Dialectical Behavior Therapy Treats Borderline Personality Disorder

What is Borderline Personality?

Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) affects people every day. Genetics coupled with social factors can influence the onset of BPD and cause people to experience turbulent emotions when dealing with others or themselves. Although, it is very hard to decipher exactly when the onset of BPD comes on, there are ways to help minimize the symptoms and reduce the effects it has on people. One of the best ways of dealing with borderline personality disorder is through Dialectical Behavior Therapy.

How does Borderline Personality develop in families through invalidation?

Some experts believe Borderline Personality Disorder stems from a child whose emotions are considered invalid by many of the people around them. When a child experiences this invalidation from others, they often form BPD from this setting. Additionally, a child will be pushed to perform a certain way and have some form of independence. If this is not done by the child, he or she will not be able to handle their emotions in a normal way. This will often send a child into a turbulent range of emotions. Later in life, the person will continue to experience these wide ranges of emotions, which can often be worse or more severe.

Do those with Borderline Personality cut, burn, or blame others?

Adults who have experienced these circumstances as children have trouble adapting to their emotions. They deal with this issue by self-mutilation, blaming other people, and pushing away from others. None of these responses are good, and they require some type of therapy to help with the symptoms.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy DBT uses Dialectics to Balance

Dialectical Behavior Therapy works at minimalizing these two extremes and doing away with absolute truths. This form of therapy also helps place two parties together to have a simple transaction of words that involves validated feelings and steers clear from any emotions that can be deemed inappropriate. Throughout the therapy, the present feelings are addressed without acknowledging any past feelings being involved.

DBT Therapists Connect with Borderline Patients

When treating DBT, the role of the therapist is extremely important. The therapist must retain a strong connection to the patient. During the DBT process, the therapist must also receive therapy from his or her colleagues as the process is very strenuous when helping someone overcome Borderline Personality Disorder. Some of the things therapists often operate under are the ideas that the patient cannot fail, they are trying their best, things have got to only get better, and the response is valid given their past experiences.

DBT Therapist Communication

There are two communication styles that are enacted during the therapy. One is called reciprocal communication, and the other is irreverent communication. Both types are very useful during the therapy to a patient. Reciprocal communication involves giving the patient lots of support and warmth during the interaction. The irreverent communication comes when the therapy starts to stall. A therapist must be more aggressive and push the patient to deal with their emotions in the right way.

DBT Crisis Coaching Calls

Communication between the patient and the therapist occurs often. In between sessions, a patient will frequently get a call from the therapist. This ensures the line of communication not only stays open between them, and they can maintain a close relationship, but it also helps keep the patient in line with the therapy, so they do not get off track dealing with real life circumstances. Outside of therapy, they may be pushed to experience a wide range of emotions. The DBT group provides support at all times making sure the patient continues the therapy even outside.

DBT Skills Group help at every stage

There are several stages of DBT that gives the patient different versions of therapy depending on where they are at with their emotions. This is important in treating all types of people. Since everyone goes through Borderline Personality Disorder differently, the stages can be customized to fit the patient to some degree. Many people have seen huge success with their disorder. Throughout the therapy, they learn to overcome the invalidation they may experience and find real emotions that are adequate for the circumstance. This enables patients to form relationships that could not be done before DBT.

For an updated, more in-depth look at this topic, see Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) for BPD & Emotions.