Skills for Managing Intense Emotions
We’ve seen and treated a wide range of mental illnesses here at The Cottages on Mountain Creek. To mention a few, borderline personality disorder (BPD) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Our services are tailored to the specific requirements of each of our residents. What distinguishes us from other institutions is that we are well-versed in many sorts of therapies.
Dialectic Behavior treatment (DBT) is an evidence-based skills practice that teaches people how to regulate their emotions, relationships, and stress. DBT was originally developed to aid those suffering from the symptoms of BPD, but it can also be used to treat PTSD. Some of the symptoms shared by people with PTSD and BPD are trouble managing emotions, interpersonal problems, and a greater risk of impulsive behavior.
Here at Cottages on Mountain Creek, we focus on three distinct ways for employing DBT:
Distress Tolerance – Distress tolerance skills allow a person to survive an immediate emotional crisis without making it worse (Linehan, M.M. 2014). Examples of these skills are self-soothing techniques and the STOP skill (to stop yourself from engaging in impulsive behavior, pros and cons list).
Emotional Regulation – For those who struggle with emotion dysregulation you know how often your emotions can change. At The Cottages on Mountain Creek, we teach skills for identifying and describing emotions, how to ride the waves of emotions, and how to release painful emotions.
Interpersonal Effectiveness – With an emphasis on mindfulness practices, the goals of DBT‘s interpersonal effectiveness skills are to build and maintain positive relationships. These skills can be helpful for anyone, but especially for individuals who have experienced trauma or struggle with an attachment disorder.
A Few Core Tenets of DBT
- We are tribal by nature. We have survived through the development of our capacities to form long-lasting social bonds, share resources, and work together in groups;
- Psychological well-being involves the confluence of three factors: receptivity, flexibility, and social connectedness;
- It takes willpower to turn off (downregulate) willpower; and
- We do not see things as they are, but rather as we are.
Check out our DBT Skills Group Today at The Cottages on Mountain Creek if you answered “yes: to any of these questions below:
- Are you in a situation that you are really unhappy with and want it to be different?
- Have you accepted the situation and are still unhappy?
- Do you want to improve your situation?
- Do you want to begin to start feeling better?