Dialectical Behavior Therapy

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Dialectical Behavior Therapy Dr. Marsha M. Linehan and colleagues developed dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) in the 1970s. Marsha had personally suffered from Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD), in the past had harmed herself, and had multiple suicide attempts. Her primary focus is on suicidal behaviors, drug abuse, and borderline personality disorder. She is a psychology researcher and professor at the University of Washington. DBT is a cognitive-behavioral treatment for people with hard to treat or complex mental disorders. It was originally developed to treat chronically suicidal individuals, but has been adapted for those who have difficulty regulating their emotions. DBT was the first therapy that demonstrated to be generally effective in treating those who have BPD. Research also indicates its effectiveness in treating patients with spectrum mood disorders, including self-injury, sexual abuse survivors, and chemical dependency. BPD is a personality disorder that is a prolonged disturbance of personality function in a person. It generally effects people over the age of eighteen, but is also found in adolescents. BPD typically involves unusual levels of instability in mood; black and white thinking and manifest itself in idealization and devaluation episodes. A person with BPD typically has chaotic and unstable interpersonal relationships, self-image, identity, and behavior; as well as a disturbance in the individual’s sense of self. In extreme cases, this disturbance in sense of self can lead to periods of dissociation. BPD splitting includes a switch between idealizing and demonizing others. This, combined with mood disturbances, can undermine any relationship and may include self-harm. Without treatment, symptoms may worsen, which could lead to suicide attempts. In DBT, the patient and the therapist are working to resolve the seeming

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