emotions to live healthier and happier life.

Interpersonal Effectiveness

Many patients in our DBT programs struggle with conflict in their relationships. This is where interpersonal effectiveness comes in. A dialectical behavior therapy program will present you with techniques that allow you to communicate with others in a way that maintains your self-respect, is assertive, and will actually strengthen your most important relationships.

Managing Alcohol Cravings

If it is alcohol that you have been abusing, there are different prescription medicines that may be used during your medication-assisted addiction treatment. Some which may help play a role in your recovery include Naltrexone and the following pair of medications:

Campral

This medication can be used to help people manage their cravings for alcohol.

Antabuse

You will be encouraged to avoid alcohol when using Antabuse because it produces unpleasant side effects if you do take another drink.

More than Medication

Federal law requires medication-assisted addiction treatments to include pharmacologic treatments for patients suffering from substance use disorders as well as access to counseling and a variety of behavioral therapies from a trained professional. This fuller approach to treatment is meant to engage patients in their recovery, help alter their behaviors for the better, and treat their co-occurring mental health issues. Interventions during MAT will be personalized to the client’s unique needs and ongoing to increase the chances of a lifetime of recovery.

Learn More at Avedis Recovery in Los Angeles

If addiction is damaging your family, relationships, and career, and you are ready to stop using harmful substances today, learn how medication-assisted addiction treatment at Avedis Recovery can be one effective step to reimagining your life. Contact us using our secure online form or call us confidentially at 833.514.0579 today.