At Woodland Recovery Center, our addiction therapy services do not have a singular or narrow focus. Instead, we approach recovery from a holistic perspective. We engage our patients in a way that ensures they get multi-level care through treatment that addresses not only the substance use or addiction but any mental health or mood disorders that they may struggle with. Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) is a dynamic, transformative, and progressive way to treat addiction, especially for those who are facing co-occurring substance use and mental health conditions.
Contact Woodland Recovery Center today at 662.222.2989 to learn more about our dialectical behavior therapy for addiction.
What Is Dialectical Behavior Therapy?
Dr. Marsha M. Linehan pioneered DBT in response to her own experiences with a mental health disorder. Dr. Linehan initially developed this model as a means to treat borderline personality disorder (BPD), but since it is a widely effective treatment for other conditions, including:
- Substance use disorder
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Eating disorders
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Suicidal tendencies
Its dynamic nature as a treatment tool makes DBT the perfect approach for co-occurring conditions. It also allows us to treat the latter conditions mentioned above in conjunction with the addiction, which is key because these co-occurring conditions may aggravate or cause a person’s addiction.
DBT is similar to cognitive-behavioral therapy in that it engages and instructs a person on how to change the thoughts and behaviors causing them issues. However, it goes beyond this and helps direct patients toward learning to embrace acceptance.
The Tenets of Dialectical Behavior Therapy
Mindfulness
This practice encourages a person to be present at the moment. It allows them space that can foster introspection, awareness, and healthful mindsets necessary for developing acceptance of oneself and the surrounding circumstances.
Distress Tolerance
Often, patients experience events, people, or problems that are out of their control. Instead of being reactive and using drugs or alcohol to moderate the resultant emotional reaction, DBT encourages a person to utilize proactive coping skills that can help them to move through and beyond the situation, tolerating and even changing the emotions during these trying times.
Interpersonal Effectiveness
This teaches patients how to establish healthy boundaries and respect for themselves and others, which can protect and balance them in their relationships.
Emotion Regulation
Emotions can lead to impulsive and compulsive behaviors that fuel and surround drug use. This training helps people learn how to differentiate between their emotions while granting them the coping skills that are necessary to temper and encounter them in a healthy way. This leads to positive results and progress instead of allowing a person to remain stagnant or back-slide into habits of avoidance or self-harm.
The Benefits of Dialectical Behavior Therapy for Addiction
Dialectical behavior therapy is pivotal within our treatment programs for substance use disorder and co-occurring mental health disorders. This evidence-based treatment allows us to help and support people in the following ways:
- Supports and comforts patients during withdrawal, helping to alleviate physical discomfort
- Helps to reduce the cravings and temptations that could lead a person to relapse
- Guides participants in creating a lifestyle that supports sobriety and recovery, including removing triggers or temptations related to substance use
- Works toward restoring emotional and mental balance
- Helps patients identify behaviors that are detrimental to their pursuit of sobriety
- Supports and strengthens emotional growth, helping patients to restore themselves to a more balanced emotional state
- Directs participants to restructure their lives to encourage abstinence, including finding new or reinvesting in old and healthier friendships, behaviors, and social or vocational environments.
Dialectical behavior therapy can be a vital tool for addiction recovery, and our experienced therapists at Woodland Recovery Center are dedicated to helping patients implement it into their personalized treatment plans. We understand that every individual’s journey with addiction is unique, and we strive to provide comprehensive and compassionate care to support each person’s recovery.
Our Dialectical Behavior Therapy Program
There are four components to our DBT program in Mississippi.
Skills Training Group
These group sessions teach participants healthy behavioral skills, increasing their resilience and functioning in their lives. DBT is offered as part of both outpatient and inpatient treatments. These sessions may occur anywhere from several times a week to every day. In an inpatient setting, the skills training is more intensive so that our patients glean the full benefit of the protocol during their residential stay.
Individual Therapy
Individual therapy sessions occur on a weekly level. The one-on-one setting fosters positive growth and change by helping improve our patients’ initiative in combating the circumstances that might typically foster unhealthful thoughts, emotions, and behaviors.
DBT Coaching
Life isn’t always easy. Throughout the day, you may be confronted with difficult situations, people, choices, and experiences. Our coaching helps instill the confidence and coping skills to effectively and positively overcome these moments.
Therapist Consultation Team
In order to provide you with the highest, most attentive, and informed standard of care, we continuously educate and inspire our therapists. Our care teams, consisting of our therapists and group leaders, generally meet weekly to instill the passion, drive, and skill foundational to providing our patients with exceptional care.
Unlike other programs, we use DBT in its entirety. Our therapists employ the full DBT model within their sessions. Our patients deserve the best and most attentive module of care. Other programs might pick and choose only portions of DBT, which can short-change their patients and leave them without the full arsenal of therapy and skills that can make the difference in overcoming your addiction or substance use.
Is DBT Right for Your Addiction Recovery?
Choosing the right therapeutic approach is a critical decision in the recovery process, and dialectical behavior therapy may be the ideal fit for those with addiction and co-occurring mental health issues.
Here are several key reasons why DBT might be suitable for your addiction recovery:
- Holistic approach – DBT addresses both addiction and underlying mental health conditions, providing comprehensive support.
- Emotional regulation – It equips you with skills to understand and manage your emotions, effectively reducing impulsive behaviors.
- Coping strategies – You’ll learn proactive techniques for handling distress and minimizing the urge to turn to substances for relief.
- Improved relationships – The program fosters healthier communication and relationship skills, helping to rebuild connections with loved ones.
- Individualized care – DBT is adaptable to your unique needs, making it a versatile option for various personal recovery journeys.
With the right commitment and support, DBT can be a transformative component of your addiction recovery journey.
Reach Out to Woodland Recovery Center to Heal from Addiction with DBT
DBT works. Our expert and compassionate staff can offer you unparalleled therapy as part of your drug or alcohol recovery. Wellness and mindfulness come from within. We can help you find strength and learn valuable skills to harness the success you deserve. Learn more about this approach to treatment by connecting with the Woodland Recovery Center team at 662.222.2989 or contacting us online.
